Gearing up for cycling safety

Gearing Up calls on the Mayor to respond to falling cycle safety by prioritising ways to encourage more people on to bikes and reduce serious cycling incidents on London’s roads.

The Assembly’s recommendations to the Mayor, Transport for London (TfL) and the Government include:

• doubling funding for cycling in TfL’s transport budget
• timetabling an action plan for the east-west cycle ‘super corridor’
• appointing a commissioner to champion cycling and;
• more space on London's roads for cyclists, including using the experience of Games Lanes during London 2012
• developing a plan to ensure all children in London receive cycle training

Gearing Up shows while cycle safety in London has improved overall since 2001, injuries have been on the increase since 2006. Evidence collected by the Assembly cited safety as the main reason why Londoners wouldn’t take up cycling in the capital.

The London Assembly’s Transport Committee also urges the Mayor to make his pledge to create a ‘cycling revolution’ more ambitious. The report calls for him to double his target of having 5 per cent of journeys made by bike by 2026 to ten per cent following its analysis of current trends in London and other European cities. Copenhagen, for example, has set a target of 50 per cent of journeys to be made by bike by 2015.

The investigation showed that as cycling participation increased in other European cities, the safety of cyclists improved. But in London, rising cycle numbers do not appear to be having the same positive impact. The report also calls on the Mayor to encourage more participation as currently only 7 per cent of suitable journeys are made by bike.