The London Assembly today sent a message to the next Mayor about continuing upgrade work for the safety of London’s cyclists.
The Assembly agreed a motion which urges the completion of three mini-Holland projects.
Darren Johnson AM, who proposed the motion said:
“We are finally seeing some world class sections of cycle lane opening in central London and that is very welcome. But the tough work has only just started. The next Mayor must capitalise on the consensus that the London Assembly and Mayor have worked hard to achieve over the past eight years on the clear need for a network of safe, direct superhighways radiating out from the city centre to the suburbs.”
Valerie Shawcross CBE AM, who seconded the motion said:
"With more people cycling every day in London, high-quality cycling infrastructure has never been more important. Cycling not only helps relieve the growing congestion on our roads and public transport system, but it also provides significant health and environmental benefits. Of course new cycling infrastructure can be controversial and needs to be handled sympathetically and in close consultation with local people and road users, but it is vital if we are to improve safety and encourage others to get on their bikes, particularly in outer London.
With progress now being made, we cannot afford to lose the momentum it has taken us so long to build up. With the number of cyclists likely to continue to grow in the coming years, the next Mayor, no matter what their political colour, needs to embrace, enhance and ingrain London’s cycling revolution."
The full text of the Motion is:
This Assembly welcomes the construction of sections of high quality cycle superhighway in central London. We also welcome the Mayor’s recent comments urging his successor to complete the three Mini Hollands currently in train.[3]
Encouraging more journeys to be made by bicycle could help London’s transport network to cope with the pressures of a growing population. It could also help improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners and go some way to cleaning up our polluted air.
We therefore call on the Mayor to work with the Assembly to ensure his successor builds on the consensus on cycling programmes that has been achieved within the Assembly in recent years, with a view to continuing these programmes in his or her Mayoralty.
Notes to editors
- Watch the full webcast.
- The motion was agreed by 13 votes for, 9 against.
- The Mayor made this comment at the 16th December 2015 session of Mayor’s Question Time. “I hope very much that any future Mayor would want to continue with this work. On Mini Hollands, I think it is vital we deliver the ones that are currently in train.”
- Darren Johnson AM who proposed the motion is available for interviews. Please see contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Lisa Lam on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.