The ten-point cycling manifesto drawn up by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) to improve conditions for London’s growing number of cyclists has been endorsed by all four major mayoral candidates ahead of the mayoral election this June.

The manifesto was first conceived last year and by this January the LCC had completed the final version, key elements of which are: guaranteed funding to deliver the London Cycling Action Plan, a 20mph limit in all streets where Londoners live, work or shop, a Green Route Patrol to enforce of all cycle lanes and advance stop lines and free cycling training for every schoolchild (see below for the full manifesto). According to the LCC cycling in Central London has increased by 20% since the congestion charge was introduced and there are now 650,000 regular cyclists, so it’s more important than ever the the city improve its cycle-friendliness. To ensure this happens the LCC, along with other cycling groups, has been lobbying London’s mayoral candidates to commit to improving the lot of cyclists and it seems that they’ve had some success.

Current mayor and Labuor party candidate, Ken Livingstone commented: “I fully support LCC’s Cycling Manifesto for London, which I think is a very helpful document. I want to dramatically increase cycling’s modal share in London.”

For the conservatives, Steve Norris, chair of the National Cycling Strategy board, reasserted his commitment to cycling saying: “I can happily sign up to LCC’s campaign commitments. I intend to make London a city in which cycling is as safe, enjoyable and widespread as it can possibly be.”

The Liberal Democrat and the Green party candidates also voiced strong support for the manifesto. Simon Hughes said the Lib Dems were “happy to sign up to LCC’s Cycling Manifesto for London and look forward to making London a more accessible, safer and enjoyable place for cyclists.” And the Green’s Darren Johnson said that “Green assembly members have worked to put cycling higher up the political agenda at every opportunity. The Cycling Manifesto for London has my full support.”

Tom Bogdanowicz, campaigns manager for the London Cycling Campaign, said: “Cycling is enjoying a boom in London and we are delighted that all the candidates have backed our manifesto. We now want to see this very welcome support put into practice.“
 

Anyone who regularly cycles in London will, no doubt, concur that much could be done to make their experience easier. But the LCC are aiming higher than that, they want to ensure that the capital becomes “one of the world’s first-class cycling cities”. And good luck to them.

LCC’s Cycling Manifesto for London: 

– Guaranteed funding to deliver the full TfL London Cycling Action Plan, including the London Cycle Network+

– 20mph as the standard speed limit in all streets where Londoners live, work or shop, and a radical expansion in the number of home zones

– Free cycle training for every London schoolchild, including on-road training

– Safe routes to school for all London’s children, with sufficient secure cycle parking at all London schools by end 2006

– Sufficient secure cycle parking at all major London rail, tube and bus stations by end 2005, and as a legal requirement in all new developments

– A major campaign of action on cycle theft, with cycle theft reduction targets for all London boroughs and a London-wide database of stolen cycles

– Enforcement of all cycle lanes, cycle gaps and advance stop lines by a Green Route Patrol, including using the same decriminalised enforcement as currently exists for bus lanes

– A concerted action plan in conjunction with all other relevant agencies to prevent cyclists’ deaths from HGVs and skip lorries

– A dedicated programme to open up cycle corridors across key green spaces and along London’s waterways

– A major programme to reallocate road space and priority to cycling and walking, including the upgrading and widening of cycle lanes

To find out about the benefits of joining the LCC check out their website.