Hackney to get three more cycle routes
Wheel deal: Cycle Superhighway 1 in Hackney. Photograph: Stephen Craven (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed plans for three more cycle routes in Hackney.
One 3km stretch will link the existing cycle superhighway in Dalston to Lea Bridge Road.
Another route will connect the borough to the Isle of Dogs via Victoria Park, and the Hackney part of Seven Sisters Road will join a new path between Tottenham Hale and Camden.
Khan said: “Encouraging more Londoners to cycle as part of their everyday routine is vital – providing huge benefits to people’s health, cutting congestion and air pollution for every Londoner, and improving quality of life in local neighbourhoods.”
In total, six new routes are in the pipeline across nine London boroughs.
Khan has set a target of 80 per cent of journeys in the capital being made by foot, bike or public transport by 2041.
London Cycling Campaign’s Fran Graham said: “The Mayor has laudably promised to triple the amount of protected space for cycling during this mayoralty and commence work on a safe, city-wide cycling network that every Londoner can easily access.
“By enabling cycling to become the natural choice for everyday journeys, this network will play a pivotal role in achieving the Mayor’s goal of reducing the over-dependence on motor vehicles that is congesting our city, damaging public health and contributing to climate change.”
When are Hackney Council and the cycle lobby going to get to grips with needs of pedestrians and ordinary people? Cycling is fine for healthy, able-bodied people with the means to rent or to buy, store and maintain a bicycle – many more people walk than cycle – indeed, walking some distance is a necessity for all of us who use public transport.
14% of all Hackney households have one or more dependant children of the age of 4 or younger – and 8% have two or more dependant children 4 years old or younger. These are families for whom cycling may not be reasonable or possible. A further 6% of households have dependent children between the ages of 5 and 11, for some of whom cycling may or may not be possible. A conservative estimate is 10-12% of Hackney households who may not be able to rely on cycling as a reasonable mode of transport.
(These figures may have increased slightly since the last census and this 2014 document from LBH: https://www.hackney.gov.uk/media/2730/Annexe-1-borough-demographics/pdf/Annexe-1-borough-demographics)
Moreover, there is rain (and/or snow) in London for 45% of the year (164 days/year – 2016 figures – http://www.holiday-weather.com/london/averages/), with every month of the year recording 8 days or more of rain/snow and 3 months of the year recording 15 or more days of rain/snow. These are days when cycling may be undesirable or dangerous for parents with young families, older people or even less confident cyclists.
Many more people walk than cycle – a simple fact. At the risk of enraging the cycle lobby, a significant minority of cyclists cross red traffic lights and pedestrian crossings when pedestrians are on the road and even ride on pavements (all these actions are illegal) without considering the effect of a collision with a pedestrian.This is intimidating and potentially dangerous – and pedestrians are right to be intimidated. A collision with another pedestrian at walking speed is a relatively trivial impact – about a third of one’s body weight. A direct collision with an adult on a normal weight bicycle at 12 mph would multiply that same impact by twenty times – like being hit with the equivalent of a 335 kg / 740 lb weight. This is without considering the force multiplier effect of the small surface area that may be involved in such a collision, greatly increasing the equivalent impact.
Also, pedestrian/cycle collisions are rarely reported unless injuries are serious – and cyclists are not obliged to have any kind of liability insurance or even identification. And the argument that more pedestrians are hurt by motor vehicles is irrelevant here; as cycle number increase, so will cycle/pedestrian collisions – and a near-miss is not an excuse for denial.
So: What serious, concerted efforts are being made to make walking safe for pedestrians in Hackney?
It is a valid point, pedestrians also need to be more sensible though. It is amazing how many people cross the road in dangerous places when there is a crossing just a few metres down the road. I think the reason for increasing cycle routes is the car in a city like London is not sustainable and for journeys of 5 miles+ bikes become the only viable “green” option unless of course you are a runner. Quite a few of the proposed plans in the borough include improving the quality of pedestrian walkways etc to encourage more people to walk. The point is though it isn’t a case of encouraging cyclists or pedestrians both modes of travel can quite easily be incorporated into the same plan for each area.
Adam – victim blaming isn’t really your answer, is it? If a car driver said “cyclists also need to be more sensible though”, my guess is you’d be outraged. Apart from that, you seem to have ignored every single point I made above; there really is no point in “improving walkways” and encouraging people to walk if some cyclists use pedestrian walkways as private tracks and continue to ride irresponsibly – and the rest of the cycling community refuse to take responsibility for them. Nor do you address the fact that some people simply cannot use bicycles, for a myriad of reasons, or the fact that cyclists *do* intimidate pedestrians. Hackney Council have been only too happy to take TfL money to provide increasing facilities for commuting cyclists, sometimes at the expense of local residents, but have made no effort whatsoever to improve or police the behaviour of cyclists in the borough.
I could say the same thing! My main point is both forms of travel should be encouraged… I am a cyclist and a walker in the borough so can see both sides of the argument.. Any person what ever mode of transport should abide by the highway Code and if they don’t they should be penalised… I don’t understand why the cycling community should be responsible for the actions of people who choose to ride irresponsibly though? Unless of course you take responsibility for all the pedestrians who decide to cross the road in dangerous places? Just take up a walk up Mare street in and around Hackney Central! It sounds like your problems would be resolved if more actions were taken against people breaking the Highway code.. It wouldn’t take much to stop people from doing the things you have spoken about…
Fair point – though if there really was more camaraderie among cyclists it would be much easier to discourage the dangerous and rude ones.
But Adam, what you don’t address are people who cannot easily cycle, who cannot brave the weather on a bike, who have too many children to make it possible, or who have disabilities.