Two wheels better

Heartening signs for cyclists and pedestrians

Hot on the heels of Sustrans's success in winning
£50 million of lottery money for its Connect2 cyclepaths scheme comes the announcement of a £140 million three-year plan at the Department for Transport to boost cycle training for children, connect more schools to the National Cycle Network, and help towns run cycling pilot projects.

And there’s more. Ken Livingstone (up for re-election as London mayor in May) plans to “spend something like £500 million over the next decade” to make the capital a far better place for cyclists and pedestrians. By 2010 there could be 6,000 bikes freely available in central London for short rides, extendable for a modest hire fee [see ‘Bicyclette breakout’ for how this works in Paris]. Also promised: a network of safe cycle routes and much better bike parking facilities. Walking, too, will be promoted in parallel with pedalling. One nice new project, the Legible London system of signposts for pedestrians, could help people realise that you can get there quicker on foot than by tube for over half the journeys currently made on the underground within the central zone. – Roger East

25 March 2008

Roger East

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