Tuesday 7 January 2014

Making North Lambeth Cycle Friendly - Public Meeting 20th Jan

PUBLIC MEETING arranged by Lambeth Cyclists (please tell others in the area)

How can North Lambeth be rapidly transformed into a place where adults and children feel safe and comfortable cycling around?

We know that cycling provides astonishing health benefits; doesn’t pollute; helps fight climate change; is cheap; and could provide a quick and independent form of travel around the central London area for adults of all ages as well as children.

But our road system is currently intimidating; not just to children but also to many people who would cycle if it were made pleasant to do so.

What changes need to be made for North Lambeth to become a place where people of all ages cycle without fear to friends, to shops, to school, or to work?

How long will it take for changes to take place and what obstacles need to be overcome? Are our schools, our doctors, our politicians, our businesses, our transport professionals, and our residents doing all they can to make this area fantastic for cycling?

How can we retain the benefits that motor vehicles provide in moving large numbers of people and heavy goods, while also being unconcerned about our children travelling by bike?

Will Vauxhall be more cycling friendly than Amsterdam, as Boris Johnson promised? Will the proposed central London grid deliver real change? Will the Myatt’s Fields developments result in a cycling culture? Will all local schools provide cycle training to their pupils?

This is the first in a series of five monthly meetings around Lambeth providing a chance to meet Lambeth Cyclists, the borough group of the London Cycling Campaign, and discuss the neighbourhood changes needed to make cycling the easy and obvious choice for local journeys.

If you live in, work in, or travel through Oval, Vassall, Princes or Bishop’s Ward (broadly from Myatt’s Fields and Vauxhall up to the Thames) then please come along.

Monday 20th January 2014 at 7.30pm

Vauxhall Griffin (Ruby Room), 8 Wyvil Road, SW8 2TH (www.thevauxhallgriffin.com)


www.lambethcyclists.org.uk

Wednesday 1 January 2014

An end of year token from the Royal Parks

In March 2012 I started an intermittent dialogue with the Royal Parks concerning the Mall's closure on Sunday and the absence of signage to say that cycling is permitted. It's worth scanning the email exchanges here if you haven't followed the saga to date.

I'm pleased to say that the Royal Parks have now found the funds to purchase their bespoke sign (no conventional 'except cycles' or 'motorbike over car in red circle' sign for them).. Here it is:

The sign is put out on Sundays on the Mall near Horse Guards Road, next to a couple of conventional 'No Entry' signs like this one:

Unfortunately the Royal Parks appear not yet to have found the will or the budget for a similar sign on the Marlborough Road entrance


and I'm willing to bet nothing has been amended at the Buckingham Gate or Hyde Park Corner road closures.

Happy New Year to the Royal Parks, trying as always.