Following the publication in March of the Mayor of London’s vision to transform the capital into a cycling city, work has now begun to turn this vision into a reality.
"The Mayor is showing what can be achieved with strong leadership backed by meaningful and consistent levels of funding."
British Cycling Campaigns Manager Martin Key
Creating ‘mini Hollands’ – areas where cycling is prioritised with Dutch-style infrastructure - in key London suburbs is one of Johnson’s key projects and on Tuesday British Cycling attended a conference dedicated to making it happen.
The ‘Mayor’s Vision for Cycling in London’ was written in consultation with British Cycling with the aim of making cycling an essential part of everyday life in the city.
A £100 million funding pot will be distributed to winning London boroughs in early 2014. Boroughs were asked to submit proposals that would redesign their town centre to improve it for cyclists by creating a network of cycle routes, dealing with problem junctions and creating cycle super-hubs at local railway stations.
The funding will be split between three or four boroughs and – since 18 of London’s 20 boroughs have applied – the decision will be a tough one.
Commenting on today’s conference, British Cycling’s Campaigns Manager, Martin Key, said: “The Mayor is showing what can be achieved with strong leadership backed by meaningful and consistent levels of funding.
"By investing heavily in three to four key boroughs and turning them into mini-Hollands, Johnson is setting an example to local authorities across the country. When those areas see cycling levels soar and a real cycling culture developing, I am sure it will encourage other areas to follow their lead.”
"As well as the ‘mini Hollands,’ work is also soon to begin on the Mayor’s ‘Quietways’ project. Including central London, this will be a network of high quality cycle routes strategically placed on streets with low volumes of traffic.
"They will be direct, well surfaced and clearly signed whilst remaining on the road, giving cyclists more options with routes to suit their riding ability or confidence levels."
