What’s going on in Lewisham, that is, as regards the council actively implementing measures to improve cycling for those of us already out there, and, arguably, even more importantly, to get new cyclists making the choice to leave their bikes at home and walk or ride on their daily journeys. Well, Lewisham Cyclists is about to find out the answer to that question.
Last year, we put together what we called a wish list. We asked for your ideas about what was needed in your borough if cycling was to become a more popular, safer choice of travel for a much more diverse and greater number of us. Some of us rode round the borough, checking it out, finding the places we thought needed the council’s attention. Then we put together this document. We got a letter back. And that, it seems anyway, was it. We learned, later the same year, that TfL thought it was too difficult to run a CSH, that met their new standards, through our borough. We have struggled to get Lewisham Council to take us seriously over the Trundleys Rd junction, despite the fact that it is a key junction in a network of otherwise great little safe cycle routes in the borough. I, personally, cannot see much eveidence that they have taken on board the concept of permeability which councils like Hackney have used to such good effect in their borough.
So, it’s time to review our wish list, and ask them what they think they have done to increase cycling’s modal share over the last year, and what they intend to do this year.
And here is where you come in. Please take the time to look at the wish list- I don’t think it’s too long or too dry a document. Then, two requests of your time:
1. If you know any of the locations in the document and think the council have done something to improve it for cyclists, tell us here, as a comment on this post.
2. If you know of something/somewhere else that you believe the council could do either to make cycling safer and a more pleasant experience for you, as an existing cyclist, something we haven’t already included, tell us about that too. Talk to the non cyclists you know, at work, amongst your neighbours, at school, in your family. Would they like to ride a bike in Lewisham? What’s stopping them? What would make it easier.
We are not solely concerned with on road solutions, training issues, parking, storage, they are all relevant.
Here is the link to the document, and the council’s original reply.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Lewisham Cyclists proposals to council-2