Lewisham Cyclists is extremely happy to announce that the council and Mayor have agreed to appoint Councillor Mark Ingleby as the borough’s cycling champion. Although this appointment still has to be formally ratified by the Mayor’s office, Councillor Ingleby, who represents Whitefoot ward, has already begun liaising with Lewisham Cyclists. We are pleased with his appointment, as we know Councillor Ingleby cycles regualrly and has a clear understanding of what’s needed to encourage people of all ages and abilities to ride.
We have begun preparing a Cycling Strategy for the borough, with his support. He has already presented a motion supporting cycling in the borough, to the Labour group of councillors, which they have accepted, and hopefully will take this motion before the full council later in the year.
The text of the motion that we drew up jointly with Councillor Ingleby’s support, is below:
One of the key findings of the 2015 Sustainable Development Select Committee Modern Roads Review was that cycling should play an important role in delivering a modern roads network for Lewisham in the 21st century. Yet only 2% of journeys in Lewisham are made by bicycle at the moment, lower than comparable boroughs, and our one existing through route,the Waterlink Way will not support or deliver greater numbers, especially at peak times.
The report’s recommendations included several promoting cycling in the borough, including:
That any future re-design of the A205/Catford Gyratory incorporates the needs of cyclists and pedestrians from the beginning of the process
That the Council considers the full range of cycle-friendly road designs that radically improve the safety and environment for cyclists including recently implemented exemplar junction schemes in other London boroughs.
That officers investigate proposals outlined by Lewisham Cyclists in relation to improving cycling conditions in the borough
In the light of these recommendations, and of the acknowledged need to significantly increase cycling’s modal share in Lewisham it is proposed that the council work on a plan with TfL for the development of a key safe segregated cycling route through the borough along the A21 from Downham to Deptford, connecting to Cycle Superhighway 4 on the A200 and Quietway 1.
This route will help to link existing cycle routes through the borough to the east and west, such as the Waterlink Way.
This single route would not only provide a fast, effective link for those needing to travel to central London, but would also link the communities of Lewisham to its main town centres, as well as to the neighbouring boroughs of Greenwich, Southwark and Bromley. This route will provide the strategic focus and backbone necessary to deliver a cycling vision for Lewisham, based on place-making.
Both the A21 route and CS4 (A200) can seize opportunities to incorporate “best practice” designs used elsewhere in London eg floating bus stops, junction designs which prevent left hooks and deliver safe right turns. But primarily, the opportunity is to consider creatively and deliver effectively, a safe cycling route along the A21, making the best use of the existing public space.