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The city of London is living proof that pro-pedestrian legislation moves people away from their cars and onto public and human-powered transit.
London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, is pioneering laws (via his Climate Change Action Plan) that support cycling and walking, and the numbers are proof that it’s working. Livingstone has increased funding for walking and cycling programs fivefold, from 13 million pounds to 62 million pounds. City officials report that the number of cyclists in London has increased 83 percent in the last year, alone.
A press release from the Mayor’s office outlines some of the improvements slated to take effect as part of his Climate Change Action Plan:
- The importance of walking and cycling will be recognised by increasing existing budgets to £62m for 2008/9, up from around £13m in TfL's first full year - close to a fivefold increase. This builds on London's recent cycling renaissance and position as the only major city in the world to have achieved a shift from private car use to public transport, walking and cycling.
- £600k will be made available to support the implementation of the East London Green Grid project plan, and to support bids for the £341m to implement the various projects that make up the green grid network. The green grid aims to establish a network of parks and natural habitats covering an area 29 times the size of Hyde Park.
- A budget of £30m will enable the continued support for school and workplace travel plans and car clubs, the launch of a second integrated smarter travel project based on the experience on the Sutton project, the extension of travel plan support to London colleges and further education institutes, and other programmes.
The Mayor’s investment in cycling (in cooperation with the Green Group) has paid off. The city has expanded their cycling infrastructure, and now offers training and education for both experienced and novice cyclists.
From the Mayor’s office:
10,000 cycle spaces have been created at schools, and over 550km of the London Cycling Network Plus have been completed…
Since 2004, Transport for London has increased its focus on Travel Demand Management, encouraging more sustainable travel, with an increase in spending from £8m to £30m this year. Over this period 53 per cent of schools have approved school travel plans, with an average reduction in car trips of 7 per cent, or 1,200 fewer car journeys a years.
It is estimated that the package of measures set out will have the impact of reducing London's CO2 emissions by up to 6.8m tonnes per annum.
The city’s official transport web site offers routes, maps, and tips for biking London, and boasts cycling as a way to stay fit, ”tackle climate change,” and “beat winter blues.” The city is also asking Londoners to pledge their support and ditch their cars.
Some criticism of the Mayor has arisen, however, in light of his crackdown on bike parking. Livingstone’s new rules would empower the city’s 33 boroughs to seize bikes chained to lampposts, railings, or left in other illegal parking spots. Critics see the harsh bike parking restrictions as contradictory to Livingstone’s otherwise pro-bike plans.
Livingstone also hopes to enact a £25-a-day congestion fee for the highest-polluting vehicles in London without delay. Automaker Porsche is threatening to sue the city for its crackdown on carbon emissions. If Londoners’ response to Livingstone’s measures is any indication, Porsche’s claims won’t hold up in court.
Photo via flickr by Donnie_Ray. Photo of the Mayor courtesy of his web site.
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