With fresh tube strikes ahead and unseasonably warm weather, it seems like a good time to take to two wheels. Obligingly, the mayor is handing out cash to boost his cycling revolution.
Thirteen London 'biking boroughs' are lucky recipients from a £4m pot aimed at making cycling more appealing to the local community. So who got what? The London.gov website gives all the totals, but the bookends were Barking & Dagenham with £343K and Merton with £155K. Green Party mayoral candidate Jenny Jones was unimpressed with Merton’s allocation, however, calling it ‘pathetic’.
The money will be used to make cycling a safer and more pleasant experience in the capital by adding extra bike lanes, improving infrastructure and promoting cycling instead of driving.
TfL have yet to issue guidelines around alternative transport on the proposed strike days but last year’s guided cycle rides didn’t fare brilliantly. Use of the cycle-hire scheme and traffic on the superhighways was reportedly higher than usual — a claim disputed by the War On The Motorist blog who incidentally criticise the number of obstructions on the superhighways.
If the strikes do go ahead, the Boris bike stations will no doubt be busy so get there early and check out TfL’s cycle route maps in advance.
