(this letter is referenced in Stop Killing Cyclists’ press release HERE)
22nd January 2014
To: Mr Andrew Gilligan (Cycling Commissioner and Mr Leon Daniels (CEO Transport for London)
c/o Palestra Building
Blackfriars Road
London
From: Donnachadh McCarthy & Stephen Routley
Co-founders Stop Killing Cyclists
Dear Mr. Gilligan and Mr. Daniels,
Re: Meeting with Stop Killing Cyclists on 21st January 2014
Thank you for the time you spent with us for yesterday’s discussion – it was much appreciated.
We collectively thought it was a forthright and constructive exchange.
We appreciate that you did not have much time to review the Briefing Paper (Attachment 1) we sent you prior to the meeting and we were pleased with your engaged response. Regarding the Stop Killing Cyclists List of Demands we presented to Mr. Daniels on 29 November 2013 (also found in Attachment 1), we were pleased with your agreement to act on the following:
Cyclist & Pedestrian Representation on TfL Board
Andrew agreed to ask Mayor of London to include cyclist and pedestrian representatives on the TfL Board
The Boroughs and Cycling
Andrew agreed to consider the potential for an annual survey of cycling provision in each of London’s 32 Boroughs. This would facilitate an objective comparison of cycling provision in each Borough and provide a useful information course for safety campaigners in the individual boroughs.
Stop Killing Cyclists undertake to consult with our 1,600 members and submit some suggested criteria in time for the next meeting.
Oxford St and Crossrail
Leon agreed to include provision for cycling in the terms of reference for the study being conducted to consider changes in that street’s layout and function as a result of Crossrail’s opening in 2018.
TfL to ensure that any terms of reference for this consultant will consult with cycling and pedestrian groups as part of this study, to ensure that its consultations on the option of closing Oxford Street to vehicular traffic includes the potential for making Oxford Street a pedestrian/cycling major hub.
We would welcome if TfL could seek to provide a categoric response over which agency – it or Westminster Council- serves as the primary legal highway authority for Oxford Street, taking into account the powers vested in the Transport Management Act 2004 which gave TfL powers (a) to stop the Westminster City Council from exercising powers in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Highways Act 1980 and (b) the Secretary of State for Transport powers to designate a network of Strategic Roads in London which he exercised and included Haymarket, Oxford Street, Piccadilly, Regent Street and Strand.
New Planning Applications along Cycle Superhighway Routes
Andrew agreed that a mechanism was needed to ensure any planning applications (in addition to the major projects that are already referred to the Mayor’s Office) that are submitted along the routes of the Cycle Superhighway, do not negatively impact on current or future designated superhighways.
Ideally any planning applications along the routes would need to be referred automatically by the Boroughs to the Mayor to comment on whether they provided adequate space for the superhighways.
Stop Killing Cyclists agreed to submit such a proposal to the consultation on the new London Plan. But we would also welcome the Cycling Commissioner considering if any action can be urgently undertaken in the meantime to ensure more disastrous decisions are not taken by the boroughs along the Superhighway routes.
Junctions along Superhighways
Stop Killing Cyclists raised the important issue of how junctions along the routes of the superhighways are dealt with. We believe there appears to be very little thought currently given to the safe entry and exits from the blue lanes. We would welcome a response to how this can be remedied urgently for the already installed and planned Superhighways at the follow-up meeting.
Surveys
Andrew referred to the surveys carried out into Londoners attitudes to cycling. SKC seeks to represent the interests also of the large percentage of Londoners who wish to cycle but are currently too frightened to do so.
We would welcome future surveys to ask how many people would like to cycle regularly if a safe cycle lane network was installed and other such questions asking what would be the key actions that would encourage them to cycle regularly or allow their children to cycle.
Training Provision on Dutch Standards for the Boroughs
SKC suggested that the Boroughs be offered pro-actively by TfL, training schemes for their traffic engineers/planners/lead councillors in Go Dutch Standards and philosophy which puts the expected actions of a range of road-users (from good to bad) at the heart of the design process.
We would welcome a response to this suggestion at the next meeting.
Follow Up Meeting / Cycle Planning Disasters Tour
We will send a separate invite to our Cycle Planning Disasters Tour on the 8th February.
Both AG and LD agreed to a follow up meeting to discuss the Stop Killing Cyclists Demands that were not covered at the meeting.
We are grateful for your willingness to have a results-focussed dialogue with Stop Killing Cyclists.
Please liaise with Donnachadh to agree a date.
We look forward to our next meeting within two months.
Yours sincerely,
Donnachadh McCarthy
Stephen Routley
Co-founders Stop Killing Cyclists
CC: Will Nickell, Betty Farnum, Tom Kearney (Stop Killing Cyclists), Stop Killing Cyclists Membership List