On Wednesday 21st of December TfL delivered an early Christmas gift to motorbike riders announcing that they’ll now be allowed permanent access to all bus lanes on TfL’s network.

The reason was quoted as the infamous: “Smoothing traffic flow” which as we’ve discovered recently, trumps all other transportation policies such as sustainability and safety.

According to TfL:

As part of the second trial, TfL increased enforcement of bus lanes on the TLRN through daily patrols by the Metropolitan Police Motorcycle Tasking Team. In line with this increased enforcement, the average speed for motorcyclists in bus lanes reduced by 6.5 per cent during the trial, with the proportion of motorcyclists exceeding the speed limit decreasing by one fifth (51 per cent in September 2010 down to 41 per cent in September 2011).

The number of motorcyclists giving little to no regard to the speed limit remains absurdly high at 41%. That was during increased enforcement.

According to TfL:

The trial was also supported by other road users, including 51 per cent of cyclists, and car / van drivers.

The figure of 51% is hardly one to brag about.

I’ve got absolutely nothing against motorbike riders and I believe as a group, two wheelers are always going to be more vulnerable. However, I believe motorbikes in bus lanes discourages new cyclists. It’s simply another danger we have to contend with and it creates a less pleasant environment for cycling.

What do you think? Leave a comment below..

A member of staff looks on as cheery Londoners cycle past.

Give people a chance to be a little bit quirky and express themselves and they’ll take it. With beautiful results!

The cheery “lollypop” staff who try to organise the mayhem. Some people appreciate them more than others!

“The sight of hordes of cyclists pedalling their way along traffic free roads past some of London’s most glorious landmarks, and in the midst of a truly carnival atmosphere brought joy to my heart. We are bringing a cycle revolution to the streets of the capital and I am sure that today we persuaded thousands more Londoners that pedal power is the way to go” Boris Johnson

“Hordes of cyclists”

Some looked happier than others..

Kids definitely enjoyed the Skyride the most as they tried to pedal as fast as they could while the parents shout behind them to slow down and to be careful.

The Skyride must of been a surreal sight for most tourists walking past trying to see Buckingham palace.

The best place to see the Skyride from was clearly one of these trailers.

See also:

• 10 London Cycling Events you shouldn’t miss out on
• Last years Skyride experience
• Inspirational cycling pictures

This seemingly small change is well supported by organisations such as the London Cycling Campaign. It’s not just the benefit of getting to your destination faster but it is also part of making cycling safer. The LCC see it as part of their campaign to make places more permeable to cyclists thus making cycling more attractive.

The bad news is, this kind of positive change to the law is slow to implement. All the Mayor really has the power to do is go up to the Department for Transport and request they review it. They then have to run a trial to see if it works before starting to make plans to change the law countrywide. That is if they feel it is even worth considering in the first instance.

David Love, founder of the 3 Feet Please campaign, said “It is a good idea however, measures to change driver behaviour would have greater overall impact on cyclist safety and could be brought in earlier and at a considerably lower cost”.

Turning right on red is the law in America where they drive on the other side of the road. A red light is instead treated as a stop sign. Both drivers and cyclists are allowed to make a safe judgement and proceed accordingly. This is not the only example of allowing road users to exercise their common sense. In some cities in Germany traffic lights are switched off late at night when traffic dies down. Drivers are expected to check at the traffic light rather than proceeding without giving it any thought.

Do you think cyclists should be allowed to turn left at red?

See also:

• What cyclists can be fined for
• How much time do you waste waiting at traffic lights?
• What is your traffic light strategy?

To answer that question we can look at the Mayors track record as well as his proposals in the new draft document that is now open for public consultation.

You may well remember that the Transport Plan is not an alteration of the existing plans put in place by the previous mayor but instead a complete overhaul.

Congestion charging increases one of many potential solutions

The one part of this plan that all the newspapers are likely to cover is the potential congestion charging increases. This will help improve funding for TfL which has a major cash shortfall due to taking over the running of the failed tube maintenance company. Additionally it will discourage motorists from using crowded roads freeing them up for cyclists and buses. Of course ancient motoring organisations such as the RAC Foundation will strongly oppose them and motorist voters goaded on by the newspapers may well choose to take their vote elsewhere. Of course it is important to stress this is only one of many potential solutions.

Changes for cyclists in Transport Plan

The target is set in the plan to raise the current level of 2% of journeys taken by bike to 5% by 2026. Obviously this is far from 20% by 2020 which is what some have hoped and is nowhere near to Netherlands levels where 27% of journeys are made by bike.

The so called “revolution” includes the London Cycle Hire Scheme with 6000 rentable bikes and the Cycle Superhighways. Revolution is definitely not a label I would apply to the Cycle Superhighways. In fact it appears that the plans for far short of anything the LCC would like to see and of the equivalent plans in Copenhagen. Though there is some hint to cycle servicing facilities and additional cycle parking as part of the Superhighways scheme.

In terms of facility improvements there also appears to be plans to increase the amount of cycle parking available by 66,000 in addition to the existing parking facilities. There is also plans to encourage through planning permission a prevalence of cycling facilities such as parking, lockers and showers. This will not stop at new development but also at existing sites such as shopping centres to attempt to “normalise” cycling by knowing facilities will be available. If carried forward vigorously this would be a very positive change.

There is also discussion of growing cycling by changing attitudes and educating users about cycling. Though this is likely to be largely a continuation of existing programs. The term “mainstream” cycling is used in the report and recommends promoting cycling not as a “sporty” thing that requires special equipment but instead as something anyone can do. I am glad that they recognised this fact.

There is also some hint of tackling cycle safety though specific details of how are lacking. The report states that cycle safety will be addressed through:

“delivering road enhancements to make cycling safer and easier, including managing car access to residential areas, through physical or design measures, to create pleasant and safer cycling environments”

That would suggest more car free routes for cyclists. Though it is a shame there is no talk of creating cycle paths that are separated from the main road through barriers. For example I would one day like to be able to cycle across London Bridge with a barrier separating myself from the main traffic as has been so successful elsewhere.

Further in the document there is some discussion of the problems with Heavy Goods Vehicles and cyclist deaths. The Mayor appears to have recognised how much of a deterrent to cycling this can be and has offered some limited solutions. These include adding additional mirrors to HGV’s and electronic warning devices to detect cyclists. Additionally to further training for cyclists and drivers to encourage more road safety.

Finally increasing 20mph zones are discussed and even implementing technology that can automatically limit the speed of cars.

Overall these are positive steps but it is clear that they are aimed at getting a usage level of around 5% and not the full push to 20% which would actually be revolutionary. I think the Mayor should trust far more in the benefits of cycling and really put it as a number one priority, taking much larger strides forward.

Public Transport Improvements

In terms of public transport the plan promises oyster card use on National Rail stations. Something that should have already be done by now as promised by Boris. Also it gives the go ahead with the removal of bendy buses though details on costs of doing this are not present.

It also proposes various extensions to the tube lines and improvements to London Overground and overland Rail Network. However for further discussion on this you are better off looking at the excellent London Reconnections blog as I would prefer to focus on the cycling elements.

I want to live in “The best big city on earth”

Bold changes are needed to create “the best big city on earth”. If plans are successful then a better quality of life may be the result. Transport wise this would mean stress free travel that is a pleasure to use, a noise-free environment, cleaner air and well designed streets that Londoners can be proud of. There is no doubt this is something everyone wants but different groups have different opinions about how to get there. To make sure the voice of cyclists is heard fill in the survey on the Mayors Website, email your views and go to some of the roadshows.

See also:

• The best bicycle repair book
• London to Paris cycle route planned
• Find London cycle routes
• 10 cheap and easy diy bicycle projects anyone can do