Since London announced it’s climate change strategy, a strange thing has happened, actions to implement that strategy have been taken! That is perhaps only strage if you are used to national politics and broken promises. In London Ken Livingston is putting on a good display of what can be done.

London recently joined Paris in winning the Institute for Development and Transportation Policy (ITDP) sustainable transport award for it’s congestion charge, bus service development and cycling improvements. Now London is replicating the scheme that jointly won Paris that same award. The Velib system is a automatic bike hire service with regular docking stations. The exact details of the London system have not been released but 6000 bikes will initially be available. Bike can be picked up by using a credit card which charges a deposit, this is then repaid at the end of the ride. In Paris the first half hour is free and then there is a constant rate per half hour untill three hours at which point the hourly rate increases. The bike is intended for short trips and works as a compliment to underground and bus services.

But the Velib scheme is only part of the overall cycling stragegy, which accoring to the Mayors office has five main elements:

1. A Central London bike hire scheme, similar to the recently launched Paris scheme, with up to 6,000 bikes located across docking stations every 300m so Londoners and visitors have quick and easy access to a bike. This will be supported by a series of easily navigable routes so that people can enjoy London’s sights by bike.
2. Around a dozen radial Cycling Corridors for commuters to provide high-profile, easy to follow cycling streams into central London.
3. The creation of a series of Bike Zones for shoppers and the school run in Inner and Outer London, with cycle priority streets, 20mph speed limits and quick, clear and simple routes that link key local destinations and open parks and waterways for cyclists.
4. The expansion of the Legible London signage system to help people make short trips around the capital on foot, rather than driving, or taking the bus and tube.
5. Working with the London Boroughs on the establishment of 200 Streets of Gold – urban makeovers which link key local destinations like stations, schools and shops in inner and outer London with high quality walking facilities, delivering improved pavements, seating and crossings alongside regeneration measures.

This strategy is getting most of it’s funding from the newly announced congestion charge increase for large cars. The idea of increasing charges on cars that emmit large qauntities of co2 is harldy likely to be unpopular amongst environmentalists. However, it is problamatic in the sense that a congestion charge is being used for two policy goals: reducing the number of cars and supporting certain types of cars. Local charges, perticularly in a city like London can have an influence on demand for types of cars but things would be done most effectively by having national policies to discriminate between cars based on pollution, and local charges to deal with demand.

Related:

• CNU 2007 Transportation Summit(includes video).
• Climate Change Action posts on Transport.
• What is the best way to tax cars?

New York City has just announced plans (PDF) for its first cycleways, seperated from traffic by a lane of parked cars.

And who do we have to thank for this brilliant idea?

DOT planners consulted with Danish urban designer Jan Gehl on the plan, according to Transportation Alternatives Deputy Director Noah Budnick. “They are drawing from international best-practice and being smart about talking to other engineers and planners who have implemented these types of designs,” Budnick said. “They really thought holistically about everything that is going on on the street.”

Anyone got that human cloning thing figured out yet? We could do with a few more like Jan.

I have yet to find a good guide to cycleway design in cities but there are a few general points that are fairly obvious…and some cities take these seriously while others simply don’t. Jan says that a cycle lane that isn’t safe for children, the elderly and those with imperfect motor skills is virtually worthless. Cycle lanes painted onto roads may give cyclists more sense of ownership over the road but they do little to widen the demographic of those who see cycling as a viable alternative to cars or transit.

In Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and a few other true ‘cycle cities’ watching people on bikes you can see businessmen with brief cases, women in smart dresses, five your old children, young adults…in other words just about every age and economic grouping of people. Is that the same where you live? Without safe cycle lanes the age barriers at both ends of the spectrum are particularly evident.


As an aside: cycling sexy?

Bellow, Critical Mass in San Fransisco, above in London. I personally love ‘critical mass’ events, perticularly due to the fact that as a regular cyclist i`m so used of having to look over my sholder for big trucks and cars: it’s nice when cyclists have the upper hand. Don’t get me wrong, cycling around London i was amazed by how well most people drive in general i have no problem with car drivers. However it does get you thinking.

Just how much easier and healthier would it be to cycle around a city if there where no cars on the road? Permenant primacy of the cyclist. And, unlike the current situation cyclists would become healthier, nor more prone to lung problems. London, in the summer, commuting for work…a real breathing issue.

Also, whilst most drivers are very considerate this has to be a relative statement. Not being a driver, but a cyclist has to be more considerate. My reasoning is simple, moving yourself and a few Kg of bike around takes less room, pollutes less and imposes less risk on others.

I liked the video above from Critical Mass in SF, however nearer to home there are also critical masses. In Aberdeen there is an even, and i`ve already mentioned the london event. These things are all over the world to try out one near you.