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The London Cycling Campaign is aiming to lobby 6000 local election candidates to support one of 624 ward-specific improvements that would make streets safer and more inviting for everyone to cycle.
In what the LCC is calling the “capital’s most hyper-local campaign ever,” the campaign group has worked with thousands of local residents, as well as teams of volunteers in every London borough, to create 624 targets for local cycling improvements in Greater London. This is one per electoral ward.
The requests include the provision of protected cycle lanes in the newly-created Bradley Wiggins Way in Brent, and the removal of motor traffic from the cycling corridor on Tavistock Place in Camden. The ‘Space for Cycling’ campaign is sponsored by the Bicycle Association of GB and Evans Cycles, and supported by the Dutch National Embassy. The Bicycle Association’s Bike Hub levy fund is also sponsoring a wider roll-out of the ‘Space for Cycling’ campaign. The CTC is to run campaigns in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.
LCC’s campaign uses online mapping and lobbying technology to allow Londoners to zoom in on the election candidates in their ward. They can also use the new tool to see what is being called for in all wards in London and, as the campaign progresses, track responses from candidates.
London Cycling Campaign Chief Executive Ashok Sinha said:
"Council elections should be about local issues, and our Space for Cycling campaign will focus local politicians, and would-be councillors, on making our neighbourhoods safer and more inviting for everyone to cycle and walk.
"Many local people don’t feel safe cycling or crossing the road in residential and local shopping streets. Our proposals for local cycling improvements will, when put in place, dramatically change the character of London streets for everyone’s benefit."
He added: “This is a non-partisan, grassroots campaign. Our amazing volunteer teams have used their local knowledge to identify the 624 measures to be taken – one in each ward – and we call on politicians from all parties to give these measures their support."
