Cycle campaigning

There's no 'foot-dragging'. The Mayor's merely busy putting London's finances in order, and that affects cycling, too. London's finances were thrown into chaos during Johnson's time in office due to his incompetence and neglect. He cancelled the Western Extension to the Congestion Charge and was profligate and inefficient in many of his funding programmes (not limited to transport or cycling or cronyism like the Garden Bridge), effectively no more than a doormat at times.

I think that there'll be an announcement along sometime which will reveal that Johnson had far less money available for cycling than he claimed and promised people money that didn't exist. I can't prove that, but the value of the cycling component in schemes that were done just doesn't add up. Perhaps Gilligan's trying to pre-empt that and spin his own story.

In his first couple of months in office, Khan has already made policy announcements which put firmly in the shade anything Johnson ever did (or didn't) for London's environment, such as announcements on air pollution, or the excellent announcement the other day of action to move the focus of development away from the centre only and to increase mixed use away from there.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/mayor/sadiq-khan-london-s-future-depends-on-developing-the-suburbs-a3377091.html

https://www.london.gov.uk/get-involved/have-your-say/all-consultations/city-all-londoners

This is extremely important, easily the most important land development policy that can be undertaken in London, and of huge importance for cycling, too. Cycling thrives on the short, local trip, and the more people can do things locally, the more they will cycle. There's no reason why someone shouldn't be able to live, work, send their kids to school, or go out in the evening all in one place, cycling or walking all the way. Reducing the need to travel is the paramount, high-level transportation objective. It'll take years to turn the rudder, as London's like a supertanker, but this is the right direction.

I'm no Labour party partisan, but I experienced firsthand how badly London was run during Johnson's time, and it feels so good to see important things being taken care of again.