Boris's cycling Question Time

Hopefully this isn't a repost... the cycling-related bits from the mayoral questions during Bike Week. Might be of interest to some. Nothing on HGVs unfortunately.

Cycling superhighways
Question No: 1420 / 2009
Jenny Jones

**Will you change the speed limit on all the cycling superhighway routes to 20mph? **

Answer from the Mayor:
This is not my intention. Although discussions with the boroughs are continuing and should they wish this to happen, speed limits on individual parts of the highway would be reviewed.

Cycle hire
Question No: 1421 / 2009
Jenny Jones

Given that Paris successfully rolled out phase two of their much larger scale cycle hire scheme after six months, do you agree that phase two of our much more modest cycle hire scheme should happen by the spring of 2011 at the latest?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL is currently looking at the potential expansion options for the scheme. I envisage that experience of running the scheme and how people choose to use it will also inform how expansion is approached.

Bicycle Theft (1)
Question No: 1433 / 2009
Jenny Jones

Can you report on cycle theft figures over the past three months, and compare these with previous quarters and with one or more appropriate comparator cities?

Answer from the Mayor:
Quarterly data is provided below for the number of bicycle theft offences and sanction detections that have occurred in London. In April 2009 there were 1933 offences.

Greater Manchester and Merseyside have been used as the comparator cities. However, whilst being some of the largest cities within the United Kingdom and therefore the closest to compare London with, they are significantly smaller than the Capital each being less than half the size. Offence and Sanction Detection data for these cities has been provided for the past three financial years.

London MPS data:
Comparison cities:

• 
  
  

Bicycle Theft (2)
Question No: 1434 / 2009
Jenny Jones

Given the prevalence of bike theft in London, including from designated cycle parking in busy locations, when can cyclists expect large-scale secure bike storage in London?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL is working with a range of third parties to support provision of more large-scale, secure bike storage facilities in London. At Finsbury Park for example there is a cycle park for 125 bicycles. This has been assessed by the Design Against Crime Research Centre to be the "safest in the world". At London Bridge, a new secure cycle park for 400 bicycles opened in premises rented by 'On Your Bike' from Network Rail earlier this month. Negotiations are underway to identify other sites.

Traffic policing
Question No: 1438 / 2009
Jenny Jones

The Met in recent years has seen a decline in traffic officers policing our roads, and although our roads are comparably safe, many drivers still lack discipline due to non-enforcement. Would the Met consider giving experienced borough officers, such as area car drivers, the training to deal with more traffic enforcement, including on-board Video, ANPR, and speed guns?

Answer from the Mayor:
Tackling traffic enforcement remains a key a focus for Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with 87 of the 624 wards in London rating traffic concerns as a ward priority in May 2009.

Traffic officers work closely with boroughs to support traffic related activity including pro-active operations. A recent operation outside a school resulted in 230 cars being stopped, 51 cars seized for no insurance and 15 people arrested.
Borough officers are already trained up in the use of ANPR and some boroughs have already purchased their own equipment. Some boroughs have also undertaken additional traffic related activity for example in Croydon, Bexley and Bromley the Safer Neighbourhood Teams work in partnership with community members to run prevention and enforcement campaigns. This partnership scheme is known as Community Roadwatch.

Freewheel Launch
Question No: 1444 / 2009
Brian Coleman

Was a fee paid to James Cracknell for his appearance alongside the Mayor at the launch of London Freewheel on 26th May, and if so how much was it?

Answer from the Mayor:
James Cracknell helped me launch the summer of cycling campaign and his presence played a part in securing considerable coverage across TV, radio, online, and print.
Whilst I am grateful to him for his presence, I understand that TfL paid a fee for his appearance. Taxpayer value is crucial to my administration and though there may be times when a fee is unavoidable, we will ensure that for Mayoral events this is the exception rather than the rule.

A4 cycle facilities
Question No: 1469 / 2009
Tony Arbour

When will funding be confirmed for the cycle facilities at the A4/Sipson Road junction and the stretch of the A4 between Boston Manor Road and Chiswick Roundabout?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL has completed preliminary designs of a scheme to provide advanced cycle stop lines and upgrades to shared footways at the A4/Sipson Rd junction. Funding for the scheme has been confirmed. Implementation of the scheme is currently being programmed and TfL will write to you once a start date for the scheme is known.
At the section of the A4 between Boston Manor Road and Chiswick Roundabout, TfL has already begun work on a scheme to:

· Refurbish the footway and cycleway;
· Improve tactile paving at existing pedestrian crossings;
· Replace existing 'signs and lines';
· Remove clutter from the footway; and
· Address drainage problems.

The scheme is being undertaken in Phases, with Phase 1 scheduled for completion by July 2009. Phases 2 and 3 are scheduled for completion in January 2010, depending on the results of consultation. Funding has been confirmed in principle and will be finalised once consultation is complete.

Bicycle Parking
Question No: 1508 / 2009
Roger Evans

Whilst there is an obvious need to increase bicycle parking in London, this should not excuse the behaviour of those who chain their bikes to railings or park them in other unsuitable places. Would the Mayor consider a campaign asking cyclists to park their bikes more considerately?

Answer from the Mayor:
The City of London Police have been running a successful project working with cyclists to raise awareness of good locking practice which lessens the risk of theft or damage to bicycles and obstruction to other people. This project is included in the www.bikeoff. org good practice resource and can be readily adapted and delivered by individual boroughs and / or community or neighbourhood police teams. Experience suggests that this approach is much more effective than a centralised publicity campaign.

Cycling maps on TfL website
Question No: 1538 / 2009
Caroline Pidgeon

Would it be possible to make the London Cycle Guide maps available electronically on the TfL website?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL has considered this, but to make the maps usable the file size would considerably exceed the maximum downloadable size.

It is for this reason TfL provide Google mapping functionality, available to view at www.tfl.gov. uk/cycling, and this has the added advantage of allowing users to generate their own routes and to share these with others.

TfL did look at the option of mapping the cycle guides onto this map but Ordnance Survey licensing restrictions prevent TfL from doing so.

It should be noted that the maps can be ordered online via the TfL website and cycle routes are available on Journey Planner.

Criteria for pedestrian safety
Question No: 1541 / 2009
Caroline Pidgeon

In response to a recent FOI request, TfL have stated that with regard to the signalled junctions with pedestrian facilities that they manage, "although some sites do not currently comply with the latest Department for Transport guidelines, they do provide a safe opportunity for pedestrians to cross the road". If DfT guidelines are not being used to define the safety of a crossing in these instances, on what basis is the claim being made that these sites "provide a safe opportunity for pedestrians to cross the road"?

Answer from the Mayor:
The sites that do not comply with current DfT guidelines were all introduced prior to the current guidelines published in 2005.

DfT has made clear that guidelines published prior to this date are not unsafe. All DfT guidelines - whether published prior to 2005 or not - make clear that crossing times should be calculated based on an average pedestrian walking speed of 1.2m per second. TfL plans to upgrade all crossings to comply with the latest DfT guidelines by the end of 2011/12.

Shared Spaces
Question No: 1545 / 2009
Caroline Pidgeon

**I have been asked by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the London VI forum if, given your definition of shared space schemes in your Statement of Intent for the Transport Strategy that shared space is "An area of road where equal priority is given to vehicle and pedestrian traffic (taking into account the needs of disabled people)" will you accept the recommendation from the disabled people protesting outside City Hall today and make it a condition of funding that kerbs or some kind of differentiation in road space are incorporated into the design for Exhibition Road? **

Answer from the Mayor:
In Way to Go! I set out the case for the developing more shared space schemes across the capital. Whilst there is a lot of attention focused on the flagship schemes such as Exhibition Road and Oxford Circus, a wider spectrum of work can be considered part of the 'shared spaces' programme. It includes schemes to improve the urban realm in town centres across London (e.g. Dagenham Heathway, Richmond Town Centre and Sutton Town Centre), small scale local improvements and wider programmes to remove unnecessary guardrail, signage, street clutter and traffic signals across the capital. The underlying aim of all of this work is to achieve a better balance between the needs of vehicles and other road users and to improve the look, feel and quality of the urban realm. Not all shared space schemes will include single surface but in some cases it is appropriate to remove the kerb and replace it by other physical delineators that can be recognised by the blind and visually impaired. In all cases, safety and the needs of all road users remains a key issue.

Indications from monitoring shared space schemes in Europe suggest there has been a reduction in casualties. We will be monitoring this closely in London and the UK. Early indications are that the UK may be similar to Europe - a shared space scheme in New Malden provides some evidence of this.

The scheme at Exhibition Road, developed by Kensington & Chelsea and the City of Westminster will deliver a much needed radical enhancement to an area that is visited by more than 11 million people per year. I am keen to support this scheme and ensure it is delivered before the 2012 Olympic Games.

The details of the Exhibition Road design, including what form of delineation for blind and partially sighted people to follow, is a decision that I consider is best taken by the relevant highway authorities i.e. the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster.

I am aware that the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has concerns about the shared space design being considered and that they are discussing these issues with the relevant boroughs. TfL is assisting in this work by organising tests of the various designs for tactile paving. I will be closely monitoring shared space schemes as they are developed, with the aim of providing research and guidance to boroughs.

Cycle Stands
Question No: 1669 / 2009
Joanne McCartney

What action is TfL taking to ensure that local Boroughs taking part in the Velib scheme take the opportunity to provide more cycle stands for private owners at the same time they are reclaiming land for the Velib stands?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL is working with the nine London boroughs and The Royal Parks within the Cycle Hire scheme area to identify complementary cycling measures.
These measures will improve conditions for Cycle Hire customers and existing cyclists in the vicinity of docking stations. As part of this work, up to 1,000 more cycle stands for private cycle use will be installed within the scheme area.

Bicycle Theft
Question No: 1670 / 2009
Joanne McCartney

In your response to question 1014/2009 you stated that you were increasing the number of bicycle locking points. Please clarify what you mean by "bicycle locking points"?

Answer from the Mayor:
Bicycle locking points are robust physical hardware provided specifically for bicycles to be locked to. There are a number of designs, usually made of metal.

Cycle Hire scheme Zone 1 works
Question No: 1699 / 2009
Valerie Shawcross

Can the Mayor confirm that funds will be made available for all the works to Zone 1 borough roads to return them from 1 way to 2 way for cycling, and install other measures to enable direct routes for people hiring cycles, in order to ensure the success of the cycle hire scheme, throughout the whole of the Zone 1 area?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL is working with the nine London boroughs and The Royal Parks within the Cycle Hire scheme area to identify complementary cycling measures.
These measures will improve conditions for both Cycle Hire customers and existing cyclists in the vicinity of docking stations. As part of this work, TfL and the relevant boroughs are discussing options for making some streets that are currently one-way, two-way for cycles.

Cycle Hire Scheme works to TLRN and Borough Roads in the Zone 1 area
Question No: 1700 / 2009
Valerie Shawcross

Will the Mayor confirm that, as one of his wider objectives is to ensure the success of the scheme, and to encourage cycling in general to help alleviate the pressure on the public transport system, particularly in Zone 1, he will instruct TfL officers not to prevent Zone 1 improvement works associated with the Cycle Hire scheme on either the TLRN or borough roads, even if that could lead to a reduction in capacity for motor vehicles?

Answer from the Mayor:
TfL is working with the nine London boroughs and The Royal Parks within the Cycle Hire scheme area to identify complementary cycling measures.
These measures will improve conditions for both Cycle Hire customers and existing cyclists in the vicinity of docking stations. As part of this work, TfL and the relevant boroughs are discussing options for making some streets that are currently one-way, two-way for cycles.

London Cycle Hire Scheme
Question No: 1703 / 2009
Murad Qureshi

An article on the London Cycle Hire scheme published on the Totally Jewish website (21 May 2009) quotes a spokesperson for the Mayor as stating: "There are currently two companies being considered to run the scheme, and neither of these are Veloway/Veolia. " Can you confirm the accuracy of this statement?

Answer from the Mayor:
There are currently two companies being considered for the Cycle Hire contract. Although for reasons of commercial confidentiality I am unable to comment on the identity of those companies currently bidding to operate the scheme, I can however confirm that Veloway/Veolia are not one of these.