Railings removed

My point is simply that whilst removing the railings is a good move, it looks more like a reaction than part of a well thought-out policy that attempts to approach street design with safety being a prime consideration, they're only doing just enough to take the edge of the issue and get it off the front of the freesheets... not enough to actually take substantive steps towards making the streets safe for cyclists and to encourage and support cycling.

That would be true if it was the only initiative in progress, but there's a lot happening. However, in London, progress on this sort of issue, even with multiple initiatives, is generally slow--it's like a supertanker trying to turn around. There is a great fear about changing the status quo. It's difficult to know what is actually happening if you don't follow it closely all the time.