What does LCC think about Bikeability and cycle training?

Oliver quoted Boris as saying that E&C is fine if you 'keep your wits about you', but the 'or have higher skills' bit was'nt in the quotations so I assume he did'nt say that bit.

Good point, I should edit to make that clearer. The Mayor, of course, has never taken cycle training (and apparently refuses to do so). Wouldn't want to put words into his mouth.

But we don't all, me inlcuded, cycle like Tony Martin so I totally understand why slower cyclists feels threatened and if we are to encourage people to take up cycling there needs to be an alternative.

It's not so much about speed. There are very, very slow cyclists who are excellent at negotiating environments like this. It's more a general understanding of traffic movements around you that counts. Still, as I said, the E&C is crap and has to go, whatever the ability of those having to go through it. I wouldn't care about it if everybody was able to do one giant bunny-hop all the way over it. It's a festering, hateful urban sore.

Also do all schools even have facilities for cyclists? And if the numbers cycling to school are so low

The vast majority of primary school children in London live within walking distance of their school, so there's never going to be that much scope there. There is more scope with secondary schools, but there you have other attractive options for children, such as free travel on buses. We've known for some time that adult training is key, e.g. of parents at a school, to create a whole cycling culture. In some schools where they're doing it, such as Tyssen School, this is working.

I did'nt know that cycling on cycle ways is mandatory in Holland if there is one available. I understand that is not the proposal here, but that makes a big differnce to my support of them, and I think this is a very important point and there needs to be wider awareness of this to avoid the 'get in the cycle lane, thats for you, the road if for us' claims that will inevitably follow unless this is made very clear.

It's not very widely known, yes. (The same is the case in Denmark, although I imagine that it may not quite be the same law. There are definitely differences in traffic regulations.)

Despite my cynicism I came to London 20 years ago and there's been a massive increase in cycling here in that time, so the shift is happening, even if it not as quickly as some would like. It may seem an impossible task to redesign all London junctions with better consideration for cyclists. I recall a consultation asking for feedback on London's worst ones like E&C and the one at Oval, so there seems a commitment at least to try and improve things, even if its done in small baby steps. But more than this there is an ongoing struggle to embed cycling into all aspects of future planning and policy

Yes, it's a complex task. It's not impossible, but it will take generations to rectify the mistakes of the past.

I don't know what Olivers job is exactly but I guess he spends a lot of time trying to make this a reality.

I've just been an LCC in Hackney volunteer for about fifteen years, currently the group's secretary. I'm also a former LCC Board member and standing for the Board again.

Jeeeesus sorry I've rambled on, anyway I find the debate interesting and will rage for a while it seems.

No worries, some interesting points, including some I haven't replied to. I like your omission of 'it' before 'will' here, as it creates a nice ambiguity. :)