Promoting cycling in Kingston

I want to talk about cycling, not cyclists – bad behaviour is found in all groups

Pedestrian moans

● Stopping suddenly

● Not looking where they are going

● Crossing the road after the lights have changed

● Walking 2 or more abreast to fill the width of the path

● Blocking entrances and exits to shops

● Using cycle lanes

Car driver moans

● Parking by dropped kerbs, on double-yellow lines etc.

● Going through red lights

● Speeding

● Not stopping to let pedestrians cross

● Overtaking dangerously

● Not letting buses pull out

Commuter moans

● Not letting the passengers off first

● Standing by the bus exit

● Not taking care of shoulder bags on tubes

● Waiting to get to barrier to look for ticket

● Paying bus fare with cash requiring change

Cyclists are not a significant threat to other people, they are the ones getting hurt

● Every year around 3,000 cyclist are seriously injured in road traffic accidents

● In 2012 road deaths were cyclists (118), pedestrians (420) and car occupants (801)

● One pedestrian was killed and 78 were seriously injured by cyclists

● Of these only 20 were injured on pavements, most were injured stepping out in to the road

● In 2011, 6 people were killed by dogs, 9 by other mammals, 2 by wasps and 8 by suffocation in bed

We should encourage cycling in Kingston because it brings many benefits

● Cycling would reduce the number of journeys made by car and so improve congestion, pollution and parking blight

● Cycling would encourage additional journeys where car driving is inconvenient and so improve commerce and leisure

● Cycling is a healthy activity● Cycling is a form of recreation● Cycling is a sport

Pollution is a significant problem,across London and in Kingston

Current provision in Kingston is limited, disjointed and poorly maintained

● Cycle lanes are few and disjointed, with no routes through the centre, forcing cycles to battle with either cars or pedestrians

● A lot of the cycling provision is shared with pedestrians, e.g. Richmond Park and Canbury Gardens, who often pay cyclists little heed

● There is a lack of secure parking for cycles at key locations

● Cycle ways are not always well maintained, bikes need to avoid the pot holes that cars do not notice

Making space for cycles means making some choices that impact other users

● Pedestrians and cyclists can co-exists, most other northern European countries prove that, as long as shared provision is planned properly

● Cycles should also be given more dedicated space which means we need to either create new capacity or take existing capacity way from cars or pedestrians

The mini-Holland programme has some clear and sensible objectives

● Reduce transport's contribution to climate change, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change

● Reduce congestion and traffic levels in Kingston Borough

● Create safer communities and a safer transport network

● Improve transport opportunities and enhance the quality of life for all Kingston residents

● Sustain and share economic growth and prosperity

The proposed projects cover a lot of the Borough but also ignores some others

There will be better routes to and through Kingston town centre

These will be part of larger networks

There is more that we could do to help cyclists and pedestrians

● Ban parking anywhere near schools to encourage both cycling and walking

● Ban cars from Richmond Park on certain days (e.g. every Sunday) to give the roads to cyclists and the shared paths to walkers

● Improve the regulations applying to HGVs etc. to give better protection to cyclists and walkers, e.g. mirrors and bumpers

● Clarify that some laws designed for cars do not need to apply to cycles, e.g. some speed limits

My key messages

● Cycling is a good idea and we should encourage it enthusiastically

● Current provision in Kingston is limited, disjointed and poorly maintained – this needs to be fixed

● Mini-Holland will help but it is not the magic bullet that will solve all the problems

● We should be pushing for other schemes too, especially for destinations like schools, shops and parks, and in overlooked areas like Chessington