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Cyclists hit out as accidents soar
Angry cyclists have attacked Croydon Council for having one of the worst safety records in London.
Councillors admitted their own disappointment when a scheme to improve cyclists' facilities was almost abandoned this week.
The criticism from Croydon Cycling Campaign co-ordinator Austen Cooper came when highways officers recommended backtracking on plans to make St James's Park in Croydon a two-way street for cyclists.
Chris Martin, assistant director for highways, said there was a danger of clashes at the bend in the road between large southbound vehicles and northbound cyclists.
And his officers were unable to come up with practical ways to make the bend safer, such as a new traffic island. But Mr Cooper said the risks posed by large vehicles paled in comparison to the existing dangers to cyclists.
He said: "The fact that safety considerations are raised at all is insulting our intelligence.
"Croydon Council now has one of the worst cycling accident records of all the London boroughs."
He cited recent figures from Transport for London showing that in the first six months of 2001, cycling accident figures for London were down by 7.3 per cent.
But in Croydon they rose by 46.7 per cent, the largest increase of any borough.
Mr Cooper called for a thorough "cycling strategy" to be drawn up in partnership with cycling groups, the council's green transport officer and TfL's Cycling Centre for Excellence.
He pointed to examples of poor design, including the decision to put a bus shelter in the middle of a combined footpath and cycle lane in Lodge Lane, New Addington.
Cllr Martin Tiedemann (Lab, Whitehorse Manor), chairman of the council's cycle forum, said: "Most of our priority cycle routes are below the standard we need them to be."
"It's disappointing we've got to this stage with St James's Park, where everyone thought we'd come to a consensus but we're now back to square one. I hope this doesn't undermine the strong relationship we're trying to form between cyclists and the borough."
Cllr Gerry Ryan (Lab, Whitehorse Manor) asked planners to reconsider the St James's Park proposals, instead of making a decision at Tuesday's traffic management cabinet committee meeting.
Cllr Ryan said: "I think we can look at this again in the light of what's been said.
"I think there are other examples of cycling schemes that are of a similar nature and it could be we have to revisit them in respect of their safety and review them."
He also agreed to let representatives of the cycle forum to speak at future meetings of the committee. Until now only councillors and officers have been allowed to address the meetings.
Mr Cooper added: "Tuesday night's meeting was a positive development. We want to work together, not spend all our time arguing."
