Press Release
28th October 2002
St. James's Park decision welcomed
Campaigners for better cycle routes in Croydon are delighted with official go-ahead for a contra-flow cycling facility in St. James's Park, despite an initial recommendation by the Divisional Director for Traffic that the scheme be dropped. Minutes of the Traffic Management Cabinet Committee meeting on Monday, 2nd September record the committee's decision that "the proposal to install a contra-flow cycling scheme, traffic calming features, associated waiting restrictions and the net removal of three parking bays from St.James's Park, be agreed."
The new contra-flow is badly needed and will reduce the length of the Croydon to Norbury via Thornton Heath cycle route by 450m, cutting out the unpleasant and unsafe Hogarth Crescent gyratory and Union Road sections. It will be the first physical facility or priority change to help cycling implemented along that entire London Cycle Network route, which to date has consists of just signs and white lines.
Croydon Cycling Campaign coordinator, Mike Armstrong said: " We welcome the decision to allow contra-flow cycling along St. James's Park. It is a small victory for common sense, against opposition from senior officers who argued the scheme should not proceed on the grounds it could not be made 100% safe. The backing of councillors, particularly Gerry Ryan, was pivotal and should be applauded. Early this year Gerry got on his bike with us and went to look for himself; once on site he drew the same conclusion as us: that minor safety issues in a quiet residential street are far outweighed by the clear and present danger of the current route around the gyratory."
However, Croydon Cycling Campaign cautions that the scheme is a solitary example of cycling being prioritized at slight inconvenience to car users. It has taken 3 years from the issues being first raised to gain approval. Within that period, the Council's traffic counts show cycling levels in Croydon declined by 12%, yet its 1998 Cycling Strategy includes a target to double cycling by 2002 compared to 1996. Meanwhile, large cycle-unfriendly schemes such as the Upper Norwood one-way system have been introduced, and officers continue to assert that the needs of people who cycle can be ignored on the grounds that proposed improvements would require drivers to slow down or might restrict vehicle throughput. Similar arguments have been used in the past few weeks to reject proposals for pedestrian crossing facilities, even where injuries or fatalities have occurred. Such excuses run contrary to the Council's stated aims to promote cycling and walking.
Mike Armstrong concluded: "For real progress to be made towards the Council's cycling and walking targets, this scheme needs to be the start rather than the end. Croydon Cycling Campaign believes that Croydon Council needs to put its promises of increasing levels of walking and cycling into practice, and that this will only come about if our elected councillors ensure that officers stick to the policies adopted by the Council."
Ends
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