CommuterPageBlog: London's Two-wheel Transformation

London's Two-wheel Transformation

In an article titled "City's two-wheel transformation" of the UK's The Guardian, London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, is quoted saying, "We want nothing short of a cycling transformation in London. We are announcing the biggest investment in cycling in London's history, which will mean that thousands more Londoners can cycle in confidence, on routes that take them quickly and safely to where they want to go." This investment in cycling includes $800M for the conversion of existing city streets into dedicated bicycle "super-cycleways" with the goal of increasing bicycling by 400% by 2025.

According to the article, the super-cycleways will link residential areas to the city center. The routes that have been selected "are based on a 12-month study of the most popular roads already used by cyclists and will have continuous, wide cycle lanes, dedicated junctions and clear signs."

"Planners hope the changes will encourage a 'critical mass' of cyclists to use the routes, creating a safe and accessible environment as well as cutting congestion and pollution across London."

Imagine Arlington with bicycle super-cycleways. These bike facilities wouldn't just be for fast riding, but for all cyclists and would accommodate people enjoying the day with a slow bike ride, running errands, and children riding to school. I'm sure more people would bike in Arlington with dedicated bike streets, where there were fewer potential conflicts with motorists. Afterall, safety is key and dedicated bikeways are the best way to ensure this.

by Paul DeMaio, BikeArlington