London’s new Mayor and the Government have both come under scrutiny this week to justify the scale of their ambitions to promote cycling.

 

Sadiq Khan is under pressure from the London Assembly’s Green Party to quash speculation that he is about to axe a planned Cycle Superhighway extension over the Westway between Acton and Paddington.

 

And nationally the Government has been told by cycling group Sustrans that it will fail on a manifesto pledge to double cycling levels by 2025 because of “chronic underinvestment”.

 

Green Party member Caroline Russell said: “The Mayor promised he would make London a byword for cycling around the world. The Westway cycle superhighway has huge support as seen in a public consultation. If, as reports suggest, the Mayor has scrapped the route he needs to make clear (the reasons) and bring forward something better.”

 

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Transport for London is still analysing the consultation responses on extending the east / west superhighway via the Westway and absolutely no decisions have been made.”

 

Sustrans claims that Government will have dedicated just £316M on cycling across England over the next five years. It calculates that more than £8Bn will be needed over the next 10 years to meet the target to double cycling levels; equivalent to 10% of the Government’s transport budget. Policy director Jason Torrance said: “Government has made a bold pledge to double cycling but has simply not provided the financial means to achieve this.”

 

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Our Cycling & Walking Strategy will benefit the whole of society by boosting the economy, improving health, cutting congestion and improving air quality.

 

“We have committed over £300M to support cycling and walking over this Parliament and are also providing more than £6Bn for local road maintenance which will benefit cyclists as well as motorists, covering roads and cycle paths.”

 

(Photo:Transport for London)