Bertie Wooster
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Response from More London to the absurd cycling ban on the Thames
Cycle Route (NCR4).
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Whilst I am no longer involved at More London on a day to day basis ,
I thought I should nevertheless respond being responsible for setting
the original policy, revisiting it and being party to the discussions
back in Feb. 2010 to which you refer.
At that meeting I explained that More London was conceived, designed
and built as a vehicular free environment at grade with in excess of
50% of its footprint being retained for pedestrians.
At its conception, the designated east / west cycle routes were Tooley
Street and the River Walk.
The design, features and materials reflect the estate's traffic free
nature, specifically informing those with disabilities, particularly
the visually impaired, that it is a traffic free environment. The same
applies to those accompanying them or those with young children. As a
consequence such groups are encouraged to be unconcerned about traffic
within the estate. Any emergency or maintenance vehicles entering the
site by necessary exception are marshalled by trained personnel.
People's guards, especially vulnerable groups and those accompanying
them are, therefore, down.
Whilst some cyclists are responsible and would traverse the estate
having regard to the pedestrian nature of it and that other users
would not be expecting fast moving traffic, some undoubtedly would
not, thereby posing a significant risk to people on the estate,
especially the above mentioned groups, as well as themselves.
For this very reason, and following consultation with a number of
groups, we took the decision to request that cyclists dismount when
crossing the estate. A number of the original designers are themselves
committed cyclists. I myself, am a cyclist. All of us, however,
believed, and still believe, the policy of asking cyclists to dismount
the right one in all the circumstances.
You will appreciate that the managers of the estate have to weigh up
the interests of a number of differing groups, some of which are
sometimes in conflict in terms desires and objectives.
At the Feb. 2010 meeting we undertook to furnish further information
on cycle spaces and constraints and undertook to look at possible
additional provision. This information was subsequently provided and
we did install some additional cycle parking.
We explained at the meeting that a material amount of our cycle
parking provision is colonised by occupiers of London Bridge City but
which we are clearly unable to police.
We expressed the view that the whole matter was a wider local area
issue and suggested a wider discussion group led by the local council
to look at routes and cycle parking on an area wide basis.
Whilst a follow up meeting was arranged, it was deferred at least
twice by others and we heard no more.
Mark Chapman, who manages the estate, I am sure would be happy to
attend such a meeting.
I appreciate that you may find the above disappointing from your own
perspective but trust that you can understand our thought processes
and ultimate decision. we are far from anti-cycling. Quite the
opposite.
In a perfect world all would behave responsibly for the common good
but sadly the world is not perfect and the managers of the estate have
to manage it balancing the various, sometimes conflicting, interests.
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