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Zac Goldsmith: "I'm positively hounded by cycle campaigners"

Tory candidate for London mayor unveils policies - but will they swing the cycling vote/

Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate to be the next mayor of London, has told a public meeting that he is being “positively hounded by cycle campaigners” over segregated cycle routes. The comment was made on the same day he launched his cycling policies – which one leading blogger believes are not enough “to swing the cycling vote.”

At a public meeting at Richmond Town Hall last night, Goldsmith outlined his position on a range of issues ahead of May’s election to an audience including local resident Tim Lennon, who lives in the Tory MP's Richmond Park and North Kingston constituency.

In an open letter to Goldsmith afterwards, Lennon said he attended it “because I wanted to hear about your policy on cycling.”

In a question to the candidate at the meeting, he quoted outgoing mayor Boris Johnson’s recent comment that “knowing what I do now, we would have blasted ahead with our new segregated cycle lanes from the beginning.”

Goldsmith replied that much needed to be done to support cycling in the capital.

He mentioned that could include segregated infrastructure, but Lennon – who took some positives from the meeting such as Goldsmith’s desire to reduce the number of lorries on the city’s streets – believes the politician is “struggling” with the issue of protected lanes.

Quoting Goldsmith, he wrote: “When I think back, all I hear is: ‘I’m positively hounded by cycle campaigners who just seem to be about one thing, and you’re either with them or against them’.”

> Zac Goldsmith accused of being the "anti-cycling" London mayor candidate 

Lennon, in his capacity as borough co-ordinator for London Cycling Campaign/Richmond Cycling Campaign told road.cc today: “Over two years ago Zac surveyed his constituents about cycling, and had two big public meetings.

"We told him, and the public told him, that if you want to encourage more cycling then you need to make it safe, and make it feel safe.

"Over Twitter and at these events – as well as at a Richmond Park meeting – Zac has said the right words about encouraging cycling, but never committed to the changes, like the East West Superhighways, that will make a real difference to cycling, either in his constituency or in London.

“Indeed, last night, his neighbouring MP boasted about how he and Zac had made sure Kingston got 30 minutes’ free parking in the centre.”

He added: "I believe Zac wants to encourage more people to cycle, but I don't believe he really understands what needs to happen for this, and I'm worried that he thinks that more proof and research is needed to actually demonstrate the value and importance of proper space for cycling in our city."

The main focus of Goldsmith’s pledges for cycling, unveiled yesterday, was on cycle hire schemes. Here they are.

As part of his Action Plan for Greater London, Zac will:

1. Bring Oyster cards to Boris Bikes 

Zac will guarantee that Boris Bikes can be hired quickly and easily with Oyster Cards and Contactless payments from 2017, when Serco’s current contract ends.

2. Back a Metropolitan Boris Bike Scheme to bring cycling to the outer boroughs 

Zac will consult on creating new regional Metropolitan Boris Bike schemes around the capital, helping Londoners cycle between neighbouring town centres such as Richmond, Kingston and Barnes; or Stratford to Walthamstow. Zac will also look to expand the outer reaches of the Central Cycle hire scheme, including to Greenwich.

3. Immediately roll out the Brompton Bikes hire scheme to four Outer London Boroughs to help London’s commuters get out of their cars and onto their bikes in the most cost-effective way possible

4. Improve cycle safety across the capital

Zac will take forward TfL’s programme to overhaul London’s 33 most dangerous junctions, investigate the next set of priority road improvements and support boroughs that choose to limit speeds on their roads. He will also take lorries off London’s roads through the use of freight consolidation centres and pursing a river first policy. And he will take action to ensure that HGVs are not a danger to cyclists.

5. Protect Transport for London’s investment budget in order to guarantee new Quietways and Cycle Superhighways for Londoners.

Danny Williams, a member of the mayor’s Roads Task Force and last year named by the Evening Standard as one of the 15 most influential people when it came to transport in the capital, wrote on his Cyclists in the City blog that “Cycling should be a vote winner for him [Goldsmith] but he's really failing to impress so far.”

Referring to the Tory candidate’s cycling policies, Williams noted: “He says he'll "protect TfL's investment budget". He very specifically does NOT say he will protect the hard-fought for 10 year cycling budget (of which we have only seen the first year's investment).”

Williams, who admitted he is “not a natural Sadiq Khan supporter,” added: “Zac Goldsmith is making it really hard for me to vote for him, unless he massively changes his tune on cycling and commits to proper continuation of the cycling investment plan.

“There's still time for Zac Goldsmith to win the cycling vote. But he needs to show he takes cycling seriously. He hasn't done that yet, I'm afraid.”

The current mayor too has been “positively hounded,” to use Goldsmith’s words, on the issue of cycling infrastructure such as segregated routes, but from a rather different quarter.

In November last year, Johnson told the London Assembly that his ‘Cycling Revolution’ was “provoking the most incredible backlash.”

“I can’t think of anything I’ve ever done that’s provoked such direct remonstrances from everybody. Virtually every senior government minister in one way or another has ticked me off in one way or another for the Cycle Superhighways.

“And every time they do, I get prouder and prouder of what we’re doing, it’s the right way forward for our great city.”

His words elicited admiration from the Green Party’s Baroness Jenny Jones, who said she admired him for standing up to his opponents to push through the new infrastructure.

> Boris's commitment to cycling wins him an unlikely fan

Johnson urged his successor, whoever it may be, to continue with his programme, but so far Goldsmith seems to be failing to convince campaigners that he is the candidate best able to do that.

> Sustrans welcomes Sadiq Khan's cycle-friendly mayoral manifesto
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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19 comments

Avatar
willythepimp | 8 years ago
0 likes

I'm not sure theat the TFL budget will stretch to PTFE based stuff. Probably just old engine oil a from black cab service garage.

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paul-ldn | 8 years ago
2 likes

Zac Goldsmith's comment on LBC Radio that "I’ll rip up London’s cycle superhighways if they don’t work" lost my vote a few weeks ago.

Being Mayor is about strategic decision making for London's long term, not a tactical withdrawal just because a few curmudgeonly politicans & black cabbies moan about the Embankment CSH.

Sadly Zac is a weather-cock and not a signpost when it comes to leadership and doesn't deserve such an important job as London Mayor.

 

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willythepimp | 8 years ago
0 likes

the squeaky hinge gets the oil. 

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hawkinspeter replied to willythepimp | 8 years ago
0 likes

willythepimp wrote:

the squeaky hinge gets the oil. 

What kind of oil though? I hope it's got ceramic particles in it for the lowest friction possible.

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dottigirl | 8 years ago
3 likes

I'm in @ZacGoldsmith's constituency, and provision here is both pathetic & dangerous in many places.

There has not been any noticeable improvements the entire time he has been my MP.

The tone of his comments amply demonstrate his contempt for cyclists. His canvassers are the same - won't listen to a word about it.

This doesn't bode well for London.

 

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barbarus | 8 years ago
3 likes

"Positively hounding" = lobbying, Zac. If you can't deal with it you're probably not cut out to be a politician.

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Butty | 8 years ago
0 likes

Perhaps instead of hard nosed proletariat campaigning, Zac would prefer to be "lobbied" with "incentives", then perhaps he would be more amenable to the cause?

Apparently it works with other MPs, so I have been told.

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wycombewheeler replied to Butty | 8 years ago
0 likes
Butty wrote:

Perhaps instead of hard nosed proletariat campaigning, Zac would prefer to be "lobbied" with "incentives", then perhaps he would be more amenable to the cause?

No, as long as he doesn't refer to the hounding as nagative he must like it. Carry on.

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ibike | 8 years ago
4 likes

Seriously unimpressive. We need a network of international-standard cycleways to keep London moving for all road users. Goldsmith needs to up his game if he no longer wishes to be known as the anti-cycling candidate.

There’s a more detailed analysis of his manifesto on the London Cycling Campaign website: http://lcc.org.uk/articles/zac-goldsmith-outlines-support-for-cycling-in-manifesto-is-it-enough

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bikebot | 8 years ago
5 likes

Tomorrow night, Zac will be out at this event discussing CS11.

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=cb0a876670c0a7f261b3e19a5&id=309ae0e...

If you can, do pop along and positvely hound him a bit more.

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Nick0 | 8 years ago
1 like

I am royally facked orff with the elite ruling classes around us. Boris the buffoon made a clear election promise to re-zone our local station, which when he was in power, completely u-turned on. 

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Nick0 | 8 years ago
1 like

Nick0 wrote:

I am royally facked orff with the elite ruling classes around us. Boris the buffoon made a clear election promise to re-zone our local station, which when he was in power, completely u-turned on. 

Looking at that front page, perhaps that 'news' paper (which curiously seems to lack any online presence, but that's what press releases are for, I suppose) should be renamed "Caroline Pidgeon News"?  3

Avatar
Bill H | 8 years ago
9 likes

Being reasonable for 30 odds years got cycling campaigners in London precisely nowhere. A bit of bolshiness around Blackfriars Bridge in 2011 and five years later we have physically segregated lanes appearing in London for the first time since the 1930's.

Politicians respond to the grit in their shoe; campaigners may not get the response that they want but at least they are on the agenda.

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Carton replied to Bill H | 8 years ago
1 like

Bill H wrote:

Being reasonable for 30 odds years got cycling campaigners in London precisely nowhere. A bit of bolshiness around Blackfriars Bridge in 2011 and five years later we have physically segregated lanes appearing in London for the first time since the 1930's.

Politicians respond to the grit in their shoe; campaigners may not get the response that they want but at least they are on the agenda.

I think it's pretty clear that activists do good work and that they should be supported as much as possible. But the idea that it "was the protests that got it done" is seems like a hopelessly romantic view to take. In London it looks like it mostly took a Mayor that pushed cycling hard, supported by a broad base of businesses, commuters and campaigners, to walk up the incremental steps that led to segregated cycle lanes.

What London campaigners might do well to focus on now is trying to consolidate future support during the next term, where leadership, whatever it's name ends up being, won't be quite as amenable. Hardcore "bolshiness" would likely be counterproductive, IMHO.

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shockleader replied to Carton | 8 years ago
1 like

I think it's pretty clear that activists do good work and that they should be supported as much as possible. But the idea that it "was the protests that got it done" is seems like a hopelessly romantic view to take. In London it looks like it mostly took a Mayor that pushed cycling hard, supported by a broad base of businesses, commuters and campaigners, to walk up the incremental steps that led to segregated cycle lanes.

What London campaigners might do well to focus on now is trying to consolidate future support during the next term, where leadership, whatever it's name ends up being, won't be quite as amenable. Hardcore "bolshiness" would likely be counterproductive, IMHO.

[/quote

Carlton, I would suggest that without the efforts of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain and their associated bloggers, The LCC and the Times campaign, none of the changes now being seen in London would be happening. The UK Cycle trade was deafening in it's silence and Boris was happy with bits of paint and his rentabike scheme!

 

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Windydog replied to Bill H | 8 years ago
0 likes

Bill H wrote:

Being reasonable for 30 odds years got cycling campaigners in London precisely nowhere. A bit of bolshiness around Blackfriars Bridge in 2011 and five years later we have physically segregated lanes appearing in London for the first time since the 1930's.

Politicians respond to the grit in their shoe; campaigners may not get the response that they want but at least they are on the agenda.

 

We also had an Olympics, some noteable Grand Tour success and a huge uptake in cycling at grass roots since 2011.  Lots of photos with winners and ego tripping, politics can, and has, responded to positive pressure.

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Windydog | 8 years ago
0 likes

"and you’re either with them or against them”.   I guess that's also a shot across to the more militant campaigners, and a divide and conquer message.

What no room for someone who just wants an adjustment to common sense and a progressive attitude?

 

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pmanc replied to Windydog | 8 years ago
4 likes

A big shout out to Chris Kenyon and the Cycling Works website ( https://cyclingworks.wordpress.com ) too.  Is that campaigning, or just providing a focus for (some very large) businesses to indicate that they are behind safe cycle facilities every bit as much as the beardy grass-roots leaflet makers (like me  1 )?  Goldsmith would do well to be conscious of this.

Windydog wrote:

"and you’re either with them or against them”.   I guess that's also a shot across to the more militant campaigners, and a divide and conquer message.

I think this just stems from a relatively recent recognition that dedicated cycle facilities aren't a bad thing, but they need to be done well.  Half-arsed cycle facilities can often be worse than none at all, and I think we've all seen enough of that.

Avatar
darrylxxx | 8 years ago
3 likes

"positively"? Well done cycle campaigners, keep up the good work!

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