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Cycle Superhighway at Embankment (licensed CC BY 2.0 by Matt Brown on Flickr)Tory candidate for London mayor ridiculed over Cycle Superhighway 3 comments
The Conservative candidate for the London mayoral elections in 2020 has attracted ridicule on social media after claiming that the Cycle Superhighway running along the Embankment leaves cyclists “pinned up against the river.”
Shaun Bailey, a London Assembly member since 2016, has called for the Cycle Superhighway 3 to be re-routed away from the river, but Will Norman, London’s Cycling & Walking Commissioner, insists that will not happen.
Speaking at the London Assembly last week, Bailey said: “There is no doubt that there is much more standing traffic [on the Embankment].
“When you cycle past, you are breathing in [exhaust fumes from] whatever diesel lorry happens to be next to you.
“Surely there is something to be said about having a slightly more circuitous route all the way through [the city centre] that would have more stop-offs on it?”
Citing an Evening Standard report of Bailey’s comments, Norman said on Twitter: “For the last time – we're not rerouting the fantastic cycle route along Embankment.
“The future success [of] London depends on enabling more people to leave their cars behind and walk / cycle instead.
“This can only be done by building a city-wide network of safe cycle routes like CS3.”
Among those who picked up on Bailey’s “pinned up against the river” comment was the broadcaster and cyclist, Jeremy Vine.
Got “pinned up against the river” on my bike yesterday. Terrible experience pic.twitter.com/Eu7JGEdm5N
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 8, 2018
Another Twitter user, Hackney Cyclist, posted several pictures of cyclists “pinned up” against the Thames.
Look at these people pinned up against the river. Must be awful for them pic.twitter.com/qg42AGVTJA
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) December 8, 2018
A number of others chipped in, too, with their own experiences.
Took my daughter for a pinning up against the river last weekend. I'm such a bad parent! Although she seemed to enjoy it... pic.twitter.com/V4ND3yXBAz
— thefireuk (@thefireuk) December 8, 2018
Green Party Assembly Member Caroline Russell also had her say, referencing the Evening Standard’s Ross Lydall’s original tweet.
Oh *bless* you @ShaunBaileyUK. Personally, I literally love being “pinned up against the river” when walking and cycling east/west through London.
And by the way if you want people to breathe clean air build more direct (not circuitous) bike lanes so fewer people use cars. https://t.co/1elUqbkIEu
— Caroline Russell (@CarolineRussell) December 7, 2018
Meanwhile, one Twitter user pointed out that the infrastructure also has an important benefit for pedestrians.
The Embankment cycle lane is the jewel in the crown of London cycle lanes and a really important "byproduct" of the lane is the substantial buffer it creates for pedestrians between them and the motor traffic. It has created a quieter more relaxing walkway for its many tourists.
— David Hilliard (@davidfhilliard) December 8, 2018
Last month, rejecting calls to re-route the Cycle Superhighway and accusations that it caused congestion and increased air pollution, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan made it clear that higher levels of motor traffic – and increased emissions – are due to factors including more private hire vehicles and people ordering goods online and having them delivered to their workplace.
The last word goes to Twitter user Apple Butter Man, in response to someone who claimed the infrastructure goes unused.
— Apple Butter Man (@AppleButterCo) December 7, 2018
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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17 comments
The newspaper headline says that the cycle lane is 'Congested' - I guess that more cycle superhighways are needed then??
Whenever I hear the phrase, "Tory candidate says..." I am reminded of this:
That was David Cameron, in 2015. The whole Conservative Party has about as much credibility as a blistering mountain attack by Riccardo Ricco.
I for one am very relieved our government is so strong and stable! I hear people around the globe comment on how strong and stable we are. "Could that UK government be any stronger or more stable", they ask, before adding "Only Macron's France comes close in the stability stakes".
And dancing; don't forget that the UK is now a byword for our amazing jittebugging as so ably demonstrated by "Twinkle Toes Theresa"
Perhaps one way we could stop MPs from coming out with such claptrap is to refuse to pay their expenses for motorised transport within cities. Let them get Boris bikes and the tube. Taxpayers save money and we get MPs that understand what real people experience.
More circuitous routes is exactly NOT what is wanted, he fails to grasp what needs to happen to make cycling more attractive. Mickael Coalville-Andersen is very specific on this matter, in fact it has a detrimental effect in those countries with segregated cycle routes that do like NL. Whilst it's nice it's the indirectness that doesd have an impact as still it's easier for motorists than it is for people on bikes and is part of the reason of the stagnation of cycling numbers in NL for a considerable period of time.
Meandering cycle lanes that are indirect are less appealing to many UK commuters than simply going on the road in as straight a line as possible and with fewer criss crossing of junctions etc, this happens quite a bit in NL and is dangerous hence why they have so many deaths at these points (60+ last year).
A lot of the so called superhighways in London are shit though and a disgrace to label them as such, embankment is alright though for the most part but still not amazing. Just make the whole section goods/disabled access only with a narrow circuitous segregated lane for the motors ...
The guy is an utter numpty twat.
He had a pop at single mothers despite him being brought up only by his mother and another at immigrant cultures that dont integrate.
Hes just a typical tory fuckwit.
Having a typical Tory fuckwit stand for mayor is a good thing. It means he's less likely to get elected. Khan has come up against a lot of resistance from teh right, which barely masks the anti-muslim intolerance just beneath the surface. His plan for an ultra low emission zone for example has been roundly attacked, despite the fact that it'll cut urban pollution levels and save the lives of many suffering from chronic asthma.
That ULEZ under Khan is allowing both petrol and petrol vehciles in the zone that are massively beyond the limits. EURO6 diesel vehicles for example are allowed to be 100% over in real use and will be allowed to be so even into next year and beyond. The extrordinary ignorance of the London Mayor to a known issue with motorvehicles even produced under a E6 rating is astounding. Some E6 vehicles are knocking out multiple times the limits.
Whilst some vehicles have done very well in testing it's a known problem and yet E6 vehicles will be allowed in the ULEZ despite not actually ever being within the pollution limits
https://press.which.co.uk/whichpressreleases/nearly-80-of-diesel-cars-ex...
Oh yeah, black cabs are exempt from the emissions zone which is a disgrace!
The ULEZ is a move in the right direction. Trying to make central London only accessible by EVs would be impossible in one single step. There is enough resistance to the ULEZ plan as it is. But it will make a huge difference. Users of the older generation vehicles with visible smoke from the tailpipe will have to pay. While many car firms cheated on the emissions regs (particularly for diesels), don't forget that these cars are still cleaner than those from 20 years ago.
I was in Shanghai a couple of weeks back and the reduction in pollution has to be seen to be believed. The authorities have cracked down on all the old diesel buses and trucks. You used to see some real old smokers there, but they've been banned. The only buses in the city are either all-electric or brand new hybrid buses with the latest low emission engines. There used to be many, many small motorcycles with petrol engines too and all the smoky two strokes have gone now, along with most of the four strokes. Now the most common fuel powered two wheelers are police bikes, while ordinary people ride electric scooters. It's of note too how most of the private cars and taxis are fairly new too. It has made a massive difference just in the two years since I was there previously, believe me.
“Surely there is something to be said about having a slightly more circuitous route all the way through [the city centre] that would have more stop-offs on it?”
I entirely agree, and think it would be a great complement to the riverside route.
Indeed, but complement, not replace.
We need new politicians, many, like Mr Bailey, are broken beyond repair.
We need a politician willing to take on the taxi lobby. Sadiq's commetns about more PHVs are accurate but that's because the Mayor's Offcie is awarding PHV licences! He's complaining about too many PHVs and then giving them licences!
Needs a complete overhaul. Only [x] licences awarded per year and every new licence should be for electric / hybrid vehicles only. Renewals should come with strict conditions - only two renewals allowed until you have to get an electric cab, only allowed to run a certain number of hours per year (for diesel vehicles).
Part of the reason LDTA is so vocal is becasue deep down they know they're on the way out. The much-touted "knowledge" is no match for a live Google Maps with traffic updates. I mean it's all very well knowing the roads but that doesn't help when you turn onto Holborn and find it's jammed solid by an accident and you're now stuck for 40 minutes....
I don't think the Mayor/TfL currently has the power to limit the number of PHV licences operating in London, does he/it? I think he wants the powers you allude to.
What's the odds on this guy having some link to the LTDA? Suspect they are pretty short.
Or the RHA. Or the coach operators.
The road lobby seem particularly to like lobbying secretly behind the scenes, including funding fake grass-roots organisations like that one Quentin Wilson fronts, or quietly having words with the distant EU elite.
The LTDA is probably the most visible of them (perhaps because keeping quiet and in the background doesn't come naturally to black cab drivers).