Jeremy Vine shuts down councillor who blamed cycle paths for "destruction" of their town; Pedal Me appeal for help keeping staff warm between jobs; Ian Stannard retires due to rheumatoid arthritis; Doctors + nurses back LTNs + more on the live blog

By way of example, this post from a prominent Chiswick councillor talked today about cycle paths as a “triumph of evil” that have resulted in “the destruction” of her home town. pic.twitter.com/ii0XVF00Cz

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) November 5, 2020

Broadcaster and cyclist Jeremy Vine emphatically responded to Hounslow councillor Joanna Biddolph, who compared cycle paths to the "triumph of evil" and claimed they had caused the "destruction of their home town". Vine's reply also highlighted a west London church that had claimed a cycle superhighway would "do more damage than the Luftwaffe". Vine explained that the exceptional levels of traffic near his home last night were not, as some anti-LTN groups have suggested, because of cycling infrastructure but instead because of unusually high levels of motor traffic.

"Disappointingly, a number of people have since used the exceptional traffic levels to argue that places like Chiswick, Kensington and Hammersmith should now rip out all their cycle lanes — which have only just been put in place after years of campaigning," he said.

"Furthermore, the cycle lanes didn't cause the traffic yesterday — they simply allowed some people to avoid it. If all the cyclists used 4x4s instead, the jams would have been even longer.

"Last night took things to a new level — drivers stuck in traffic, caused entirely by an excess of cars at a given moment, seeking to use their own behaviour to dismantle the tiny number of safe routes built for people who ride a bike."

Addressing solely the issues arising yesterday, it is worth pointing out: shocking traffic and dangerous pollution have been a feature of London for decades. pic.twitter.com/ip3eLorcPf

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) November 5, 2020

It's been pointed out to me that the local church also asked for people to pray that God would cancel the cycle lane pic.twitter.com/YOwFZpO6MO

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) November 5, 2020

Philipsen in the fast lane 👀@jasperphilipsen #lavuelta20

— FloBikes (@flobikes) November 5, 2020

What a grim day to ride your bike in Spain. That looked tough, 230km and over 4,000m of elevation in miserable conditions. Jasper Philipsen was the man smiling at the end though. The UAE youngster beat Pascal Ackermann and Jannik Steimle on the uphill sprint to the line. Bahrain McLaren's Fred Wright was fourth as all the GC favourites finished on the same time.

What does “Cycling For Everyone” look like?

The Dutch made 4.8 billion bicycle trips in 2019, covering 17.6 billion km, or 1,019 km per person.

Women cycle more than men, kids cycle more than adults, and older adults (65+) cycle more than young adults.https://t.co/ktOsBGpj6e pic.twitter.com/w2T9BbLBuG

— Modacity (@modacitylife) November 3, 2020

Are there any London businesses based vaguely near Shoreditch, Kings Cross, Tottenham Court Road that would have space our staff could access to keep them warm while distributed, now that cafes have closed? https://t.co/TPSDiTEcjd

— Pedal Me (@pedalmeapp) November 5, 2020

Bike cargo and passenger company Pedal Me have appealed for help in keeping their staff warm between jobs, now that the UK is back in lockdown. With no cafes open and no base to shelter at, couriers will be forced to wait outside between jobs. Pedal Me staff transport passengers anywhere within a nine-mile radius of Greater London and also act as couriers for deliveries. However, with the onset of more wintery temperatures and nowhere to shelter indoors, they are now willing to pay a business near Shoreditch, Kings Cross, Tottenham Court Road can help keep their staff warm.

In June we highlighted the problem facing delivery cyclists who weren't able to use resteraunt toilets during lockdown. How can bike couriers be better supported during this lockdown?

How collisions are reported is obviously very important and can impact how cyclists and other more vulnerable forms of transport are treated by other road users. The draft Road Collision Reporting Guidelines has been produced by the Active Travel Academy in collaboration with representatives from national roads policing, legal, academic and media experts, the National Union of Journalists’ ethics council, RoadPeace, Cycling UK, and has the support of active travel and road safety organisations. The hope is that these new guidelines can prevent victim blaming and an acceptance of road danger - creating a safer environment for everyone who uses the roads.

As part of the consultation you can read the proposals and give suggestions and feedback here. The deadline for feedback is Sunday.

More than 120 doctors and nurses have expressed their support for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and asked London Mayor Sadiq Khan to implement more traffic safety infrastructure. The letter backs plans for more LTNs across the capital and suggests the concern that many have raised of emergency service vehicles being unable to access incidents because roads are blocked off may not be valid. 

The letter cites reduction in fatalities, tackling obesity and air pollution as three key reasons for further implementation of LTNs. It says: "We recognise the adverse impact that motor vehicles have on our patients and the broader community. We therefore strongly support the measures you have been putting in place.

"We are concerned that some of these valuable schemes have been removed, and consideration is being given to remove others. We would like to lend our support to TFLand council leaders across London to continue increasing the road changes to promote walking and cycling not removing them."

LTNs have become more widespread across the capital since the first lockdown in the spring and often involve barriers, such as plant boxes, being placed in residential streets to prevent motorists from rat running to avoid main roads. The schemes have been widely praised for their efforts to reduce pollution and make streets safer for active travel. However, there has also been a vocal backlash from drivers whose journeys now take longer and some shop owners who claim it reduces custom to their businesses. Yesterday there was a debate in Parliament over the issue.

The full letter can be read here.