Agenda item

(To follow)

Resolved: that the report be noted. The Committee also agreed to share its views with Mayor and Cabinet, as follows –

·         The Committee recommends that there should be a communications campaign to encourage the uptake of the Council’s cycle proficiency training.

·         The Committee recommends that the programme of activities in the draft strategy by revaluated to determine how the dates for implementation could be brought forward. The Committee would particularly welcome efforts to bring forward the work on the Transport for London Road Network.

5.1    Simon Moss (Policy and Development Manager) and Jereme McKaskill (Senior Traffic Engineer, Project Centre) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

·         Officers had been developing a cycling strategy for Lewisham, building on from the work carried out by Lewisham Cyclists.

·         The new strategy fitted in with the review of the local implementation plan and the Mayor of London’s transport strategy.

·         A range of data had been used to develop targets for Lewisham’s cycling strategy.

·         The maps circulated at the meeting set out areas which had significant numbers of collisions; this indicated where the Council should focus its resources.

·         The rate of collisions in Lewisham was reducing.

5.2    Jereme McKaskill and Simon Moss responded to questions from the Committee, the following key points were noted.

·         The purpose of the strategy was to get more people cycling, because the benefits associated with cycling were significant.

·         The aim of the strategy was also to make Lewisham a place where it was easy and safe to cycle.

·         The fear of being involved in a collision was the number one thing that kept people from riding bikes.

·         Consideration would be given to placing additional cycle storage facilities around the borough.

·         The strategy set out an action plan for major infrastructure developments. It was also a lobbying document for new schemes.

·         Information about cycling lessons was available on the Council’s website.

·         Cycle training was offered to all schools in the borough.

·         Work to improve cycling skills had to be accompanied by work to improve cycling infrastructure in the borough.

·         The key issue with the timing of the implementation of the strategy was resources, particularly the allocation of resources from the Transport for London (TfL) business plan.

·         Officers would review implementation dates to determine whether any of these could be brought forward.

·         Officers were intending to take the draft strategy to Mayor and Cabinet in September. Comments on the draft from Councillors and from the Lewisham Cyclists would be welcomed.

·         Some work had already been programmed for the first year of the delivery of the new strategy.

5.3    Representatives from Lewisham Cyclists addressed the Committee. The following key points were noted:

·         The target dates in the draft strategy could be more ambitious, without being unachievable.

·         This could be accomplished on TfL controlled roads by lobbying for the inclusion of Lewisham schemes in the Mayor of London’s transport strategy.

·         Lewisham Council was good at dealing with soft measures to improve cycling. But the borough needed safe places for cycling, through improvements to infrastructure.

·         There were a number of issues that could be improved through the improved take up of cycling, including: reductions in obesity and obesity related disease, improvements in air quality and crowding on other forms of transport.

5.4    In the Committee discussions, these key points were also noted.

·         It was important that the strategy maximised the opportunities for the development of a central cycle route along the A21.

·         One of the key ways to get people cycling was to help improve their confidence on the road.

·         Work should take place within the Council and with public sector partners to encourage staff to cycle.

·         Consideration of issues relating to cycling was part of the Committee’s remit and the conversation about cycling infrastructure would be ongoing.

5.5    Resolved: that the report be noted. The Committee also agreed to share its views with Mayor and Cabinet, as follows –

·         The Committee recommends that there should be a communications campaign to encourage the uptake of the Council’s cycle proficiency training.

·         The Committee recommends that the programme of activities in the draft strategy by revaluated to determine how the dates for implementation could be brought forward. The Committee would particularly welcome efforts to bring forward the work on the Transport for London Road Network.