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Cycling suffered the lowest percentage increase in the total transport allocation for London this year of £98.5m.

Funds recently made available for local authority bids show an overall increase of 17% over last year. The bus priority network benefits by 25% to £15m. Even the roads maintenance budget rose also by 25% to £38m. But the allocation for cycling, £6m, represents a rise of just 9%.

Yet again we are battling with inadequate funding to achieve government policy targets. The funding received by Merton does not even cover the employment of a cycling officer, let alone the design and engineering work required to put in place a complete network of satisfactory cycle routes.

Cycling currently accounts for 2% of journeys in the Borough. Merton’s Interim Transport Plan sets out its aim of increasing this to 10% by 2008 - that is an increase of five times its current rate. Merton Cycling Campaign applauds this goal, which is in fact higher than that set by government in its white paper (a four-fold increase by 2012), but MCC knows this will not be achieved until there is a conspicuous network of cycle routes in the borough.

Campaigners are also furious that the funding fails to recognise the serious defects in the existing cycle routes, many of which were drawn to the council’s attention in the recent quality monitoring report (see MCC News 12). "Existing cycle routes include many compromises that require serious attention" complains campaigner Hugh Morgan in a letter to the council about the funding. "Practising cyclists do not need a quality audit to inform the council that many existing routes in Merton are compromised and require so-called enhancement to make them viable".

Merton Cycling Campaign wants to see the council recognise that in order to achieve a true network of routes as part of the London Cycle Network (LCN), it must fund careful design and engineering solutions within the existing road network and commit officer time to deliver a safe and usable set of cycle facilities. "I really don’t think we will get a decent network put in until it is someone’s job to do it" says Richard Evans. "Lambeth has just employed a full-time cycling officer, Mike Bridgeland, who used to work at London Cycling Campaign. Most boroughs do not yet have one, including Merton".

The London bus priority network budget has increased by 25%, yet the share for the LCN has increased by less than 10%. "The policy statements aspire to the idea of cycling as a mass people mover" says Hugh Morgan, "so why is cycling underfunded compared with buses?"

There will be no massive modal switch to cycling until there is some serious investment in improving the existing routes, and developing a high quality network of new routes and parking facilities for cyclists - a view shared by the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, whose chair Ben Bradshaw MP explained in a letter to MCC that the group "has real doubts that the government’s targets (which we support) can be met without taking steps such as those you suggest".

Following pressure from campaigners, with the through-traffic issue dominating the letters pages of Putney & Wimbledon Times and the Surrey Comet for the past six months, the Royal Parks agency is now considering closing the park to through motor traffic during rush hours.

Merton Council has sought the advice of the Merton Cycling Campaign on the issue of helmet wearing, especially with regard to policies being drawn up by schools in the borough.

The MCC view follows that of many other cycling organisations, such as the Cyclists’ Touring Club, who recently issued an excellent policy statement:

• it supports the right of individuals to choose whether or not they use helmets. While MCC is happy to see individuals wearing cycle helmets as a matter of individual choice, we believe the focus of all concerned with the safety of cyclists should be on accident reduction strategies. MCC believes compulsion to be negative and unnecessary.
• the promotion of helmets should be balanced and should set both risks and the likely role of helmets in a realistic context. Campaigns to promote helmet-wearing should not be conducted in isolation from measures to encourage cycling.
• the wearing of helmets by children should be a matter for parents to decide. Their decisions should be based upon a realistic conception of the value of helmets.

There are still some places left on Merton’s adult cycle training courses. Beginning in February in Mitcham and Wimbledon, training is available for cyclists at all levels: from complete beginners to individual accompaniment on work journeys. Courses are subsidised, and free for those on benefits. Half the places have been booked so far, so don’t leave it too long to get signed up together with your friends and neighbours. See http://www.cycletraining.co.uk or call 0207 564 5990 for more information.

Continuing the campaign for lower urban traffic speeds, MCC recently wrote to the Prime Minister and John Redwood MP, making them fully aware of the safety benefits of a lowering of the speed limit before the publication of a national speed review. According to the answer received from John Redwood, the key to urban pedestrian safety is the use of underpasses.

Newcomers are always welcome to join the active members of the MCC particularly if you want to help us with:

• planning for the Millennial Festival of Cycling - contact our new MFC co-ordinator Chris Campbell
• help with a new local initiative to get Merton businesses geared up to provide for and encourage cycling among their employees. Contact Jeroen Speak

These family-friendly rides continue on the last Sunday of the month: 27 February and 26 March are the dates of the next two, both starting as usual at 10.30hrs from Wimbledon station. Rides are not too long (10/15 miles or so) with plenty of appropriate stops at parks, playgrounds pubs.

Children of all ages are welcome, in bike seats, trailers, or on their own bikes. The aim is to keep to quiet or traffic-free routes where we can. Turn up and go - no need to book, no charge. More details here.

MCC members with access to email can be included on the campaigns e-mail list. Send a message to info@mertoncyclists.org.uk to sign up.

MCC News is edited by Ceri Davies