MCC comments on Merton Draft LIP

Does it address the LCC Manifesto?

In advance of the 2004 London Mayoral elections, all candidates, including Ken Livingstone, accepted the LCC’s 10-point manifesto for cycling in London. 

Merton (and all London boroughs) must now produce a Local Implementation Plan to demonstrate how, over the next five years, this borough will implement the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Given that the Mayor accepted the LCC manifesto, its ten points should be incorporated into all London LIPs.  Are they in the Merton LIP?

  1. Guaranteed funding to deliver the full TfL London Cycling Action Plan, including the London Cycle Network+

Pages 43 and 112-125 indicate commitment to completion of LCN+, with funded work programme.

The LCAP headline targets to increase cycling (+80% by 2010; +200% by 2020, both on year 2000 base) are recognised (page 45) but only one specific long-term Merton target is set: +200% by 2020; short and medium term targets are not specified.  We suggest setting SMART targets, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-related.  MCC suggests: +50% by 2008; +80% by 2010; +150% by 2015 so that progress towards the 2020 target can be measured and action taken as necessary if intermediate targets are not being met.

  1. 20mph as the standard speed limit in all streets where Londoners live, work or shop, and a radical expansion in the number of home zones

The draft LIP is very weak on 20mph, identifying just a handful of new 20 zones scattered about the borough.  Disappointingly, the Merton Council Leader recently turned down a proposal to join Southwark in a vision to become a 20mph borough, in a pilot scheme headed and funded by the London Mayor.  A standard 20mph limit would cut crash numbers, cut road deaths, and cut the severity of injuries, as well as deliver numerous other benefits such as lower pollution and congestion, less traffic noise, and traffic reduction.  Lower speed limits coupled with better enforcement are key to improving road safety, and the perception of road safety, both of which are crucial to people taking up cycling. 

Homezones (normal speed limit 10mph) are most unfortunately not addressed in the draft LIP.  Many residential areas of the borough would be suitable for homezone treatment, the LIP should identify them, or say how it plans to identify them (eg consultation with residents groups) and a programme to implement them.

  1. Free cycle training for every London schoolchild, including on-road training

Needs strengthening on how training will be promoted in order to reach every schoolchild in Merton

  1. Safe routes to school for all London’s children, with sufficient secure cycle parking at all London schools by end 2006

Covered under school travel plans and mayor’s cycling initiative in schools and colleges – could be strengthened, ideally every secondary school and college should be strongly encouraged by the borough to apply to join the mayor’s cycling initiative in schools and colleges (page 44)

  1. Sufficient secure cycle parking at all major London rail, tube and bus stations by end 2005, and as a legal requirement in all new developments

Review is timetabled for 2006/7; implementation 2007-9.  Both should be brought forward – these are “quick wins” with major potential to increase cycling.

LIP should specify cycle parking provision required by all new developments

  1. A major campaign of action on cycle theft, with cycle theft reduction targets for all London boroughs and a London-wide database of stolen cycles

Not addressed

  1. Enforcement of all cycle lanes, cycle gaps and advance stop lines by a Green Route Patrol, including using the same decriminalised enforcement as currently exists for bus lanes

Not addressed.  2.6.4 should address parking in cycle lanes; 2.3.8 should address enforcement of cycle gaps and advance stop lines. 

Implementation of ASLs is a quick win and should be brought forward from 2007/8 (page 124) to 2006/7 (or indeed this current financial year 2005/6 given the anticipated under-spend)

  1. A concerted action plan in conjunction with all other relevant agencies to prevent cyclists’ deaths from HGVs and skip lorries

Not addressed.  2.3.3 should be substantially expanded to explain how the borough is planning to further improve on its cycle casualty statistics, and establish whether there is any particular problem in this borough with HGVs and skip lorries (which across London account for 25% of cyclist deaths)

  1. A dedicated programme to open up cycle corridors across key green spaces and along London’s waterways

Not addressed.

  1. A major programme to reallocate road space and priority to cycling and walking, including the upgrading and widening of cycle lanes

 

MCC welcomes 2.5.3 which introduces the idea of a road user hierarchy giving priority to vulnerable and sustainable modes, such as in York where 20% of local journeys are made by bike.

 

We note and welcome LBM’s intention to produce a cycling strategy for the borough in 2007 – an opportunity to expand on the cycling contents of the LIP.  Nonetheless MCC would expect the final LIP draft, at the very least, to acknowledge the ten manifesto points above, even if simply to flag them up for attention in the future cycling strategy.

MCC would welcome the inclusion of a statement supporting the new LCN design standards, we have drafted the following: LBM's policy of reducing barriers to cycling will be implemented in accordance with the London Cycling Design Standards, which is, in its own words “aimed not just at designers of cycle route schemes, but at all designers of infrastructure that cyclists will use or that will affect cyclists”


 

Cycling Works (14/09/05) yet to be included in the draft LIP under Merton's LCN+ programmes etc

(corrected 15/09/05)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

LCN+ Project Works for Links 148 & 150 which are hardly touched on in the LIP

 

but as yet have no programme in Merton's Final CRISP Reports.

 

 

(LCN+ references below come from Merton's final CRISP Report programmes.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Project LCN+ commencing 2005/6 (Not yet included in LIP)

 

 

 

Link 151/10 Bus Lane Cycle A219 Merton Road

 

 

 

 

Link 151/11 S.Wimbledon Station cross-roads complete junction review

 

 

Link 149/07,12 West Barnes Lane & Kingston Road improve parking enforcement

 

Link 149/09 Raynes Park Station forecourt cycle upgrade

 

 

 

Link 149/12 A238 Kingston Road Improve Parking enforcement

 

 

 

Link 149/17 Dorset Road/Tramlink footpath improvement

 

 

 

Link 149/26 Merantun Way/Wandle Trail crossing improvement

 

 

 

Link 149/28 Signal modifications Christchurch Road/Merantun Way

 

 

Link 152/14,15 St.Georges Road green surfacing & Parking restriction

 

 

Link 152/17opt4 User survey Alt Grove footbridge options

 

 

 

Link 152/24 Wilton Grove bollard/sign improvements

 

 

 

 

Link 152/33 Queens Road/Camrose Close define LCN+ priority

 

 

 

Link 152/34 Camrose Close/London Road path upgrade for cycling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Project LCN+ commencing 2006/7 (Not yet included in LIP)

 

 

 

Link 151/01 Realign Durnsford Road/Revelstoke Road

 

 

 

 

Link 151/02 Durnsford Road Advisory Cycle Lanes

 

 

 

 

Link 151/03 Durnsford Road Arthur Road ASL & Toucan

 

 

 

Link 151/06 Haydon Road/Queens Road kerb realignment

 

 

 

Link 151/08 South Park Road speed cushions and green surfacing

 

 

 

Link 151/09 Bridges Road/Latimer Road entry treatment

 

 

 

Link 149/03,04 20 mph outside Raynes Park School

 

 

 

 

Link 149/05 24hr lighting under West Barnes Lane Bridges

 

 

 

Link 149/08 West Barnes Lane/Coombe Lane raised entry treatment

 

 

Link 149/13 Kingston Road/Lower Downs Road rationalize junction

 

 

 

Link 149/15 (152/25) Kingston Road/Church Lane entry treatment

 

 

 

Link 149/19 Melbourne Road/Tramlink footpath improvement

 

 

 

Link 149/20 Melbourne Road/The Path barrier improvement

 

 

 

Link 149/29 Fortescue Road/Clarendon Road amend junction priority

 

 

Link 149/30 Courtney Road/Cavendish Road itroduce rising bollards

 

 

Link 152/01-03 Melrose Avenue road and junction improvements

 

 

 

Link 152/04,05 Arthur Road advisory cycle lanes by Wimbledon Park Station

 

 

Link 152/12 Mansel Road rationalisation

 

 

 

 

 

Link 152/13 Worple Road/Francis Grove traffic signals

 

 

 

 

Link 152/16 St Georges Road'Alt Grove priority reversal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Project LCN+ commencing 2007/8 (Not yet included in LIP)

 

 

 

Link 149/02 West Barnes Lane carriageway width adjustment & cycle lanes

 

 

Link 149/14 The Chase- cul de sac improvements

 

 

 

 

Link 149/16 (152/26) Sheridan Road revise traffic calmimg 20mph home zone

 

 

Link 149/18 Tramlink crossing improvement Dorset Road

 

 

 

Link 149/21 The Path/Morden Road rationalisation

 

 

 

 

Link 149/31,32 Pitcairn Road/Lindon Road improvements

 

 

 

Link 152/06 Arthur Road/Home Park Road traffic Calming

 

 

 

Link 152/27,28 Dorset Road revise traffic calming & Sandb'ne Av/Erridge Rd entry treat

 

Link 152/29 Kenley Rd/Sandbourne/Windermere Avs reverse priority add raied entry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Project LCN+ commencing 2008/9 (Not yet included in LIP)

 

 

 

Link 149/25 High Path/Abbey Road improvement

 

 

 

 

Link 152/07 Home Park Road improvements & Junction Kennilworth Road

 

 

Link 152/10,11 Woodside improvements

 

 

 

 

 

Link 152/19,20 Dundonald Path (south) lighting, widening, clearing

 

 

 

Link 152/21 Dundonald Road/Fairlawn Road cycle lane space provision

 

 

Link 152/22,23 Fairlawn Rd traffic calm & Avebury Rd raised entry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

TLRN works for LIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link 151/12-16 South Wimbledon Station to St Helier Avenue is included in the LIP

 

Not yet included in the LIP are

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link 152/30-32 & 35-41 Crown Lane/Crown Road/London Road cycle upgrade

 

 

Link 149/01 Shannon Corner roundabout improvement