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Pre-election Campaign – Streets for Cycling
With local elections coming on 7th May, we want every candidate leader to commit to doing just that. The ask is simple: complete the core cycling network TfL has identified for your borough by 2030.
The LCC and HCC are asking the candidates to be your council’s next leader to commit to building a cycle network across the borough if elected on the 7th of May. Take action today and ask your next council leader to pledge to Streets for Cycling and will commit to build a safe, connected, local cycle network so cycling is safe everywhere and fun for everyone in Haringey.
Haringey has been left behind on cycling infrastructure compared to our neighbours. Since 2013, the Council has built just 1 mile of protected cycle lanes – marked just by plastic “wands”. In the same period, Camden Council has built over 15 miles of protected cycleways, with 90% now upgraded to safer, permanent, stepped tracks. Similar roll-outs of cycleways have been delivered in neighbouring Waltham Forest (18 miles) and Enfield (15 miles).
At the last census, 53% of Haringey households did not own a car, and in some areas it’s more than 80%, yet our streets prioritise driving. There is growing public demand for safer cleaner streets that reduce congestion and make it easier and cheaper for everyone to get around. Proper cycling and walking infrastructure means safer, healthier travel for all. By continuing to prioritise short car trips and parking on our high streets for the convenience of just a few people, the majority of residents are paying the price – unclean air, unsafe roads, and struggling high streets.
Haringey already has an approved walking and cycling strategy – but it’s not been implemented. The Council should prioritise and commit to building a safe and connected cycle network across Haringey. If elected, we want the candidates to commit to provide a timetable for implementation, with emphasis on junction safety and permanent cycle lanes along main roads like Green Lanes.
Other boroughs across London are demonstrating that it’s all possible with TFL support. Building key identified TfL cycling corridors in Haringey would unlock safe and convenient links for residents and join-up neighbouring and London wide routes into a single connected network. Other local routes would create continuous, safer links between places like Wood Green, Green Lanes, Tottenham and the Lea Valley, Crouch End and Muswell Hill. This already happens in the parts of London where there is a safe, connected cycle network.
Every child should be able to cycle to school safely. Every family should be able to cycle to the park safely. Everyone should be able to cycle to the high street safely.
Delivering a safe connected cycle network is a way for the Council to provide fairer and more equitable travel choices for the diverse range of people in Haringey. A safe, connected cycle network is a practical way to deliver priorities on liveable housing, community safety, youth opportunity and mobility, and climate change that provides residents with cheap, reliable, healthy everyday transport options.
It’s important that we all write to the lead candidates to let them know Haringey needs to build a safe, connected cycle network, with a mix of low traffic streets and protected space for cycling on main roads. Do that, and you make cycling for anyone and everyone in Haringey.
How can you email the candidates?
Go to the LCC campaign website and fill in your details – then press Next.
You will have a text box where you can tell the candidates what difference a safe local cycle network would make to you and your journeys. NOTE: This will be your opening paragraph on your template letter – then press Next.
You will see your letter. Haringey will be inserted into the letter and you then select the specific message about Haringey’s cycle network from a scroll-down menu.
Complete and press ‘Send message now’.