London’s cyclists are feeling less safe according to Assembly research

London’s cyclists are becoming more concerned about their safety according to a new London Assembly report published on Thursday.

More than 6,000 bike users responded to a survey published by the Assembly’s Transport Committee as part of its ongoing monitoring of cycle safety.

Two thirds of respondents said they felt less safe than they did six months ago while 22% said they were making fewer journeys by bike because of safety fears.

The poll’s results are contained in ‘Cycling in London – An Update’ which identifies a number of issues Assembly Members say need addressing to boost confidence among cyclists.

These include ensuring there is no underspending in Transport for London’s cycling budget or, where an underspend occurs, ensure the money is spent on cycling in the following year.

AMs also want TfL and Mayor Boris Johnson to ensure the cycle superhighways and at least 10 traffic junctions are improved by 2015 and details of road safety enforcement to be published.

Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Valerie Shawcross AM said; “Segregation is the biggest issue for cyclists and they believe that better traffic junctions are critical to their safety. The Mayor and TfL can’t keep stalling – they need to make short-term improvements for cyclists by this summer.”
 
Deputy Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Caroline Pidgeon AM added: “There is a big gap between what cyclists want and what is being delivered. It is imperative that money is spent wisely to correct the mistakes of the past Cycle Superhighways.

“Cyclists have been at great risk of accidents and their safety needs to be prioritised as soon as possible.”
 
The report’s publication comes a day after Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London announced plans to overhaul 33 of London’s “biggest and nastiest” junctions in a bid to make the streets more bike-friendly.

Gyratories, including those at Archway, Aldgate, Swiss Cottage and Wandsworth, will be replaced with two-way roads, segregated cycle tracks and new traffic-free public space.

On Wednesday, Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “For over a year our designers and engineers have been working flat out to develop new junction designs for these 33 locations to completely change how they operate, transforming their areas for cyclists, pedestrians and the wider local community.

“They are some of the busiest traffic intersections in Europe, so this work has been complicated. But we are now fully committed to delivering these junction improvements as quickly as possible, making London safer and more inviting for all.”

The Mayor has previously announced plans to upgrade and improve the superhighways as well as the development of ‘quietways’ – a series of cycle-friendly routes which help less experienced bikers become more confident by guiding them away from busier roads.