Did the Congestion Charge Drive us to Cycling?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10.31.07
In 2003, London implemented a congestion charge - if you wanted to drive in Central London, you had to pay. New York, or more specifically, Mayor Bloomberg, now wants to do the same. He came to London this week in order to get a feel for how it's going in the UK, and London Mayor, Ken Livingstone apparently explained how it's driven us all to cycling to work instead.
A press release from his office said, "London has witnessed a 43% rise in cycling since the introduction of the congestion charge and an 83% increase overall since 2000," which suggests a link which may not exist.
The Guardian's Alison Benjamin believes that there isn't much of a link, and I have to say that I agree. The estimated 250,000 daily cyclists in London aren't all converted drivers, not by a long way. London's roads feel full to bursting with cars now, just as they did before 2003. She suggests that the people on bikes are ex-bus/tube/walking commuters instead and they have been forced into cycling just as much as they have been enticed into it.
Part of the reason that we are cycling now is to do with the rapidly inflating cost of commuting on the Underground, just as much as it is due to a rise in awareness of green and health issues. Another factor may be the 7/7 tube bombings - it was well documented at the time that cycle sales rose dramatically in the following weeks.
Whatever the reason for the increased number of cyclists, Ken's main focus now should be in keeping them safe. Almost 2 cyclists a month are killed in the capital, and many more are seriously injured.
Livingstone claims £122m raised in congestion chargin was spent on "improving the public transport network, as well as pedestrian and cycling facilities, and road safety" in 2005/6. However, I don't see where this has gone. Others may feel differently, but my commute to work doesn't have full cycle lanes, and some parts that do have cycle lanes have potholes that could easily break a wheel, and branches that force you into traffic to get around them. ::The Guardian ::Picture Source
Is that your bike in the picture? one of those fixed gear numbers? with only a front wheel brake? Inquiring minds want to know!
Yeah, that's my bike, in my flat.
It's a Fuji Track 07, with a few little changes. It's a fixed gear, so there is no freewheeling, and no gears either.
I added a front brake, which I think you need to be safe really.
With a MTA rate-hike on the horizon, I'd love to start biking in NYC, but the fatality rates are (I think) almost as frighteningly high for bicyclists here as in London. If Bloomberg wants to see more people biking, he'll have to start with some safety measures. Enforcing existing traffic laws would be a start.
Uh, the New York State Legislature already told him no.
Uh, the New York State Legislature already told him no.
Uh, they're still working on it.
http://www.mikebloomberg.com/en/issues/environment_sustainability
Robert Schminger is going to get some crap for this. We need more bicycles. I know we are increasing just by the cost of gas, however I want to push the envelope.
I've been cycling to and from work now for about 4 years and find it very liberating. Being in control of your own journey is fantastic. It beats waiting for the bus for 10 minutes. And then finding that it's going to chuck you off half way through your journey because the drivers shift is up.
i live in Hackney and there are many many cyclists around there and I have to say that the cycle routes are amazing. There's probably on 1/4 of my journey spent on the roads. The rest is on the canals and parks dotted about. For the road journey part of the journey, the majority of that is passing cars/buses stuck in traffic. But I understand that other pars of London aren't so well served. South London for one.
The upshot is that in the morning it takes me 25 minutes to cycle and anywhere between 45 mins to 1.5 hours to get to work in what is only a 6 mile journey. And that's on 2 buses. You do the maths!
I'm living about 80 km's from work (which is in Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and have cycled to work a few times last year. While I usually travel by train, which takes about 1 1/2 hours one way, I think cycling is way more enjoyable! It takes me about 2 1/2 hours to cycle to work, and a bit more on the way back (because of more traffic on the back roads). The good thing about going by bike is the peace and quite one experiences, the wild animals that you can (quite literally!) run into sometimes, and it is good exercise! :-) Luckily I can take a shower when arriving @ work ...
Right now I'm looking for a new job in a 30km range from home, they should offer a safe bike storage, a place to take a shower and/or offer the possibility to work from home, which is the most efficient commute to work!
I have been cycling to work for close to twenty years now and I can say with certainty that drivers have become more aggressive in recent years. It is great that higher fuel prices are starting to get more people on bikes, but it makes the need for driver educating regarding the rights of cyclists more important.
Cycle routes are great and I support them, but they will never be on every road that you might need to travel on. I am constantly working to get the "share the road" message out in my community and I encourage everyone to do the same.
Useful on-the-ground info. London is often held up as an example of the way to go in Vancouver where cycling is around 5-8% of trips. Interestingly, in a recent survey by Stats Canada on commuting the majority of cyclists said that the commute to work was an enjoyable part of their day. Suburban car drivers were the most unhappy with their commute.
Mark, Menno,James,
2 thumbs up !
Menno, I was wondering about your daily routine until I read that you did it only a few times. Wow, a long way.
My ride is 11 miles one way (16km?) in Brooklyn + New York City. I hope the cong. charge goes into play one day ... if the proceeds are somewhat transparent and improve everyone's travel around here
(yeah right! haha- I have a feeling that bureaucracy by it's very nature, is not green at all).
Liberating - yes, I look forward to my commute, even in the rain.
The wait- you can easily wait 20 - 30 minutes for a train after 8:30 pm... or try to connect to local/express etc. The "Express" bus, which sits in traffic anyway has it's own wait time and it's $5.oo each way!... for 10 miles! Sheesh! My ride is 48 - 55 minutes and the train is an hour plus walk and wait. The bus takes an hour depending on ... TRAFFIC!
If people can get past their entitlement mentality and facilities improve, the bicycle thing will solve more problems.
Congestion - the Brooklyn Bridge is horrible during high tourist traffic times. I wonder what happens if we get to 'peak bike volume'?
Good Luck!
vsk
I've only been in London for three-and-a-bit years, but the buses are usually pretty new and maps on bus stops seem to have improved. 90p for a bus is good compared to other places I've been to in England, and especially at night. More needs to be done though -- there are still too many cars! I live almost on the border of the extended (to the West) congestion zone, and there /is/ less traffic compared to before the zone was extended.
Taking every road with more than one lane in each direction and making the extra lanes buses and cycles only would be a good start. I'd like to see the congestion charge at £25 for all vehicles with only one passenger, and the discount given to those living in the zone should be reduced.
Hello, I'm just about to bring my bike up to where i live in New Cross, South East London. I've heard that the cycling provisions there are nothing like as good as Central and North London and am a bit apprehensive.
I'm also thinking of writing a piece about my experiences (hopefully to encourage other cycle virgins onto their bikes) for my local paper. Can anyone give me any advice or any personal experiences of cycling in the area. Is it recommended?
Kim