Caroline's news

Speaking to the Evening Standard about the extensive train and Tube closures that passengers will suffer over the December holidays, Caroline Pidgeon said:

"Of course engineering work is necessary over the Christmas and New Year period, however the extent of the train and Tube closures this year could well be unprecedented."

"Many people travelling to see loved ones face some very bleak journeys this year. At the very least Network Rail should publish their closure plans as soon as possible to give people as much time as possible to plan ahead."

You can read the full story here.

Speaking to the Wharf website on cycle safety issues, Caroline Pidgeon said:

Clearly there is much London needs to learn from Holland and other European cities to make our roads safer and more attractive for cycling. In particular I think we should be considering wider cycle lanes and where possible the greater use of totally segregated cycle lanes.

Many of London's junctions would benefit from additional traffic lights which are at the eye-level for cyclists and ideally giving cyclists a staggered start. The Department for Transport must allow TfL to catch up with best international practice.

Read the full article here.

Caroline Pidgeon was guest speaker at an evening of politics organised by Merton Liberal Democrats.

Caroline was joined by local and some London Liberal Democrats to discuss the state of transport in London and how we can increase capacity in the short and long term. Particular discussion featured around the issue of expanding the cycle hire scheme, aviation and the extension and improvement to the south London tram.

Caroline Pidgeon and her colleague Stephen Knight recently caught up with their colleagues from the National Assembly for Wales. The day-long visit to Cardiff involved finding out how the National Assembly for Wales operates, as well as sharing of best practice between London and Cardiff.

Left to right in photo: Stephen Knight (London Assembly Member), Eluned Parrott (Welsh Assembly Member), Peter Black (Welsh Assembly Member), Kirsty Williams (Leader of the Liberal Democrat Welsh Assembly Group), Caroline Pidgeon (Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group), William Powell (Welsh Assembly Member)

Caroline visited the Bow Roundabout on Friday afternoon as part of a Transport Committee visiting looking at cycling in London and how to make it safer. Last year there were two tragic cyclist deaths at the roundabout. Transport for London has put in some new measures to try to make the junction more negotiable for cyclists.

"It was interesting to see the junction and see how it is being used in practice compared to seeing the computer modelling and the paper drawings. The innovation at TfL did not seem to work as well in practice and
pedestrians are all but forgotten at this junction. I hope we can put pressure on Department for Transport for more creative signalling solutions so that this and other areas can be made far safer for vulnerable road users," commented Caroline.