London-wide + Southwark stories

Junction redesigns must go further to make people safe

Transport for London’s junction review proposals for the Waterloo IMAX roundabout and the junction of Abbey Street and Tower Bridge Road do not go far enough to improve cycle and pedestrian safety and will fail to deliver a real step change in the way people travel predicts Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly.

Commenting on the proposals, Caroline said:
“While some of the changes are welcome they ultimately do not offer a real step change in the way that people will travel. For the occasional or nervous cyclist the Transport for London plans do not make cycling across Waterloo Roundabout or along Tower Bridge Road any more appealing.

2 November 2012 - 12:43pm

Campaigning in the East Walworth by-election

Caroline Pidgeon AM has been out in Walworth campaigning with local resident Dr Ben Johnson and the team against Labour's terrible housing plans.

The plans will see only 8 social rented homes in the first phase of the Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme.

26 October 2012 - 8:09pm

Visiting the Aylesbury Estate redevelopment

Caroline joined Gavin Rodgers and Melanie Banton from London and Quadrant to hear about their new properties on the corner of the Aylesbury Estate in Walworth and to look at the new development.

"It was a very useful visit and interesting to hear about the range of housing on offer and to see the quality of the design" commented Caroline.

26 October 2012 - 1:15am

The future of Thameslink - don't cut off south London

Caroline has responded to a national public consultation on proposed changes to the Thameslink train service, raising concerns that it will severely hit thousands of people in south London, especially in Sutton, Lambeth and Southwark.

At present the Department of Transport is consulting on the specifications for the new rail franchise that will see Thameslink and Southern services operated by a single company. A key element of the consultation involves the suggestion that trains which run through Sutton on the Wimbledon loop, and then through south London, should terminate at Blackfriars, rather than continuing on through central London to St Pancras and beyond. Such changes would create havoc for many people in south London wanting to travel to north London every day.

1 September 2012 - 3:59pm

Duck Tour for Southwark Lib Dems

Caroline joined Southwark Liberal Democrats including Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, Simon Hughes MP and Sarah Ludford MEP on an Historic Southwark tour and trip on the river.

The group of members laughed their way around the streets and on the river enjoying the sights!

23 July 2012 - 10:51pm

Victory for road safety campaign in Dulwich

Transport for London have backed down with their plans to remove vital pedestrian safety railings along the south circular following the petition of local residents by Cllr Lewis Robinson presented to City Hall last week.

TfL had posted notices to remove pedestrian safety railings outside the entrance to Belair Park, West Dulwich train station, and the traffic junctions outside Dulwich College last month.

Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee added her support to the campaign and asked Boris Johnson, London Mayor to confirm that the railings outside Belair Park will be kept to protect local school children. In his written answer, the Mayor has confirmed that the railings by the entrance to Belair Park will now not be removed. Any other proposals in the local area will be subject to full consultation with local stakeholders.

11 July 2012 - 11:23pm

Road safety threat at Dulwich College

Caroline Pidgeon is supporting a campaign to protect pedestrian safety along the south circular as it passes through Dulwich.

Last month Transport for London (TfL), posted notices that they planned to remove pedestrian safety railings outside the entrance to Belair Park, West Dulwich train station, and the traffic junctions outside Dulwich College.

Many local residents believe that the removal of these railings at the entrance to a public park well used by local families and a key route for children to walk to Dulwich College and nursery schools would have put at risk pedestrian safety.

This week Cllr Lewis Robinson presented to Caroline a petition signed by 100 local residents who support keeping the railings. Caroilne will now be presenting the petition to the Mayor and the Chair of Transport for London.

The Dulwich Safer Routes to School campaign have also written in support of the campaign to keep the railings.

4 July 2012 - 10:26pm

Mayor makes a poor start on cycle safety

Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s response to her questions about his plans to implement the three key policies of the London Cycling Campaign’s Love London, Go Dutch campaign, said:

“The Mayor might have signed up to the London Cycling Campaign Love London, Go Dutch campaign but there is a huge gap between his pledge and actual delivery on the ground.

23 May 2012 - 10:50pm

Welcome improvements at Abbey Street - but much more still to do on cycle safety

After lobbying from local MP Simon Hughes and Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, TfL have now started work to improve the junction at Abbey Street, where cyclist Ellie Carey died in a collision with a lorry last year.

TfL has now told Ellie Carey’s father Allister in an email that work is about to start to provide advanced stop lines for cyclists at the junction. Trixi mirrors, which allow lorry drivers to see cyclists waiting at traffic lights, will be installed on the Tower Bridge Road by the end of May. This comes after Liberal Democrat Transport Minister Norman Baker MP changed the rules to allow trixi mirrors to be installed by local authorities without permission from the Department of Transport.

TfL also said that they would be holding a full consultation on proposals for an improved scheme for cyclists and pedestrians at Abbey Street later this summer.

2 May 2012 - 10:21pm

Supporting Upper Norwood Library

Brian Paddick and Caroline Pidgeon put their support behind the Upper Norwood Library at a mini rally on 1st May.

The team looked around the library and talked to the strong campaign group who are campaigning to save the library as Conservative run Croydon Council is looking to pull out its funding.

The library is just where 5 boroughs meet and is used by huge numbers of local people in the Crystal Palace/Upper Norwood area.

1 May 2012 - 11:04pm

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