Writing for the London24 website, Caroline Pidgeon addresses what needs to be done to make cycling in London safe:
Firstly, we must recognise that the primary cause of cycle fatalities is lorries colliding with cyclists.
The Mayor has announced some limited proposals, including training advice for cyclists, but it is only a start.
The decision by Network Rail to include the words “London Blackfriars - for Bankside and South Bank” on platform signage on the southern side of Blackfriars has been warmly welcomed by Caroline Pidgeon, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, along with Simon Hughes MP. The changes follow Caroline and Simon's long campaign for a changed name to Blackfriars station.
Commenting on Network Rail's proposals Caroline said:
The London Assembly Transport Committee has published a report in response to TfL’s new proposals on transport accessibility, showing that step-free access and other accessibility measures fall far short of the growing need for them, with half of bus stops, two thirds of rail stations, and three quarters of tube stations, not fully accessible to people with limited mobility.
The report argues for a range of measures, including low-cost steps such as allowing manual ramps, upgrading pedestrian crossings, providing better training for bus drivers, and improving online and paper maps.
Caroline recently joined more than 2000 cyclists in a 'flashride' protest against the Mayor's plans for Blackfriars Bridge which threaten to make the crossing far more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. Caroline was also joined by Brian Paddick, the newly selected Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate.
Two key bus routes which run from Lewisham, through Southwark, Lambeth and into Westminster are set to become far more crowded, predicts Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly transport spokesperson.
The Mayor and Transport for London are now planning huge changes to the timetable for the 436 and 453 bus routes, when new buses replace the current bendy buses.
Through detailed research Caroline Pidgeon has revealed that the new bus routes will cause a serious reduction in bus capacity (the number of people who can sit, or safely stand on a bus) on the 436 bus route of:
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on Boris Johnson’s fare proposals for 2012, which he confirmed today will be set at RPI plus 2 per cent, said:
“This is the fourth year of fare misery that Londoners will face under Boris Johnson.
“He has already hit Londoners hard by hiking up bus fares from 90 pence to £1.30 for a single fare since he arrived at City Hall. Today’s further rise will really hit hard many people, especially those on low incomes.
“Boris Johnson has failed to tackle effective action to tackle fare evasion or cut waste which is widespread throughout TfL. If the Mayor got on top of these issues there would be no need for such severe fare rises, especially for low income Londoners.
Commenting on the plan for a three month closure of Greenland Pier in Rotherhithe - used by many commuters for the Thames Clippers ferry service, Caroline Pidgeon said:
People always overlook the river. It's such an important means of travel for so many people and this pier closing for three months is really bad news.
It shows the Mayor doesn't take river transport as seriously as others do.
How do the passengers get around while these works are on? They wouldn't close a Tube or rail station without making adequate provisions.
A new name for Blackfriars Station would provide exciting new opportunities for the Bankside area, predict Caroline Pidgeon and Simon Hughes.
Commenting at the start of a Network Rail consultation for a potential new name to Blackfriars station, Caroline said:
“It is time to put Bankside on the map! Including Bankside in the station’s name would really help attract far more tourists and visitors to the area and lead to more money being spent locally. It would be good for businesses and good for local residents."
After years of disruption on the Jubilee Line new evidence has come to light revealing some of the real costs of the years of dragged out weekend closures.
Following extensive freedom of information requests Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has now discovered that the costs of the weekend closures since April 2007 on the Jubilee Line include:
Commenting on these immense figures Caroline Pidgeon said:
“A year ago the Mayor and Transport for London admitted that the upgrade programme on the Jubilee Line would slip once again. After years of disruption to passengers, communities and businesses they announced a further year of weekend closures which has only just finished.
With the final East London Line (ELL extension) coming under budget, Caroline Pidgeon has called for the cancelled station at Surrey Canal to be reinstated.
A recent Transport for London report has revealed that "phase two" work on the line is expected to come in more than £4 million under budget.
The new section of the line from Surrey Quays will run through Peckham to Clapham Junction from late 2012. It will connect to the main section of the line which already runs from north London, through Southwark, Lewisham and onto Croydon.