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e believe there should be a single 'London Cycle Map' that's FOHDU DQG HDV\ WR XVH DQG FRUUHVSRQGV WR D XQLĂ€HG QHWZRUN of signed cycle routes throughout Greater London: the cycling equivalent of the London Underground Map. !

!"#$%&'(%)*+ Why I am backing the London Cycle Map Campaign By Brian Deegan, Development Manager for the London Cycle Network It is true to say that Simon Parker!s colour-coded Tube-style mapping system has met with mixed reviews from the current cycling establishment. Some believe the system to be too complex, too much of a departure, or not aligned with their own policies. Some prefer signing using London Cycle Network route numbers, or bikeability ratings, while others concentrate on greenways and leisure routes. The trouble is, with 33 different local authorities, TfL, The Royal Parks and British Waterways adopting different policies towards cycle signage, the result is a somewhat confusing mess. The current state of affairs – with several cycling mapping systems in operation – is simply not acceptable and in my view discourages and impedes cycling growth. I think we all need to put our heads together and agree on one system then implement it consistently across London. This system would have to be expansive yet inclusive of work on both a macro and micro level, be elegant yet LQIRUPDWLYH DQG QRW EH FRQIXVLQJ RU RYHUFRPSOLFDWHG /LNH PDQ\ F\FOH SODQQHUV , KDYH VSHQW \HDUV WU\LQJ WR ÀQG this system, and in my opinion the best idea to have come along is the Tube-style approach based on the compass colour system devised by Simon Parker. This has the highest potential to attract new cyclists, as well as offering schematic simplicity and engaging design. It will take a lot of work and commitment to establish this system, but I EHOLHYH LW LV RQH WKDW FDQ IXOÀOO DOO RI RXU GLYHUVH UHTXLUHPHQWV DV SODQQHUV I do not in any way want to disparage any effort to promote cycling through mapping systems developed so far. In fact, I applaud them and am personally responsible for some of them. My reason for providing this testimonial is that we are now in a position where cycling can truly become a mainstream transport option in London, and I believe we need a sophisticated mapping system to make the best planning tools and information available to cyclists, enabling them to better plan their journeys in a convenient way. %HFDXVH /RQGRQ LV D FRPSOH[ DQG XQLTXH FLW\ LW LV KDUG WR ÀQG V\VWHPV WKDW FDQ EH WUDQVODWHG IURP RWKHU FLWLHV WR ours. So we need to invent our own. Simon Parker!s system is a great invention and the compass colour methodology is ingenious. I wish to give his work and Cycle Lifestyle!s London Cycle Map Campaign my full backing and support. The views stated above are very much my own and not those of the organisations I represent. I write this testimonial to applaud the effort of the amateur, which is in keeping with the true spirit of cycling.

4-5. Campaign Introduction

Tube-style London Cycle Map (including Greater London version) drawn by Jonathan Haste (www.kolbillustration.com)

6-7. London Needs a Cycle Network 3URĂ€OH 6LPRQ 3DUNHU

All other London Cycle Maps drawn by Martin Lubikowski (www.ml-design.co.uk)

10. LCM (cartographically accurate)

Special thanks to Stuart France (www.stuffanimated.com)

11. LCM (hybrid) 12-13. LCM (Greater London)

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14. LCM (Tube-style) www.oldspeak.co.uk 15-22. Q&A 23. Going Forward 24. About Cycle Lifestyle

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ycle Lifestyle!s innovative campaign and petition promises to change the capital forever, by giving more people WKH FRQÀGHQFH WR F\FOH DQG WR GR VR in safety. The big idea is to create a single "London Cycle Map! that!s clear and easy to use and corUHVSRQGV WR D XQLÀHG QHWZRUN RI VLJQHG F\FOH URXWHV throughout Greater London: the cycling equivalent of the London Underground Map.

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bunches of different maps to cover Greater London. ,Q +DUU\ %HFNҋV IDPRXV 7XEH PDS VXFFHHGHG LQ WDPLQJ D FRPSOH[ V\VWHP RI XQGHUJURXQG OLQHV Something similar is needed today for the capital!s cycle routes. Instead of remembering hundreds of "turn rights! and "turn lefts! you could just remember D IHZ URXWHV SOXV ZKHUH WR FKDQJH IURP RQH WR WKH RWKHU WKHQ DZD\ \RX JR 7KH FDSLWDO ZRXOG EH WUDQVIRUPHG E\ D /RQGRQ &\FOH Map – into a greener, cleaner, quieter and friendlier city.

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!"#$"#%%&''$( !"#$%&'()*+',&+-").")+!/0%&+1&'2"34+$3"5&0' here are thousands of kilometres of cycle routes in London, like a huge tangle of spaghetti spread across the city. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent adding cycle lanes and other useful infrastructure improvements to these routes, many of which were developed as part of the London Cycle Network (LCN) project that began nearly 30 years ago. Its founding aim was to enable people of all ages and abilities to cycle throughout the capital on a comprehensive, joined-up network of quieter, safer streets. And you can, in theory. In practice, it!s a different story. Before you!ve even set off it can be hard to decide which route to take, because there!s no easy-to-use map showing how the LCN links the capital together as a whole. Unless you!re planning a short local ride, you!ll need to unfurl up to 14 folding cycle maps covering London!s different areas. Then, once you!re on your way, you!ll need to remember all the street names and directions – sometimes hundreds – for your journey, because the signs on the LCN aren!t regular or informative enough to allow you to follow them as you go along. All this can be a bit too off-putting for many wouldbe cyclists. If only there was a way of getting more RI WKHP ÁRZLQJ URXQG WKH /&1

)*+','-(%#"%'.(/01"02('%3.4% (+"56#7%+"5%1+'%!8&%96#:(% 1+'%;.461.9%1"7'1+',< Simon Parker has come up with an amazing proposal for achieving this: a London Cycle Map. His great contribution has been to identify an incredible pattern in the capital!s tangle of cycle routes (mostly the LCN, but others too). Like a magic eye, his map shows that within the complexity there!s structure: a series of long straight routes transecting London in all directions like waves, providing a direct connection between any two areas. His design is "almost as marvelously simple an invention as the bicycle =

itself!, as one commentator on cyclelifestyle.co.uk has said. Using Parker!s map, you could cycle from virtually anywhere to anywhere in the capital, by remembering no more than a few coloured routes then simply following roadside signs. Well, you could if the signs were put in place. The cost of doing so would be considerably less than the government has spent on the Cycle Superhighway and Cycle Hire schemes – it could almost certainly be covered entirely by sponsorship – and the rewards would be immense.

!"#$%&'"(!) Potential, not just regular, cyclists would soon know they FRXOG FRQÀGHQWO\ QDYLJDWH EH\RQG WKHLU ORFDO FRPIRUW ]RQH all Londoners, including the poorest, could get around in WKH FDSLWDO IRU IUHH DQG YLVLWRUV HVSHFLDOO\ GXULQJ WKH 2O\PSLFV FRXOG H[SHULHQFH WKH UHDO /RQGRQ ÀUVWKDQG F\FOLQJ RQ LWV EHDXWLIXO EXVWOLQJ DQG FRVPRSROLWDQ VWUHHWV 7KLV LV WKH YLVLRQ RI WKH /RQGRQ &\FOH 0DS &DPSDLJQ

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The London Cycle Map is the brainchild of Simon 3DUNHU +HҋV VRPHWKLQJ RI FXOW ÀJXUH LQ F\FOLQJ LQ WKH

he began exploring the surrounding areas – down Constitution Hill and along the Mall, where he saw

capital, his dogged efforts to implement his plan elicitLQJ ERWK DGPLUDWLRQ DQG H[DVSHUDWLRQ , ÀUVW PHW KLP one morning in Hammersmith, early in 2010. Fortythree years old, polite and unassumingly dressed, he earns a living working on farms and market stalls on the sleepy south coast. But he has a twinkle in his eye and an animated, incisive expressiveness that reveals a determined, almost obsessive, character. He!s been campaigning for his idea for over a decade, lobbying politicians and civil servants – "battering away!, as he puts it – and all the while honing his cycle network plans. It strikes me that I!m in the company of a visionary.

a scenic side of London that!s usually hidden away behind closed Tube doors or gridlocked highstreets. Parker then turned his attentions to Victoria Park and its environs – along the canal to the Isle of Dogs and XQGHU WKH *UHHQZLFK IRRWEULGJH +H ZDV ÀQGLQJ RXW much more than he!d bargained for.

I ask Parker where it all began. In 1999 he was living in south London and working as an attendant on a bicycle-hire scheme in Richmond Park. Impressed by the smiles on the faces of his customers as they returned from completing the park!s eight-mile circuit, Parker decided to try to set up a similar scheme in Hyde Park. But he soon found that this park was too small to encompass a decently long route, so

/0')1-2)-)13',%3)1%4')#$ ) 5#,4#,)67-681)919-&&:)7%44',) -2-:;< One thing Parker discovered was that following existing cycle routes in London can be frustrating. They!re often inadequately signed, so getting lost is always a possibility – even if you!re carrying a road map. It wasn!t long before the penny dropped for him. Back in 1931, Harry Beck!s celebrated Tube map had succeeded in taming the capital!s London Underground system, so why not create something similar for cycling? To the dismay of his parents (who wanted him "to get a proper career!, as Parker tells me) he began avidly researching the idea. He took a job as a taxi driver so he could earn money while exploring the streets of London, chatting to his passengers about the hidden local byways which would form the ins and RXWV RI KLV SODQ /RQGRQҋV ZRUVHQLQJ WUDIÀF FRQJHVWLRQ only emboldened him, and over the years he sketched a network that evolved in tandem with his knowledge RI WKH FDSLWDO 7KHQ ÀYH \HDUV DJR 3DUNHU GHFLGHG to substantiate his ideas further with the advice of a professional cartographer. Their ongoing collaboration has produced a polished, stylised draft of his London &\FOH 0DS ,W ÀWV KDQGLO\ LQ D SRFNHW FDSWXULQJ WKH behemoth of London in an eight-inch visual network. Parker!s is a spectacularly economical system, and it!s not hard to appreciate what a powerful aid and inspiration it would be for cycling in the capital. Indeed, many local authorities have been quick to recognise

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the potential of his plan and have offered their support – not least because each of them would only need to spend approximately ÂŁ50,000 to implement it. To put this in perspective, it!s equivalent to the cost of employing WZR WUDIĂ€F ZDUGHQV IRU D \HDU What makes the implementation so affordable is that it!s based on the concept of "Minimum Functioning!, as GHĂ€QHG LQ WKH LQĂ XHQWLDO LQGXVWU\ SDSHU ŇŠ&\FOLQJ WKH ZD\ DKHDG IRU WRZQV DQG FLWLHVŇ‹ 7KH LGHD LV WKDW LQ WKH Ă€UVW instance planners do only the minimum necessary to PDNH D URXWH IXQFWLRQDO ŇŠ\RX JHW LW XS DQG UXQQLQJŇ‹ DV Parker puts it. In practical terms this means signing the QHWZRUN RI URXWHV DV D Ă€UVW SULRULW\ 7KHQ RQFH SHRSOH start using the routes, further amendments can be made, such as dedicated cycle lanes and other special features. It!s a logical progression, since the public would only be willing to meet the costs – in terms of resources and inconvenience – for elaborate provisions once they ZHUH HQMR\LQJ WKH EHQHĂ€WV RI WKH URXWHV DQG WKXV LQ D position to appreciate the potential for improvements. So is the network being developed right now? Sadly not. A large-scale project like this needs the backing of Transport for London, and this is where Parker!s plans have been thwarted repeatedly. One senior developer there called the plans "complex and confusing!; but I wonder if that!s a better verdict on the bureaucratic process that delivered it than the exquisitely simple diagrams I!m looking at. Parker himself remains resolutely conciliatory – even if I sense emotion in his YRLFH ZKHQ KH LQYRNHV 7KRUHDXŇ‹V IDPRXV ODPHQW ´7UDGH and commerce, if they were not made of India rubber, would never manage to bounce over the obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way; and, if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions, and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroadsâ€?.

V\VWHPDWLF VFLHQWLĂ€F GLVSDVVLRQDWH DQG VLPSOH approach; the very same outlook that!s needed to DSSUHFLDWH WKH YLUWXHV RI D /RQGRQ &\FOH 0DS ² whatever the political or cultural obstacles. I see the OLQN DQG , DOVR VHQVH LQ 3DUNHU HFKRHV RI 'DZNLQVŇ‹ own down-to-earth, practical kind of idealism. Later I was struck by another parallel, between the 'DUZLQLDQ H[SODQDWLRQ IRU WKH HYROXWLRQ RI WKH H\H and Parker!s commitment to Minimum Functioning IRU WKH V\VWHP RI URXWHV KH KDV SURSRVHG ERWK DUH organs that must start out rudimentary before evolvLQJ LQWR VRPHWKLQJ PRUH UHĂ€QHG DQG ZRQGHUIXO

!"#$%&#'%()*+#,'-&.#/0#%#12,,2(# 3-0,#,/#04,4(2#32&2(%,-/&56 7KH TXHVWLRQ LV LV /RQGRQ UHDG\ WR VHH WKH SRWHQWLDO RI D /RQGRQ &\FOH 0DS" 3DUNHU KDV FRPH WR suspect that a people-based approach may be needed if his vision is to become a reality. There!s an online petition you can sign (www.petition.co.uk/ london-cycle-map-campaign) if you support his vision of a capital city where you can easily get from anywhere to anywhere by bicycle. But, more than this, Parker wants feedback. He explains to me that his map has been evolving for years, with clunkier routes giving way to more streamlined descendents. He wants people to offer their suggestions, to help shape his plan further, to yield the diamond that London!s cyclists deserve. I!ve enjoyed our meeting tremendously, but Parker has made one suggestion that!s inspired me above all. He insists that each generation should strive WR SURYLGH D OHJDF\ WR WKH QH[W FLWLQJ 5XVNLQŇ‹V exhortation that "when we build, let us think we build forever!. With the 2012 Olympics just a year away I can hardly think of a better gift to future generations of Londoners than the fully accessible cycle network detailed in Parker!s amazing blueprints.

I!m intrigued by the citation, and I suppose Parker himself must be made of rubber. I begin to wonder where he gets his inspiration from in persevering with such an DUGXRXV WDVN , DVN KLP DERXW KLV LQĂ XHQFHV DQG RQH RI KLV DQVZHUV VXUSULVHV PH ´5LFKDUG 'DZNLQVÂľ 7KH HYROXWLRQLVW VFLHQFH ZULWHU DQG SXEOLF LQWHOOHFWXDO" $W Ă€UVW I can!t see the connection, but Parker elaborates. As a VFLHQWLVW 'DZNLQV HVSRXVHV DQ HYLGHQFH EDVHG

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In a nutshell, London has a tangle of cycle routes, with different VLJQV DQG PDSV DQG RIWHQ LQVXIÀFLHQW VLJQDJH DW URDG OHYHO PHDQLQJ that detailed planning and memory is necessary for all but the most local cycle journeys. The situation is similar to catching a Tube train in the early twentieth century. In 1931, Harry Beck!s famous Tube map succeeded in taming a complex system of tracks – making it far easier

If you ask a non-cyclist why they don!t cycle in London, the

to navigate. He was an uncommissioned hobbyist at the time, but now

chances are they!ll say “it!s too dangerous�, or “it!s too hard to

Beck!s design is synonymous with catching the Tube in London: you

navigate�. The two assumptions are often linked: people are

just take one look at the map, identify which lines to travel on, which

worried that getting lost on a bike will make them more vulnerable.

direction to travel in, where to change, then away you go. With a minimum of planning and memory you can follow signs that take you

Wouldn!t it be great, then, if London had a cycle network that was

from virtually anywhere to anywhere in the capital.

as safe and easy to get around as the London Underground? If London had cycle routes similar to the Victoria Line, the Circle Line,

Something similar is needed today for cycling in the capital: a single

the Bakerloo Line, and so on? If London had a cycle map that was

London Cycle Map that you can take one look at, identify which routes

as user-friendly, clear and stylish as its famous Tube-map?

to travel on, which direction to travel in, where to change, then away you go. With a minimum of planning and memory you could follow

Wouldn!t it be great, that is, if you could cycle throughout the capital just by consulting a London Cycle Map, remembering a few

signs which would enable you to cycle from virtually anywhere to anywhere in London.

colour-coded routes, and then following signs on a safe, continuous and reliable network just as you do on the Tube?

!"/$%&$%'$0/1+ Pretty much anyone who needs to get around in the capital –

Most people!s reaction to this is: “Great idea! It would make

whether commuters beating the rat race, students hopping from

cycling in London so much easier!� (Except those who think it

lectures to cafes to parties, shoppers hitting the highstreets, football

means cycling through tunnels: it doesn!t). But truly great ideas

fans cruising to the game, families exploring on a fun day out, friends

must stand up to scrutiny. So, in this article, we respond to some of

meeting for a bike ride, tourists using bicycles to visit parks and

the most common questions and criticisms relating to the idea of a

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London Cycle Map. The most exciting thing about a London Cycle Map is that it would

!"#$%&$%'$())*)*+ At the moment, London has a variety of different cycle route

EHQHĂ€W SRWHQWLDO F\FOLVWV ² ZRXOG EH F\FOLVWV ² DERYH DOO %\ UHPRYLQJ the two main perceived barriers to cycling – navigation and safety – it

systems, including many quiet routes, often with dedicated

would provide encouragement to people who otherwise might not

provisioning for cyclists (e.g. cycle lanes and other road markings).

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Most prominent are the London Cycle Network and its successor the London Cycle Network Plus. Then there are lots of different lo-

Perhaps, indeed, one of the reasons why there isn!t already a

cal authority routes, a range of London Cycling Campaign advisory

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would-be cyclists! There are, of course, lobby groups for cyclists in

various routes managed by the transport charity Sustrans, namely,

London, but that!s not the same thing. If you!re already a regular cy-

the National Cycle Network routes, Greenways routes, and Safe

clist in the capital then it might not be obvious that regular Londoners

Routes to School. All of these various route systems are supported

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by different signs and maps: there is no single map, or system of

bike. It might not be obvious, in other words, that a London Cycle Map

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is so sorely needed. This is an irony, because the best way to improve

the capital. So, for many cycle journeys you need multiple maps

conditions for current cyclists – for the lobby groups to achieve their

and a knowledge of multiple systems of signage.

aims – is to get more people cycling, by removing the navigational and FRQÀGHQFH EDUULHUV

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23

One of the oddest objections I!ve heard to the idea of a London

remembering lots of "turn rights! and "turn lefts! to get to your

Cycle Map is that some very experienced cyclists might not necessar-

destination – either that, or consulting multiple maps throughout

ily want to cycle on networked routes – they may prefer the freedom of

your journey. This is especially true for longer cycle journeys in the

choosing where to cycle, perhaps choosing their own favoured routes

capital.

from memory. Well, no-body!s telling anybody where to cycle! Even if

the capital had a proper London Cycle Map, cyclists could still cycle

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on whichever streets they wanted to (indeed, they!d have to – to get

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on and off the network). And they could still use the networked routes

be subsidiary local (perhaps "grey!) routes signed, leading off the

as normal streets – simply by not consulting the map. If some cyclists

network and towards landmarks and popular destinations.

didn!t want to exploit the enormous increases in journey-planning HIĂ€FLHQF\ WKRVH URXWHV ZRXOG SURYLGH WKHQ WKDWŇ‹V XS WR WKHP 7KH\ could just ignore the routes. Or ignore the signs, just like you ignore

3-24,$105%06/+)+,7$6$/+8805$15+"5+,7. "Permeability! in cycling is a technical term meaning the number of

all the rubbish bins, pigeons and parking meters you see when

connections that can be made on a bicycle between streets, parks,

you!re cycling around. It would be like visiting, say, Amsterdam or

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Hamburg and riding around without taking notice of the excellent

If there are only a few holes then it takes longer for the water to

cycle networks which make cycling in those cities so much easier for

get through. Likewise, the fewer connections there are, the longer

tourists and residents alike.

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!"#$%&'($#"&)*$+,$'"-,. Brian Deegan, development manager for the London Cycle Network, has estimated that it would cost around ÂŁ1.6 million to

and gyratories (where the volume and distribution of motor vehicles makes it dangerous to be on two wheels) or physical blockages like railways lines.

implement a London Cycle Map (ÂŁ50,000 for each of the capital!s ERURXJKV 7KLV LV VWDJJHULQJO\ FKHDS FRPSDUHG WR WKH FRPELQHG

Permeability is undoubtedly important at a local level, but London

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because it!s much harder to cycle from, say, one borough to another

London Cycle Map would be so affordable is that its implementation

than it is to cycle within your own borough, and this is what is prevent-

would be based on a well-established concept known as "minimum

ing London from being a cycling city, as opposed to a series of cycling

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permeability correlates strongly with increasing cycling. But things are different in a metropolis like London, where people!s social, leisure

!"#$#"&)*$+,$/0$+%1)0%02,0*. After designing the map itself, the most important requirement

and work activities are typically spread across a relatively large area. Until people can routinely and spontaneously cycle from one part of

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the capital to another, its predominant modes of transportation will

information to already existing signs, or providing additional signs

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Of course, more and more people are discovering that cycling is

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worth the extra investment in preparation and navigation. But the

to the London Underground: in both cases the only information

fact is, if you want to encourage people to make positive lifestyle and

needed for making a journey should be a simple map, together with

environmental changes then you have to make it easy for them. A

the corresponding signage on the network.

London Cycle Map would make it so much easier to cycle throughout the capital.

Actually, this could be achieved for cycling even more cheaply than Brian Deegan has estimated. In theory (although not legally, so I am not endorsing this), a committed group of amateurs could get a

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London Cycle Map and network functioning minimally more or less

extend throughout as much of the capital as possible, but inevitably

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the routes with the appropriate insignia (rings of colour with numbers

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and letters, in the case of Parker!s design) plus arrows showing

many journeys in the capital involve its central areas.

where and when to turn. Another sensible bias will be for using the routes which currently Once the London Cycle Map and network had been minimally

make up the London Cycle Network and the London Cycle Network

implemented, people would soon start cycling on the routes – prob-

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though not entirely – see below – on historical/political considerations;

for cyclists could be added. Coloured road markings could be

so for the purposes of this Q and A I!m going to refer to them both

included, the existing signs could be upgraded with lamps to make

simply as the "London Cycle Network!, or "LCN!). You will probably be

them more visible at night, and London Cycle Maps could be

familiar with the LCN!s blue signs, with their iconic white bicycle =>

:;< logos, and you!ll have seen those logos painted on the capital!s

that the capital!s hardened cyclists may need a London Cycle

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Map more than they realise. Ted Reilly from the Department

the course of decades of government-funded research, as being

of Transport recently compiled a map showing the locations of

well-suited to supporting cycle journeys. Most of the routes on

the cycling fatalities and serious injuries which occurred in the

the LCN have been provisioned with cycle lanes and other useful

capital between 2000 and 2008. Most such accidents occurred

cycling facilities, to make cycling on these roads a safer and more

on major roads – unsurprisingly, since that!s where Heavy Goods

salient activity.

Vehicles (HGVs), the most serious threat to cyclists, are in higher concentration.

Focusing on the LCN is sensible because of its suitability for VROYLQJ /RQGRQŇ‹V ŇŠJOREDOŇ‹ QDYLJDWLRQ SUREOHP 7KH /&1 FDQ IXOĂ€OO

Of course, some will argue that this means resources should

this role because its routes are not just good for cycling on; they!re

be spent on improving safety on the capital!s major roads, rather

good for connecting on; they were selected from the beginning

than funneling cyclists away from them. And there!s apparently an

by the authorities because of their usefulness for transportation pur-

ideological point backing up the practical one: that people should

poses, for making logistically meaningful journeys on a bicycle from

be able to cycle on any road they like, without fear. However, there

one part of the capital to another. In comparison, some of London!s

are two considerations which favour the London Cycle Map as the

other cycle routes are more scenic – like a steam railway that you!d

truly progressive option.

ride on for the pleasure of it, rather than to go anywhere. First, on the practical side, the capital!s major roads are often The irony is, the main thing the LCN lacks (as anyone who has

unsuitable for incorporating effective safety measures for cyclists.

ridden on it will tell you) is a decent map and system of signage

Many of these roads are so narrow, and carry so many pedestrians

showing how its routes connect together! This is where the London

on their footpaths, there!s no room for cycling infrastructure. Second,

Cycle Map Campaign comes in. The current LCN is like the "raw

the ideological point ignores the fact that London will always need

material! for a London Cycle Map: a set of routes that already

HGVs and other forms of industrial transportation, and major roads

exists in a useful pattern of connections, but which – just like the

are their only realistic means of conveyance, since London!s quieter

underground network was before 1931 – is crying out for a decent

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say, children playing in them). It!s a case of "horses for courses!.

on it. You could think of a London Cycle Map as completing the

Cycling, and therefore a London Cycle Map, is usually better on

LCN; accomplishing its original mission of providing a London-wide

calmer streets.

network of navigable cycle routes. A capital city whose major roads are mainly full of cyclists is a Another of the reasons for using LCN routes as the basis of a

nice, utopian thought. But the problem with utopias is that they!re

London Cycle Map is that those routes are, on the whole, quieter

unrealistic. The real way to get more Londoners onto bicycles is

and calmer for cycling on than the capital!s major roads. (Although

not to crowbar them onto major roads, like reluctant insurgents, but

to be completely accurate here, one of the differences, mentioned

to introduce them gently to cycling. This is not to say that cyclists

above, between the LCN Plus and the original LCN is that the

shouldn!t be allowed to use major roads, and be respected by drivers

former prioritizes speed slightly more than the latter did. Still, on the

when they do so. Let me be clear: cyclists should be able to cycle, in

whole, both networks are safer and quieter than many of London!s

an atmosphere of respect, on any road, however major, on which it!s

major roads). Some of the capital!s more hardened cyclists might

legal to do so. Nothing in the idea of a London Cycle Map jeopardises

dispute the policy of using calmer roads, preferring the speed and

this fact. Indeed, those hardened cyclists who do prefer major roads

directness of London!s major roads. But in a way it doesn!t matter

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– because they!re the people who need a London Cycle Map the

succeed in getting more people out of their cars and onto bikes, so

least.The ones with the greatest need are all those cyclists and

the main roads would lose a few cars, if not vans and trucks.

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Londoners (myself included). When you take into account the fact

If you do want to cycle at high speed on busier roads, then

that avoiding major roads makes it harder to plan longer journeys,

of course the Cycle Superhighways are great. They should be

a London Cycle Map using quieter roads becomes even more

incorporated into a London Cycle Map (as they are in Parker!s), and

important for getting people around on bikes in the capital.

marked as routes for more experienced cyclists. There could even be a simple grading system for the whole network, so people would

There!s a safety issue involved too – one which suggests =>

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!"#$#%&&$'("'&($)*"#$#+(,($-+($,".-(/$0,(1 This sounds like a strange question. But consider what happens

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when you use the London Underground. You need to know where

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the stations are at the start and end of your journey, otherwise

popular destinations.

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>?@ !"#$%#&'($%$")%*+,-)%./0)%1,")2)3 TfL!s excellent Cycle Hire scheme launched in August 2010. You

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can now hire a bicycle from hundreds of docking stations throughout

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the city. Great idea, yet something!s missing. When you look at the

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no information whatsoever about which streets are good for cycling

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if you missed your turning or got confused, because they!d only know

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to hire a bike, but to use it to navigate throughout central London FRQYHQLHQWO\ FRQÀGHQWO\ DQG VDIHO\

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screen in a cinema.

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they don!t make it easy to navigate across longer distances in the

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to the two or three you'd need when using Parker!s London Cycle

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accessible cycle network would, in a stroke, lower the baseline level

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travelling to work.

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nious solution to the problem of conveying a huge amount of route

colour as on the Tube map. With London being so big, and having so

information economically and simply. To appreciate the brilliance of

many cycle routes, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. So how

Parker's solution, it helps to consider the alternatives.

do you represent forty cycle routes with fewer than forty colours? This is where Parker's system really comes into its own. His second

The most obvious alternative is to number all of London!s eighty

trick is to group the routes by colour depending on their orientation

or so LCN routes individually on a single map, as the old LCN map

with respect to a series of compass axes (hence the name 'compass

did. With a route-numbering system like this you'd have to remember

colour system'). All routes on the North-South axis are allocated

all the numbers of the routes you!d need to follow during your cycle

a particular colour. All routes on the East-West axis are allocated

journey, and change from one to the other where appropriate.

another colour. All routes on the North-East to South-West axis are allocated another colour. And so on.

One problem with this option is that for many cycle journeys in a big city like London there would be quite a few route numbers

Actually, things are slightly more complicated than this. In his

to remember. Another problem is that representing hundreds of

London Cycle Map design, to achieve maximal economy, Parker

numbered routes on a single map looks cumbersome. An alternative

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solution would be to number the places where the routes cross each

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other, at locations called 'nodes' – as in the node-based system in

with their diagonal combinations. (Another useful feature of Parker's

Flanders, Belgium. Again, though, in a big city like London you'd have

design is that he uses "cold! colours for the axes running generally in

to remember lots of nodes to get from one place to the other (up

a North-South direction, and hot colours for the East-West axes: a

to twenty for a journey of seven miles), and hundreds of numbered

neat mnemonic invoking the difference in temperature between the

nodes would clutter up a London Cycle Map. There!s also something

Earth's poles and its equator).

arbitrary about nodes: they!re just isolated points, therefore less informative than proper routes.

Colour-coding London's cycle routes by compass axes may sound abstract, but it has some important practical consequences. One

There is a further problem shared by the route-numbering and

consequence is that compass-coloured routes are always straight.

node-based systems: neither numbered routes nor numbered

This is a good thing because the aim of cycling in London is usually

nodes are as user-friendly as colours. One of the great things about

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catching the Tube in London is that the coloured lines are a simple

as possible, and Parker!s map would help you to do this. You!d

and compelling way of presenting journey information visually. This

seldom need to change from one route to another when using it,

is true of both the map and the signage on the network. On the map,

especially since Parker!s routes are long as well as straight.

following a coloured line with your mind's eye makes it easy to trace the route you intend to pursue. And, likewise, on the actual Tube network the

Another consequence of colouring routes by compass axes is that

coloured signs make it easy to work out where you're going, because

routes of the same colour are always parallel to each other, never

you can clearly see the markers you!re looking for amidst numerous

intersecting. That is, on Parker!s map, routes of the same colour

other distractions you encounter in a busy underground station. So the

always head in the same direction, so (with a couple of exceptions)

logical option would be to use eighty or so colours to mark all the routes

they don!t cross each other. For instance, no red route crosses

on a London Cycle Map, right? Not quite. The problem is: there aren't

another red route. No green route crosses another green route. And

eighty colours that the human eye can distinguish between easily. The

so on. Each of the parallel coloured routes on Parker!s map has its

Tube map contains about the maximum viable number - and even then

own number, i.e. Red 1, Red 2, Red 3, Green 1, Green 2, Green 3,

it uses graphics as 'colours' for some lines, such as the Docklands Light

etc.

Railway. Giving parallel route lines the same colour is important because it Parker's system is ingenious because it divides eighty or so routes into

means that while cycling on a route you!d only have to concentrate

a manageable number of colours. Five colours, to be precise. How is this

on following its colour, since all the other numbered routes of that

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particular colour would be irrelevant – you wouldn't encounter them.

the eighty or so shorter ones which form the 'raw material' of Parker's

This would make cycling on Parker!s (predominantly long, straight,

London Cycle Map. The simplest way to do this is to turn two or more

direct) routes really simple; as if you were using a mini-map (i.e. one

routes into one, wherever possible. This gives you a set of longer routes,

with only one route of the particular colour you're following) within

and fewer of them. Parker's system creates about forty longer routes in

a larger map. Of course, you might deliberately swap from, say,

this way.

one red route to another via a second colour. And in this case you would need to make sure you!d paid attention to the number code

This yields a simpler map than before, but forty is still too many

accompanying the second colour. But in almost all cases it

for each of the routes to be given its own easily distinguishable !"

89: would be literally impossible to swap accidentally from, say, one red

is, Parker!s system would enable you to get from anywhere to

route to another. As long as you kept following red, you couldn!t go

anywhere in London on a vast network of cycle routes simply by

wrong. The overall effect of using long straight routes coloured in

remembering (in almost all cases) three routes or fewer. Even

parallel is that Parker!s map covers London with waves of coloured

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to know how an engine works to be able to drive a car. Parker!s

degree range of a compass. This might sounds complex, but in

system blows the current cycling mapping options in London –

reality it yields the map!s stunning simplicity. Imagine you were

and, indeed, any others I!ve seen across the world – out of the

somewhere in London, and wanted to get, say, four miles away.

water.

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complicated because, unlike the Tube map, it comprises a

can 'travel' towards the edges of the page in ten different directions.

reasonably accurate cartographical representation of the routes

On Parker's Map this means that wherever you were in London,

on it; meaning, in particular, that it portrays the lengths of its

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routes relative to each other, and the twists and turns that those

marked by a single colour and which runs in the general direction of

routes take. (When you consider all this detail, it!s frankly quite

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remarkable that Parker was able to discern a pattern of parallel

all you!d have to do is get onto that route.

coloured routes in it.) In contrast, the newer versions of Parker's map, like the Tube map, abstract away from detailed information

Now look at it from the point of view of your destination. It would

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DOVR KDYH ÀYH GLIIHUHQW ORQJ VWUDLJKW URXWHV QHDU LW ZKLFK H[WHQG RXW in ten different directions. One of these routes would extend out

Harry Beck!s iconic map doesn't include accurate route

towards where you are, using a single colour. Hence, in order to get

information because when you!re sitting passively on the train

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up on that route.

Parker!s map be abstract – i.e. stylized – like Beck!s? It!s open to debate. One consideration in favour of using a more realistic

And here!s the crucial point. Since it!s true that wherever you

cartographical representation, as Parker's earliest map does, is

are in London there will always be a long, straight coloured route

that cycling differs from catching the Tube in that arguably it is

that heads away from you in the general direction of your chosen

important to know the lengths of the routes you might take when

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you!re actively pedaling on a bike. You!d rather take the shorter

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option on a bike, and Parker!s earliest map makes it a little easier

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for you to choose accordingly. You could also argue that the little

point on the map is "reaching out! with a long straight coloured route

twists and turns depicted on Parker!s earliest map are useful,

in more or less every possible direction, so any two points logically

because they!d help you to anticipate where the signs on the

must "reach out! to each other more or less directly – like Adam and

route would lead you.

God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. ,ҋP PRUH FRQYLQFHG E\ WKH ÀUVW RI WKHVH SRLQWV WKDQ WKH VHFRQG Sometimes, of course, the route that you started off on would

(after all, if you!re navigating by following coloured signs, then

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you!re not going to be concentrating on matching up details on

one straight coloured route would lead you all the way to your

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destination. Other times, you!d need to thread your start and end

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routes together – perhaps with a third or fourth route in between.

London Cycle Map to show exactly how long each of its routes

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are? Perhaps not – and perhaps the more recent versions of

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on the map, and then remember the colours and numbers of the

map.

URXWHV DORQJ WKDW WUDMHFWRU\ This topic highlights a fundamental difference between Simon Well, that!s my explanation for how Parker!s map achieves such amazing economy. But it doesn!t matter if it!s correct. The fact ;<

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compass colour system offers a radical overhaul of how London!s F\FOH URXWHV DUH QDPHG DQG LGHQWLÀHG FRPSDUHG ZLWK %HFNҋV

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it!d be a lot easier for non-cyclists to muster the conviction to follow

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KLV FRPSDVV FRORXU V\VWHP ZLWKLQ /RQGRQҋV F\FOH QHWZRUN ZRXOG no doubt involve practical considerations that would mean the map

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occasions that so many Londoners don!t consider the bicycle to be

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London!s cycle routes – the overall scheme within which particular URXWHV ZRXOG EH FKRVHQ WR ÀW :K\" %HFDXVH ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR FKRRVLQJ D V\VWHP IRU RUJDQL]LQJ /RQGRQҋV F\FOH URXWHV RQ D VLQJOH PDS ´QR RQH KDV VKRZQ PH D PRUH HOHJDQW VROXWLRQ WKDQ 3DUNHUҋV µ

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Even the second part of the statement above – that hardcore

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FRGHV

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There!s also the important fact that users of electric bicycles

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:%1&2# ;%4<.4'# !"#"$%&'()'*+$,-./-0*1$/'($2.343-)3'

RI WKH PDS DQG ҊEHVSRNHҋ PDSV DFFRPSDQLHG E\ OLVWV RI WUDYHO GLUHFWLRQV IURP WKH QHWZRUN WR VSHFLÀHG ORFDWLRQV H J WKH FDSLWDOҋV football grounds, cinemas, shopping centres, parks, greenways and restaurants or other idiosyncratic locations chosen by the user); ‡ DFTXLULQJ DGYHUWLVLQJ UHYHQXH IURP FRPPHUFLDO YHQXHV displayed on bespoke versions of the map; and

Cycle Lifestyle magazine is seeking funding and partnerships to help

‡ SDUWQHUVKLS ZRUNLQJ RSSRUWXQLWLHV VXFK DV FUHDWLQJ DSSV

us grow the London Cycle Map Campaign both strategically and

(iii) future developments for the proposal, including

promotionally. In other words, we want to ensure (i) that the campaign

‡ VXEVLGLDU\ ҊJUH\ҋ URXWHV OHDGLQJ IURP WKH QHWZRUN WR SRSXODU

is detailed, comprehensive and extremely well-researched, and (ii) that

landmarks and attractions in the capital;

London!s general public, cycling communities and relevant government

‡ EHWWHU SURYLVLRQLQJ IRU F\FOLVWV DORQJ WKH URXWHV VXFK DV IXOO\

agencies have access to the information. To this end, we are looking to

separate cycle lanes, advance stop lanes, etc.);

undertake the following activities:

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!"#$%&'%&#()*+,#-./#(.0/.12&#*%&3,4,&*,

London Cycle Map and its network of routes.

We would like to organise a conference in London to promote both a critical discussion of Simon Parker!s London Cycle Map proposal

8"#$%&'%&#()*+,#-./#(.0/.12&#/4%0%71%&

and a better understanding of his ideas among attendees. Invitees

We would like to extend the reach of the campaign through a

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wider distribution of promotional material, via the medium of

London delegates, commercial representatives, international experts in

Cycle Lifestyle magazine (for instance to more schools, colleges,

cycling infrastructure development, road planners, cartographers, and

universities, GP surgeries, hospitals and cycling clubs). We would

senior members of cycling NGOs such as Sustrans, Cyclists Touring

like to produce and disseminate new campaign materials, such as

Club (CTC) and the London Cycling Campaign (LCC).

postcards, large posters, keyrings, items of clothing, and further copies of this guide. We would like to attend and exhibit at relevant

The explicit aims of the conference are:

conferences, in order to grow the campaign both strategically and

(i) to raise awareness and understanding of Parker!s London Cycle

promotionally and to expand our network of contacts, particularly

Map proposal within the cycling sector generally;

with a view to the future implementation phase.

(ii) to help secure buy-in for Parker!s proposal from boroughs and government organisations, whose co-operation would be essential in

9"#$%&'%&#()*+,#-./#(.0/.12&#.//

the implementation phase (in putting up signs, etc);

There are many online applications for helping cyclists to get around

(iii) to utilise the accumulated expertise of the specialists in attendance

in London. They work by providing their users with detailed direc-

to critically assess and strengthen Parker!s London Cycle Map

tions (which can be printed off, or streamed as real-time information)

proposal; and

IRU D F\FOH MRXUQH\ 7KHVH DSSV FDQ EH KHOSIXO HYHQ WKRXJK XVLQJ

(iv) to generate interest among potential commercial partners or

them requires extra vigilance while riding (a diversion of attention

sponsors.

away from the road) and they involve a degree of exclusivity because not everyone has access to a smart phone or mobile

5"#$%&'%&#()*+,#-./#674.7,2)

broadband. We would like to create an app that acts as a surrogate

We would like to produce and publish a comprehensive strategy

to the signs that would be needed for a London Cycle Map to be

document, describing Parker!s London Cycle Map proposal to an

workable. So the app would not only display route directions, but

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FRORXUHG LFRQV VKRZLQJ D ULGHU ZKHUH KH VKH LV ORFDWHG RQ 3DUNHUŇ‹V

The strategy will include details of:

network.

(i) physical or informational structures required for the minimal implementation of the proposal, including

The app would have merits above other available planners,

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because being able to cross-reference the user-friendly London

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Cycle Map would help people to orient themselves amid the

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bewildering complexity of London!s current cycle network. But, most

marking route intersections); and

importantly, the app would provide leverage for the London Cycle

‡ LQWHJUDWLRQ RI WKH /RQGRQ &\FOH 0DS ZLWK RWKHU PDSSLQJ UHVRXUFHV

Map Campaign. Getting people using Parker!s routes via mobile

(e.g. Google maps, Streetmap, etc.)

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(ii) commercial potential of the proposal, including

getting the appropriate roadside signage put in place, thus bringing

‡ PDUNHWLQJ RSWLRQV IRU D /RQGRQ &\FOH 0DS H J KDUQHVVLQJ DOO

the route information out of individual users! phones and onto the

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streets where it can be accessed freely and simply.

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58

./+,*01$#%& 2'(&)*$%& Launched in 2009, Cycle Lifestyle is a free magazine that promotes cycling as a healthy, stylish and fun way of travelling in London. Produced by Oldspeak Publishing, it contains articles on topics such as getting started, buying a bike, planning a route, cycling safely, cycle fashion and romantic cycling. With a current distribution of 20,000 copies per issue, Cycle Lifestyle has received universally positive feedback from its readers, including customers, planners, businesses and local authorities. It is the only magazine in the UK that is designed to appeal to SRWHQWLDO DV ZHOO DV UHJXODU F\FOLVWV DQG WKXV IXOĂ€OV D YDOXDEOH UROH LQ SURPRWLQJ WKH EHQHĂ€WV RI F\FOLQJ DQG HQFRXUDJLQJ more people to try it.

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