Active travel off the pace

WORK IN THE media and you’ll likely have a love-hate relationship with the humble press release. Occasionally they might herald an invite to a special event or launch, but most commonly it seems they’re “just letting you know” about some new fangled product which has zero relevance to your field of interest. The most intriguing come with ‘embargoed’ in the subject line — like the latest notice from the National Audit Office, landing the day before this magazine headed to the printer.

The first line: “Government is not on track to meet its objectives to increase rates of cycling and walking, despite increased ambition in recent years.” Which clearly isn’t good news. But later on it emphasises that the recently established Active Travel England “has made good early progress in tackling long standing issues”. Which is much more positive. So it’s against this backdrop of mixed messaging that we delve into LCC’s latest Climate Safe Streets report (page 20), detailing which boroughs are leading from the front, which are stalling, and which haven’t got out of the blocks. Interesting reading with less than a year to go before the next mayoral election.

One final note. CEO Ashok leaves LCC this month, so on behalf of the London Cyclist team, we wish you well in your next role.

Happy cycling!

John Kitchiner Editor

LCC MEMBERS’ LEGAL HELPLINE

Osbornes Law is the official legal partner of LCC, providing members with exclusive access to a legal helpline. If you’re involved in a collision or have a cycling-related legal issue, phone the Cycling Team at Osbornes for advice on 020 7681 8672.

Cover image: Izzy Romilly

Location: East London, June 2023

London Cyclist

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EDITORIAL

Editor: John Kitchiner (london.cyclist@lcc.org.uk)

Design: Anita Razak

Contributors: Simon Munk, Tom Bogdanowicz, Stewart Dring, Toby Zeidler, Rob Eves, Ashok Sinha, Sarah Strong, Carlton Reid, Richard Peace

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Allie Gill (allie.gill@lcc.org.uk)

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Editorial, copyright, membership

LCC is not aligned with any political party. All views expressed in London Cyclist are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, nor do they necessarily reflect LCC policy. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. Editorial content is independent of advertising. All LCC membership offers and discounts are presented entirely at the discretion of the provider.

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