Going Dutch: a Proper Cycling Infrastructure for Camden

The popularity of cycling in London continues to grow apace. People cycle because journey times are predictable and cycling makes them feel good. Cycling improves their health and is good for the environment as well as costing less than using the bus or tube.

The growth of cycling in Camden has continued for 10 years at about 15% per annum and shows no sign of abating. Cycling is supported by politicians of all colours and applauded by most people. Londoners are now as aware of the advantages of cycling as the citizens of Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and other European cities were almost half a century ago.  

But the growth cannot continue indefinitely without addressing the perception of danger on the roads by people who don’t yet cycle. The scope for growth is great; the cycling community is currently composed largely of younger people, and especially males and we need to attract other groups. Camden has established that the proportion of residents’ trips made by bicycle is now just over 3% and have set a goal to increase that number by at least 1/3rd by 2014. 

The adaptation of the road network and the planning vision to accommodate what is essentially a new mode of road travel does not match even the current number of cyclists. 

Some very good examples of Dutch-style cycling facilities can be seen in Camden on Royal College Street and Tavistock Place. They are probably the best to be found in London, but were installed a decade ago and are now overcrowded at peak hours. Other useful routes have been added since then, but they cannot by any stretch of the imagination be described as a borough-wide cycling network. The political will to build Dutch-style infrastructure seemed to evaporate and cyclists have been left to squeeze themselves into an already over-congested road network in most of Camden and the rest of London. 

We have now reached a critical point in the growth of cycling in London. The tragic deaths of 15 cyclists on London’s roads in 2011 are a warning that must not be ignored. The London Cycling Campaign and its local branch, Camden Cycling Campaign are determined to ensure that proper provision for cyclists will be at the top of Camden’s and London’s transport agenda once again. Our campaign is for the installation on London’s streets of facilities as safe and convenient for cyclists as those to be found in Holland, Denmark and many other parts of Europe. We intend to press all the candidates for Mayor of London to provide properly for the growth of cycling throughout London.

Flagship schemes will be an important part of the campaign. Camden’s transport plan for 2011-14 includes a vision to re-plan Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street with two-way traffic flows aimed at bringing benefits to all road users. We propose that this should become one of the flagship examples of a London ‘Go Dutch’ initiative.

Jean Dollimore and George Coulouris,  Camden Cycling Campaign