Every child should be able to cycle safely to school. Every family should be able to cycle safely to the park or pool. Everyone should be able to cycle safely to the high street. This is what you get when there is a safe, connected cycle network across the borough. It will mean everyone – women, children, elderly people – will feel comfortable to ride from A to B.
With local elections coming on 7 May, we want every candidate leader to commit to doing just that. The ask is simple: complete the core cycling network TfL has identified for your borough by 2030. So please ask the candidates to pledge to streets for cycling today!
The vision: safe everywhere, fun for everyone
A borough where cycling is safe and fun for everyone is a healthy, happy borough.
- Every child should be able to cycle to school safely.
- Everyone should be able to cycle to their local high street safely.
- Every family should be able to cycle to their local park safely.
We need a safe, connected, local cycle network – so cycling is safe everywhere and fun for everyone.
Why a safe cycle network matters for Lambeth
- More people of all ages are active in their daily lives, improving their health and wellbeing.
- Fewer journeys by car benefit everyone, with less pollution, less congestion and less road danger.
- Improving walking and cycling locally brings economic benefits for businesses and local people.
How can cycling be for everyone, not just the fit and the brave?
The single most effective thing council leaders can do to make cycling possible for everyone is to build a safe, connected cycle network.
- Studies show most women would start to cycle, or cycle more, if they had safe local cycle infrastructure.
- People with children and families prioritise safety when choosing whether to cycle.
Safe infrastructure isn’t just about experienced cyclists going faster – it’s about unlocking cycling for the people who would most benefit from it: children, older people, women, disabled people, and families.
It doesn’t have to mean new council spending
TfL already has funding earmarked for strategic cycling routes in London boroughs. It has identified a potential strategic route running from Kennington through Brixton and down to Streatham.
The infrastructure funding is there. What’s needed is the political will to make it happen.
Lambeth Cyclists 