Tuesday, February 12, 2008
London to become more bicycle-friendly
London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, recently announced a billion dollar (£500) bicycle program for the city. It will include a bicycle rental scheme similar to Vélib in Paris, a network of long-distance bike routes, and a $50 SUV charge in the downtown area. In the article about the program in The Independent, it's great to see the two mayoral candidates arguing about who is more bike-friendly.But Boris Johnson, the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, said that Mr Livingstone had been “stampeded” into his announcement and insisted that the proposed London bike hire scheme was only a fraction of the size of the operation in Paris.
He said: “There is no doubt that the Mayor has been stampeded into this measure because he faces a cycling opponent. Some of the proposals sound like waffle. For example, why do Londoners deserve a bike-hire scheme that is a third the size of Paris?
“I have been in negotiation with London boroughs for many months to deliver a much more ambitious scheme. By his own admission, Mr Livingstone has yet to start this negotiation. What a feeble record for a man who has spent eight years in office.”
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