Croydon North By-Election – Question to Candidates

– 1 November 2012

Croydon North will shortly elect a new MP.  Croydon North is considered to be a safe labour seat, so when we decided to ask candidates questions, we included the short list of Labour candidates who Labour will be selecting from to run in the by-election.  There’s a fantastic opportunity for Croydon North to secure an MP who really understands the need for liveable streets and the key role that cycling plays in such a vision.

[UPDATE] Labour have now chosen their candidate to stand for election in Croydon North. They will be represented by current Lambeth Council Leader Steve Reed.  The responses from the short-listed candidates is still available at the bottom of this page.

Here’s the question we posed to candidates:

Earlier this year, over 40,000 Londoners asked all candidates for the London Mayoral election to make the capital more liveable for everyone by making our streets as safe and inviting for cycling as they are in The Netherlands.   The London Travel Demand Survey found that in Croydon, the areas with the highest cycling potential are in the north of the borough, including the Croydon North constituency wards of Broad Green, Selhurst, Thornton Heath and South Norwood.  Approximately a third of people in the north of the borough are car free.

If elected, what will you do to help make Croydon North as safe and inviting for cycling as it is in the Netherlands?  Do you feel this is an important goal, and if so, why?

Here’s the candidates responses. More will be added if/when they come in.

Steve Reed (Labour)

I have been a cyclist since I was a teenager, and take part in the London to Brighton bike ride every year to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.  I understand the issues facing cyclists and I want to see more action taken to promote safe cycling across London and in Croydon North.  Earlier this year I visited the Netherlands to see the excellent facilities available there for cyclists so that I could bring back fresh ideas that could be implemented locally.

As Leader of Lambeth Council I’ve acted to support cycling.  We have installed a record number of cycle parking racks across the borough, incorporated cyclists’ needs as part of key regeneration programmes such as the one planned for Clapham Old Town (which has won support from local cycling groups), increased the number of cycle paths, and are taking action to improve major safety hazards such as the Vauxhall gyratory system which we are now working to remove and replace with an alternative scheme that will be far safer for cyclists and pedestrians and re-create the lost town centre that once existed there.  We have promoted cycling by council employees by installing more cycle parking racks, showers, offering subsidised cycle purchase schemes, offered free or subsidised road safety training for cyclists, and made a cycle pool available for staff use.  I also led a campaign to bring the Barclays cycle hire scheme to more of the borough, including Brixton, Clapham and Stockwell.  I would like to see programmes like this adopted by employers across Croydon North.

In Croydon North I would like to see the council and other partners follow a similarly positive approach to support cycling.  I would like to see more cycle paths and, where traffic is particularly heavy, separate cycle routes that keep cyclists safer.

I would like Croydon to follow Lambeth by making cycling a key element of all new regeneration proposals and involve local cyclists’ groups at every stage of consultation on new schemes.

We need secure or supervised cycle parking at all major transport hubs and shopping centres, and both an expansion and improvement of cycling routes (including superhighways) with busy road junctions made much more cycle-friendly.

Andy Stranack (Conservative)

As a person with a disability, I am passionate about making all forms of transport as accessible as possible. I am particularly excited about some recent developments in Croydon for cyclists:-
  • The Connect 2 route will link Wandle Park ( Croydon North) with Lloyd Park and create good cycle routes through the town centre, particularly focusing on difficult areas around Roman Way and Park Lane to create a safe route that will connect the two major National Cycle Routes for South London – The Wandle Trail and Waterlink Way. Funding for this multi-million pound scheme has come from Croydon Council, Boris and the Greater London Authority, the Big Lottery Fund and Sustrans.
  • The news that a feasibility study will be published by the end of 2012 on bringing the ‘Boris Bike’ scheme to Croydon. Starting a scheme in Croydon would encourage more local people to use bikes and raise residents awareness of safety issues.
  • The recent opening of the JR Cycles in South Norwood High Street.

These developments, along with my passion for ensuring  that transport is accessible to all, is a combination that I believe will ensure a bright future for cyclists in Croydon.

Marisha Ray (Liberal Democrat)

I believe that it is vital to encourage more people to cycle. Not only is it a great way to stay fit and healthy but it also helps to reduce carbon emissions. However, in order to be able to encourage more people to cycle we need to make sure that our roads are as safe as we can make them.

Personally, I feel very strongly about improving safety for cyclists. I’ve seen two fatal accidents involving female cyclists near my home, and in both cases by chance I was walking by less than an hour after the person died. As a result of these experiences I will never stop calling for better safety for cyclists and only a few weeks ago on the anniversary of the death of one of these two cyclists I took one of their friends to the spot where she had died.

I am backing Croydon Liberal Democrats’ campaign to push Croydon council to introduce 20mph speed limits in all residential areas where residents want them. So far I have had an overwhelmingly positive response to this campaign. When I previously served as a Councillor in Islington, I rolled out a 20mph zone, and know that to be successful, such schemes need to be done with close working with all in the area, and that includes cyclists and their representatives. The 20mph zone I put in place in the Amwell Triangle through the local area committee is highly regarded by cyclists who choose it as one of their favourite routes through our city. If elected I will push the Conservative-run Council on this matter.

London certainly has much to learn from the Netherlands and other European cities in how to make our roads safer for cyclists. I feel that main roads in Croydon could certainly benefit from wider Dutch style cycle lanes that are physically separated from motorised traffic, particularly at big junctions, and which are continuous, rather than interrupted by parking spaces. In the case of Croydon town centre, with separated cycle lanes it would be very easy to create a sensible route through the one way system which would allow cyclists to travel in safety along one way streets.

In addition, along with my Liberal Democrat college Caroline Pigeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the London Assembly, I support extra traffic lights located lower down where cyclists can easily see them, and at some junctions, timed lights to allow cyclists time to get a safely away from the junction first.

I am concerned that Conservative Council and Transport for London have allowed Croydon’s roads to fall into a shocking state of disrepair, meaning that our carriageways, in particular London Road, Green Lane and much of Thornton Heath High Street, are littered with potholes. Potholed roads are particularly dangerous for cyclists as they can cause people to fall or veer in front of other traffic greatly increasing the likelihood of serious accidents. To rectify this I am reporting all defects to the relevant authorities and, if elected, I would lobby the Council and TFL (in the case of red routes) to invest more money into improving the state of our roads.

Finally, I would like to add that I feel more needs to be done to tackle cycle theft. As the Councillor in charge of Community Safety in Islington, I spearheaded a campaign with the police to cut cycle theft in an area with one of the highest rates of cycle theft in London at that time, and I know from personal experience how much distress it causes the victim.

Shasha Khan (Green)

As a daily cyclist in living in north Croydon, I have greater sense of the challenges cyclists face.  It would be dream come true if cycling was as safe and inviting as it is in Netherlands. Very interesting data with regards to the numbers of people who are car free in the wards you mention.

Cycling is part of Green joined up thinking. Cycling is good for the health! I read some research that cyclists tend to live longer. A Healthy population reduces pressure on our health service. Additionally, cycling is free (assuming you’re not using London Cycle Hire scheme) and produces zero carbon emissions.

A 20mph speed limit for motor vehicles in residential areas would hopefully trigger the cultural change necessary to encourage a modal shift from car to bike. Of course, cycle routes need to be a lot more safer.

Lee Jasper (Respect)

I am a keen cyclist and know how dangerous our roads can be. As the financial crisis continues and impoverished communities feel the squeeze , more and more people are riding bikes as an affordable option.

I definitely support a reduction in the speed limit on local roads it is proven method of road safety that had saved peoples the lives of both pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Cycle safety training should be taught free and be on offer at all schools. Businesses need to be encouraged to support low cost cycle purchase schemes. I’d argue for more cycle parking schemes and ensure that new building developments are forced to include the issue of cycle safety as part of any new development or urban planning application

If elected I would undertake a public consultation to help develop and launch an integrated Cycling Plan for Croydon North that could include issues such as traffic light sequencing and tackling the poor state of our roads that pose a real a danger to all.

I would want to explore the development of an accessible and affordable velodrome to benefit from increased interest in cycling post Olympics. I would argue also for the creation of a BMX track for youngsters.

I would ensure that existing cycle routes are properly connected and campaign to create new cycling routes. I would also work hard to support and consult with cycling campaigning organisations.

Why has Boris cycling scheme not been extended to Croydon ? It’s a good question that I will press hard.

The increased cost of public transport means more and more people will be cycling. We have to plan for the future and work together to build a safe, sustainable cycling environment in Croydon North for the sake of the environment, to help save lives and reduce serious injury.

Robin Smith (Youth)

My name is Robin Smith. I’ll be standing as candidate for the Young People’s Party in the up coming by-election, in the parliamentary seat of Croydon North, 29th November.

You might say I ride a bike. I raced cross country mountain bike at national level, top 10 in 2009, time trial sub 21, winner Torq 12 hour solo 2010 and love climbing big hills on the road. I nearly always use my fixie in the city, even though its nearly killed me twice, because its faster than public transport and I love riding it. I often do Critical Mass because I can hear their principal cause clearly, that of respect for each other.

I’m not boasting here. I’m asking you if that qualifies me as a cyclist? Would you say I now have authority to speak about cycling?

5 years ago city cyclists were wrongly tarred with the same brush by other users of the public highway. Only a minority jumped lights and rode on pavements. I’ve been chased all the way down Fleet St by a double decker bus trying to run me into the gutter, for no reason except a stressed out driver. Cyclists were being wronged and intimidated by selfish motorists. And I gladly stood for them.

Today, since the enormous ramp up in cycling, I’m appalled. A majority of us jump reds and intimidate pedestrians with anger on the pavements and cycle lanes. I can ride a bike. Yet am frequently intimidated by dangerous, selfish cyclists riding in the city. I see tourists being shouted at because they did not move out of the way quickly enough. That is plain wrong.

As cyclists, how do we account for this. And isn’t it a bit rich to ask for favours while this behaviour persists among us?

I do not ask that cycling be promoted or demoted. Or say that cycling is particularly good or bad. Or that cyclists are better or worse than other highway users. I certainly do not ask that a special class, cyclists, get special treatment or subsidy. By what right?

If cycling truly does benefit the people, then it will stand up on its own. Our ‘important goal’ is to ask that special interest groups put something on the table in advance before seeking special favour from the rest of the community. That is the central policy of our party. One of justice. Of fair exchange. There is no difference for cyclists and I’m sure they will step up with something here.

I do ask that ALL users of the public highway, as a first duty while using it, start to pay a little more respect to their fellow citizens. INCLUDING CYCLISTS.

Is that too much to ask. Would that be a better approach for all people to undertake. Will you gain more support for cycling by doing things this way. Will you vote for me if I support you on that basis?

I hope this has made my position clear for the cyclists of Croydon. I’m happy to meet any of your group to discuss it further.

____________________________________________

The below were responses we received from possible Labour candidates who sadly will not be standing in the election

Val Shawcross (Labour Shortlist)

Although I am not the Labour candidate at the moment (we still have to complete our selection process) I thought I would just drop you a note to say  that I an fully behind the LCC Go Dutch campaign.  Croydon has huge undeveloped potential for cycling  and would benefit from a good integrated approach to  pedestrian and cycling friendly  urban design.

It’s something I have worked on at City Hall  on the Transport Scrutiny Committee as you will probably be aware.

If I get selected and elected (2 big hurdles !)  I will come and do a cycle tour in Croydon with you  and you can tell me what you think are priorities.  I have a Brompton !

Faz Hakim (Labour Shortlist)

As you know I have been active in Wandsworth Cycling Campaign – before I broke my neck basically and was their press officer for a year.  The only thing I haven’t managed to do since my accident is cycle on a regular basis again and it’s the fear of having an accident that I need to get over.  So for me, I would set a goal to make Croydon North safe to cycle in so that I feel confident to get back on my bike on a regular basis.  I’d like to see the Boris Bikes extended to the constituency and also look at new cycle lanes.  I think the ones from Tooting through to Westminster have made a difference and I’d like to see something similar from Croydon North to central London.   I do agree with the LCC that we should be able to cycle alongside cars rather than be completely separate and having cycled in Amsterdam, I can see how they do that really well.  I would look at the cycling danger areas and junctions which is what I think put a lot of potential cyclists off going on the road and look at how they could be made safer, particularly right turns.   Finally I think what has been really successful in Wandsworth was our ‘movers and shakers’ project where we gave free cycling lessons to people with influence in the borough and got some good press coverage around it.  I think this with some negotiated discounts for residents for cycle safety lessons could also make a big difference.  Perhaps this should link up with schools so also try and get more young people active from a younger age and to help combat the obesity that is very high in the constituency.

Simon Burgess (Labour Shortlist)

I am a former leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, during my time as a councillor and as leader I was described by some of the media as the ‘Cycling Councillor’. My main mode of transport is bike as it has been most of my life. That affinity with cycling for health, leisure and sustainability reasons is why during my time as a councillor I championed cycling issues leading ultimately to the awarding of Cycle Demonstration Town status to the city. Projects included more cycle lanes and racks, and shared space projects such as New Road. We were gaining momentum in the right direction though there is much more I would like to have done had I remained on the council instead of some pro-motorist Tories taking control.

So I hope you will see championing and raising the profile of cycling is intrinsic to my political activity and if selected and elected I would continue with that both locally and nationally.

How would I make Croydon North more safe and inviting for cyclists? Using the approaches above especially increasing the amount of shared space as well as safe exclusive routes particularly for the younger and less confident cyclists. Organisations such as CTC and Sustrans would be organisations I would turn to for specialist advice.

I think more cycling is essential as a measure to improve health, environmental sustainability and to tackle social division and improve community cohesion.