What we said we do

  1. Plan and action initiatives to encourage new cyclists to continue cycling
  2. Support low traffic neighbourhood groups throughout the Borough, engaging in advance where we can.   Address particular challenges in the east of the Borough. We will need to engage with   cultural/community/religious groups.
  3. Ensure that  active travel funding awards to Enfield Council are well spent (e.g. quality of   infrastructure/filling the Ponders End cycle lane ‘gap’/advising on Enfield Town to Ponders End   route/supporting Brownlow Road gate)
  4. Map out our vision for the Borough and how we’re going to get there. Where should all the LTNs and cycle routes should be? Drafting an updated set of asks on that map, e.g. X% done by 2025. This could be tied into a call for a transport strategy in run up to the 2022 elections that includes key targets such as vehicle reductions

What we did

1     PLAN AND ACTION INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE NEW CYCLISTS TO CONTINUE TO CYCLE

Community rides throughout the Borough – Big Green Ride as part Enfield Climate Festival and fun Halloween ride

Supported local groups e.g. Fox Lane ‘Blast’

Inspirational cycling speakers including Mariam Sayed from JoyRiders,  Ozgur from LBK, Ashok, CEO of LCC,

Suami Rocha, LCC’s Climate Safe Streets campaigner

and today’s speaker, Sally Hinchcliffe

Try-a-Bike event in Palmers Green

Supported campaign to retain cycle instructors and pay them appropriately

2  SUPPORT LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH, ENGAGING IN ADVANCE WHERE WE CAN. ADDRESS PARTICULAR CHALLENGES IN THE EAST OF THE BOROUGH. WE WILL NEED TO ENGAGE WITH

Supported the Fox Lane and Bowes LTN community groups – successful confirmation of

both Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

Engaged with Councillors and Officers on the progress of LTNS, acting as ‘critical friend’

Supported and advised other groups in Firs Lane and Connaught Gardens

Supported LTN campaigns with tweets and facebook messages

But

Made little headway in the east of the Borough with engagement  🙁

3.    ENSURE THAT  ACTIVE TRAVEL FUNDING IS WELL SPENT

Attended events, gave feedback and ideas  to officers and completed consultations for wide range of infrastructure initiatives including:

Enfield Town to Broxbourne route, Angel Edmonton, North Middlesex Hospital route, extended bus lane hours, Ponders End cycle lane, Enfield Town to Southbury. Input on future cycle lanes and infra improvements as well as both LTNs and Cockfosters and Arnos Grove tube developments

Brownlow Bus gate awaiting Harringay Bounds Green LTN

Other infra delivered by Council – Salmon’s Brook valley path and Southgate Parklet. Our Green Lanes Parklet inspired a new Palmers Green Plaza where events are now being held.

More school streets implemented with ten more in the pipeline

4.   MAP OUT OUR VISION FOR THE BOROUGH AND HOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE. WHERE SHOULD ALL THE LTNS AND CYCLE ROUTES BE? DRAFT AN UPDATED SET OF ASKS ON THAT MAP, E.G. X% DONE BY 2025. THIS COULD BE TIED INTO A CALL FOR A TRANSPORT STRATEGY IN RUN UP TO THE 2022 ELECTIONS THAT INCLUDES KEY TARGETS SUCH AS VEHICLE REDUCTIONS

The Council are creating a Borough wide network map. We look forward to the result soon.

We have drafted a new set of ‘Asks’ ahead of the 2022 elections

What else did we do?

Engaged  with LBK, Friends of Gordon Hill, Enfield Climate Action Forum, Mums for Lungs, PG Action Team, Haringgay and Croydon Living Streets, Hazelwood School, Bloqs, IWGB Cycling Instructors Branch, Enfield Society, Concilio  (and probably more)
Increased twitter followers from 1600 to 1900
Increased facebook followers from 1200 to 1400
Articles in LCC magazine

Many letters and thought-pieces in Enfield Dispatch and PG Community

The future?

Societal trend is towards active travel – here and abroad

Many policy makers saying right things at national, regional and local

GLA looking to:
Net zero carbon emissions by 2030
27% reduction in car vehicle kms by 2030
e.g. ULEZ expansion and car pricing

Harringay (finally) embracing active travel

Enfield Council – building a reputation for delivery (and therefore attracting more funding)

But…

Two steps forward and one back – Fuel Duty reduction, road spending, under-funding of public transport

GLA/TfL funding challenges

Political uncertainty in Borough – a new administration in the chair?

Local Tories promise to remove LTNs

Will be new Councillors to engage with and influence after May

Cycle Training – plans to a axe all one to one training

Goals for 2022 – 2023

FOCUS WILL BE ON OUR FIVE ASKS

  1. Traffic-free streets around every school during school run hours
  2. A complete, coherent Borough-wide network of cycle lanes

Finish all the priority cycle routes in Enfield as identified by TfL’s Strategic Cycling Analysis to the highest government standards, creating a safe cycle network for all across the borough’

3. Pedestrian crossing phases at all signalised junctions

4. An end to high-traffic neighbourhoods

All possible residential areas to become low traffic neighbourhoods

5. Borough-wide bike and e-car sharing schemes

All homes and workplaces to be under 300m from the nearest e-car club bays and nearest shared cycle access point.

Next….

  • Climate Safe Streets campaign –
  • Asking the major political parties to sign-up to our ‘Five Asks’
  • Meeting with newly elected politicians
  • Ride London Feeder ride from Edmonton on May 29th

Thank you

Basil for wonderful pieces in PG Community, Hal for always stepping up when needed, Irene for daily tweeting, Clare for bringing LCC expertise and sage advice, Alex for taking the infra mantle so ably from Oliver (thanks Oliver!), David for leading rides (and winning awards!), Paul for calmly ensuring all runs smoothly and Mark for minding the pennies!

Adrian Day March 2022