London gives local cyclists inspiration

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – As the city of Vancouver treads carefully, adding bike lanes while trying not to raise the ire of drivers, the city of London in the UK is launching a billion dollar bike infrastructure program.

That master plan calls for 24 kilometres of segregated cycle paths connected to a super grid and eight police officers dedicated to matters involving cyclists.

Erin O’Melinn, a local cycling advocate with the group HUB, has been watching developments in London with great interest.

She says the political impetus for such a costly project comes from the city’s congestion problems.

The city already has tolls for drivers entering the inner city and extensive bicycle networks.

“What they’re doing is expanding their cycling superhighways, so not only are there urban bike lanes, but bike lanes going into the suburbs,” explains O’Melinn.

It may seem like a pipe dream to Metro Vancouver bikers, but she says investing in cycling routes actually makes economic sense.

“The amount of return on investment that you get from spending on cycling is usually three-fold. If you’re spending a dollar on cycling, you’re going to see three dollars come back to you on improvements in health care, air quality, and fewer accidents,” O’Melinn insists.

She says London is also a leader in educating all students about navigating streets on their bikes.

But like the new bike lanes in Vancouver, the plans in London are getting their share of criticism.

The Alliance of British Drivers calls it a waste of financial resources, saying the project clearly favours cyclists over road users.

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