Camden Cycling Campaign lobbying works

A new £500,000 traffic-free route in Camden, from the north of the borough to Kings Cross, has been created with the help of lobbying by Camden Cycling Campaign (CCC), the local LCC group.

A 150-metre two-way path for cyclists and pedestrians joining Agar Grove and Camley Street opened last month and is a great addition to the Camden cycle network.

The new link significantly shortens journey times, as well as allowing access to the Camley Street Nature Reserve, the British Library, and St Pancras Gardens. Engineers had to deal with a 5m height difference between the streets, solving the problem with a sophisticated, cantilevered two-way path.

Jean Dollimore of CCC said: "This is the result of many years of campaigning by CCC, and we're delighted with the overall result.

LCC chief executive Koy Thomson added: "We're fighting at every level and in every borough for measures like this that'll make our journeys faster and more direct.

"Making London more 'permeable' for cyclists and pedestrians is a key way to encourage them to leave their cars at home, leading to a happier, healthier population and a more pleasant environment for all.”

The London Cycling Campaign itself recently invited Mayor Boris Johnson to set clear cycle-friendly quality standards for his 12 Cycle Superhighways. It laid out Cycle Superhighway quality standards in the form of a manifesto and asked London cyclists to sign up and demand these standards for the Cycle Superhighways.

And the LCC’s next female-focused ride will give London cyclists the chance to win a new bike worth £500. The winner will be picked at random from those who take advantage of the charity’s Cycle Show ticket discount.

All ride participants will get free breakfast and bike maintenance before the ride, and will be eligible for discounted tickets (just £10) to the Cycle Show in Earl's Court – which runs from Friday, October 9-11 - where the ride will finish at midday.