London-wide + Camden stories
TfL admit King's Cross junction does not meet safety standards
4 February 2012 - 11:24am — AdministratorAs a result of questions asked to the Mayor by Caroline Pidgeon, Transport for London have admitted that a large junction at King's Cross does not meet their own safety standards, and refused to answer on why they have done nothing to comply with those standards.
You can read full coverage on the King's Cross Environment blog.
And on the same blog, you can read about Caroline's continued scrutiny and Boris Johnson's complacency on cycle safety issues.
Time for honesty over Jubilee line fiasco
28 January 2012 - 10:25pm — AdministratorAs news emerges that TfL has had to pay £25m to the company that owns Canary Wharf in compensation for the major delays to the Jubilee line upgrade, Caroline Pidgeon commented:
"Users of the Jubilee line have faced years of misery as the upgrade programme over-ran. To learn now that millions of pounds has been shelled out to Canary Wharf Group, while passengers have not been compensated, adds insult to injury.
"It is time the Mayor and TfL were honest with Londoners over the real cost of this long-standing fiasco. We are entitled to know the details of every penny that has been spent."
You can read full coverage in the Evening Standard and the Docklands & East London Advertiser.
Croydon pedestrian crossings not safe for visually impaired people
30 December 2011 - 9:56pm — AdministratorThe Inside Croydon blog reports that - as discovered from figures that Caroline Pidgeon forced Transport for London to publish - seven pedestrian crossings in the borough do not meet the minimum requirements for visually impaired people to be safe:
- Brighton Road at Old Lodge Lane fire station
- On the Purley Way at Epsom Road
- Brighton Road at Bartlett Street and Nottingham Road
- St James Road and Sydenham Road
- Whitehorse Road by St James Road and Spurgeons Bridge
- Purley Way at Foxley Lane and Pampisford Road
Scrutinising the Mayor on cycling safety
23 December 2011 - 9:07pm — Administrator2011 has seen far too many cycle accidents and deaths on our roads.
Caroline continues to campaign for safer roads for cyclists and pedestrians and her most recent questions to the Mayor which have been answered just before Christmas can be seen below.
For more information about cycling issues across London do also take a look at the excellent London Cycling Campaign website.
In memory of 16 cyclists
23 December 2011 - 8:18pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon AM joined London Cycling Campaign, cyclists, pedestrians and family members of the 16 cyclists who have died on London’s roads in 2011 at a vigil at King’s Cross on Tuesday 20th December.
Mark Ames, who writes the ibikelondon blog, spoke of the tragic cycle deaths and serious collisions on our roads as well as those pedestrians who have been injured or died.
A minute’s silence was held when the hundreds of people present remembered:
Ellie Carey, 22
Svitlana Tereschenko, 34
Brian Dorling, 58
Deep Lee, 24
Sam Harding, 25
Johannah Bailey, 49
Paul McGreal, 44
Michael Evans, 62
Thomas Stone, 13
Naoko Miyazaki, 35
Gavin Taylor, 40
Paula Jurek, 20
David Poblet, 20
Tom Barrett, 44
Daniel Cox, 28
Gary Mason, 48
Brian Paddick and Caroline Pidgeon listen to cyclists at King’s Cross
9 December 2011 - 10:49pm — Administrator
London Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate Brian Paddick and London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon visited a number of dangerous junctions around King’s Cross, and met with the Camden Cycling Campaign group to discuss cycle and pedestrian safety in the area. The meeting came just days after a cyclist was killed at Tower Bridge Road, bringing the number killed on London’s roads this year to 16.
Make cycling safe: enough is enough
31 October 2011 - 9:36pm — AdministratorCaroline Pidgeon wrote this article in the 28th October 2011 edition of Lib Dem News:
Min Joo Lee is probably not a name you will recognise. However the death of this 24-year Korean fashion student could well be starting a revolution in cycling in London and possibly further afield.
Incredibly she is the 13th person to die on London’s roads this year. In 2010 there were “just” 10 deaths. When this year’s death toll for cyclists already surpasses the figure for the last year, we should all be very worried.
Caroline puts pressure on TfL over King's Cross cycling safety
20 October 2011 - 10:12pm — AdministratorThe BBC reports on Caroline Pidgeon's questions challenging the Mayor over the continued unsafe conditions for cyclists around King's Cross.
The report points out that despite TfL's claims to be actively working on improvements for all road users, the Mayor was asked about this by Caroline in September 2010 and would not commit to any action:
Question by Caroline Pidgeon on 15 September 2010
You have acknowledged that safety on the King's Cross one-way system through the boroughs of Camden and Islington needs addressing. Pursuant to your answers to MQs (1053/2010), (547/2010) and (2701/2009), can you tell me:
a) What has been the result, if any, of your discussions about "speed issues" on the King's Cross one-way system with the London Borough of Islington?
b) Whether a new design for the Caledonian Road/Pentonville Road junction is now ready, and whether this will improve road safety for pedestrians?
Campaigning in the Highgate by-election
13 September 2011 - 9:17pm — Administrator
Caroline joined Lib Dems Robin Meltzer and Chris Richards and many other Camden Lib Dem members out and about campaigning in the Highgate by-election.
The team knocked on doors and chatted to local residents about many issues of concern including transport and policing.
It followed a day where Caroline hosted a meeting a City Hall for cross-party councillors in Highgate, from both Haringey and Camden, to meet with TfL about bus issues in the wider area.
Jubilee Line fiasco costs more and more
5 August 2011 - 7:48pm — AdministratorAfter years of disruption on the Jubilee Line new evidence has come to light revealing some of the real costs of the years of dragged out weekend closures.
Following extensive freedom of information requests Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has now discovered that the costs of the weekend closures since April 2007 on the Jubilee Line include:
- 32 million passengers being affected by the weekend closures, leading to a loss in ticket revenue of a staggering £15.7 million
- Transport for London having to spend £13 million on replacement buses
Commenting on these immense figures Caroline Pidgeon said:
“A year ago the Mayor and Transport for London admitted that the upgrade programme on the Jubilee Line would slip once again. After years of disruption to passengers, communities and businesses they announced a further year of weekend closures which has only just finished.
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