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London-wide + Hackney stories

Scrutinising the Mayor on cycling safety

23 December 2011 - 9:07pm — Administrator

2011 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.

Regent's Canal walkabout in Islington and Hackney

1 July 2011 - 4:47pm — Administrator

Caroline recently joined Ian Shacklock (Chair of the Friends of Regent's Canal), Caroline Russell (Chair, Islington Living Streets), Del Brenner (lifelong canal campaigner, Secretary of Regent's Network) and Michael Rosenbaum (Angel Canal Festival committee member, local resident) to walkabout the Regent’s Canal in Islington and Hackney to look at a number of issues including:

  • cycling (and measures to deter or calm the few anti-social cyclists),
  • illegal mooring,
  • freight opportunities and threats,
  • the Danbury ramp,
  • policing.

2012 Games transport visit

7 June 2011 - 8:38pm — Administrator

Caroline went on the new high speed train from St Pancras to Stratford International Station to see how the transport infrastructure has been completed ahead of time for the 2012 Games.

Caroline joined other Assembly members, the mayor and other officials to experience the fast train journey which will shuttle thousands of spectators when the games come to London next year.

The trip then went on the new DLR extension from Stratford International to the main Stratford station. This is due to open in July according to TfL after further test.

Making London's roads safer for cyclists

30 May 2011 - 3:39pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon is continuing to support action to tackle the high number of accidents and fatalities that face cyclists on London's roads. London faces an especially serious problem with accidents involving collisions between lorries and cyclists at junctions.

A recent question asked by Caroline to the Mayor revealed that in 2009 six cyclists were killed on London's roads in accidents involving a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), and with a further two cyclists killed in accidents involving a refuse lorry and a cement mixer. In 2010 there were two cyclists killed in accidents involving vehicles and two further two fatal collisions including a skip lorry and a cement truck.

Caroline has already given her full support to the campaign by the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) for better training for lorry drivers and recently received the petition that had already gathered more than 10,000 signatures. Read more information about the campaign here.

Liverpool St commuters overcharged £1.6m on Oyster in 2010

19 March 2011 - 8:55pm — Administrator

The East London Advertiser and the Essex Enquirer have articles about the £1.6m in Oyster card overcharges for Liverpool Street commuters in 2010, as revealed in the Mayor's answer to a question from Caroline Pidgeon.

Read the Advertiser's full article here, and the Essex Enquirer's article here.

New Overground link set to open from Dalston to Highbury & Islington

20 February 2011 - 9:09pm — Administrator

Caroline went on a special preview tour of the new London overground link from Dalston Junction to Highbury and Islington on Thursday 17th February.

The new link is all part of the upgrade to the London Overground service run by TfL. When all the works are complete it will provide a wonderful orbital rail service for London.

“The new link will make such a difference for people going around London and just shows what investment in our railways can achieve” commented Caroline.

Olympic Park site makes great progress

5 December 2010 - 8:24pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon AM joined other Assembly members on Friday 26th November on a tour of the Olympic Park to see how all the sports venues and the village are progressing.

“It was quite astonishing to see how fast the venues are being built and how the site is transformed since I last visited. The Velodrome is particularly amazing and we were lucky enough to go inside to see the track and imagine our British cyclists going for gold in 2012” commented Caroline.

Hackney summer party - warming up for the Fair Votes campaign

7 August 2010 - 3:59pm — Administrator

Hackney Lib Dems held a superb summer garden party on Sunday 1st August with a discussion on the referendum next year for fairer votes. Anthony Barnett who headed up Charter 88 for many years spoke about the four possible outcomes politically from the referendum whist Bridget Fox from Islington spoke about it from a Lib Dem perspective. Anthony’s ideas are posted at the OurKingdom website here.

The afternoon discussion provoked a heated discussion including that AV should not be used but fair or fairer votes instead!

Caroline visits Hackney councillors

25 July 2010 - 6:29pm — Administrator

Caroline recently went to Hackney Town Hall to meet with Lib Dem Councillor Ian Sharer and Councillor Abraham Jacobson.

As Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at City Hall Caroline wants to work closely with Lib Dem Councillors across London to help with local campaigns, particularly on issues such as transport, police, the environment and the legacy from the Olympics.

A number of issues were discussed, including issues with a local bus garage and some wider Transport for London issues.

New London Overground line opens in East London

28 May 2010 - 10:24pm — Administrator


Lib Dem London Transport Spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon AM, joined Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Simon Hughes with Southwark Lib Dem Leader Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, Cllr Wilma Nelson and other local supporters on a trip up and down the new London Overground line which opened on Sunday 23rd May.

The team started at Surrey Quays and went up to Dalston Junction in Hackney, before having a café break in Hoxton going south. The team finished up in Crystal Palace.

“The new service is really impressive. However, not all of the trains had any air cooling systems working which on such a hot day meant the trains were rather hot – something I’ll be taking up with the Mayor!” commented Caroline.