Caroline's news

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.

The Independent and the Daily Mail have both covered the Mayor's admission, in response to questions from Caroline Pidgeon, that £11.6m has been spent so far on rail replacement bus services during the Jubilee Line upgrade works.

Caroline said:

The delayed upgrades to the Jubilee Line has been bad enough for passengers and businesses, who have had to put up with terrible disruption and closures for far too long. It is now rubbing salt into the wound to discover that farepayers are picking up another huge bill.

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on today’s confirmation that Thameslink will go ahead in its entirety, virtually doubling the number of north-south trains running through central London at peak times said:

“This announcement is a great day for commuters and London’s economy.

“Firstly Crossrail and now the confirmation that the Thameslink project will go head in full means that train capacity across the whole of London will be greatly increased within an decade.

“At a time of such tight public finances and when difficult short term decisions are having to be made in so many areas it is excellent news that long term plans to improve transport in London have not been compromised.”

Caroline Pidgeon, commenting on the refusal of the Mayor and Transport for London to provide a signalised crossing on Jamaica Road by Southwark Park, said:

"The Mayor's refusal of a much needed signalised crossing on Jamaica Road by Southwark Park is appalling news for the users of the park and the many other pedestrians who simply want to cross the road in safety and with ease.

"Despite announcing that 2011 will be the Year of Walking, the Mayor repeatedly shows he is unable to properly consider the interests of pedestrians."

MPs debated the High Speed 2 scheme in Westminster hall on 23rd November. Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood (beginning around 10:24 on the video) discussed the impact of the scheme and mentioned Caroline Pidgeon's campaigning work with Camden residents who will be affected by the building of the new line.