494 – Boris Bikes and alternative transport

LONDON Mayor, Boris Johnson, and his Boris Bikes scheme might be having some teething problems – such as not enough bike stations – but generally they must go in the category ‘a good thing’.

They’ve enabled Londoners to become more mobile and at the cost of zero CO2 emissions.

Boris is a keen cyclist himself, but his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, did much to encourage cycling by putting his political weight behind a better cycling network. And organisations such as Sustrans has done huge amounts to promote cycling in Britain.

On Saturday we decided to go and watch Harlequins at the Stoop by bike. The kick-off was at 130pm, so it was perfectly timed – and the weather was benign.

I set off with my son Matt, and picked up Quins fan Mike along the way. Mike is the Daily Mirror’s environmental correspondent, so he’s always got some interesting viewpoints on what is going on in the world.

But enjoying a cycle ride to Quins is very much the result of an improved cycle network that we should all be grateful for.

There are always obvious clangers – such as the stretch of wide pavement which is designated for cycling and pedestrians except that at the very point that it has a cycle sign on the pavement there’s immediately in front of you a wastebin and a bus stop shelter. Hmmm…not all things are right with it yet!

But the point is we can cycle from Hampton to Twickenham through a combination of side streets and parks, and keep off the main roads. It was hugely enjoyable.