There were two great pieces of news for transport in London last week which I think deserve a mention.
First was the announcement of the Mayor’s cycling plans, which include developing the cycle super highways and quiet street cycling routes but also noting (finally) what it is that works about cycle friendly cities like Amsterdam — separation of bike routes from other forms of traffic. I’ve never got why we combine them with bus lanes. Personally, I can’t wait for the switch away from petrol and diesel in road vehicles. Quite apart from the CO2 issues, I think the air pollution issues swing it for me. I’d like to see a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles large and small in urban areas in five years.
Second was the announcement that a Formula E race will be staged in London in 2014 which is also fantastic news. I’ve written before about electric racing and how I think it will spur innovation. As in Formula One, the key is to create a revolving door between motor sport and the car industry. Even just the introduction of KERS into Formula One has pushed the technology forward very quickly. Next season the electric units will be capable of producing 120 horsepower which is about the same as a middle of the range saloon car engine and doing all that from reclaimed energy.
Related articles
- UK in court on air pollution levels (bbc.co.uk)
- “Crossrail for the bike” in Mayor’s £913m cycling plan (london.gov.uk)
- Electric cars to race through streets of London in Formula E Grand Prix (telegraph.co.uk)
- Boris Johnson’s bold thinking could change the future of London cycling (guardian.co.uk)
