Vote for healthy streets on Thursday 6 May!
This Thursday will see the elections for the Mayor and London Assembly - and our chance to speak up for safer streets and cleaner air.
In previous elections, candidates have been keen to show off their credentials for better streets and transport. But this time some candidates are campaigning for policies that will actively increase car use, make it cheaper, and lack substantive plans to improve infrastructure for walking and cycling. We would urge you to read the manifestos carefully and vote for healthy streets!
Electing the mayor
For the mayoral elections, take a look at this ambitious campaign from London Cycling Campaign, asking the next Mayor to pledge to zero carbon roads by 2030 - it takes two minutes to email all the main candidates.
Electing the GLA member for West Central London
Here in Westminster we're particularly interested in the election of our West Central representative for the Greater London Assembly. This constituency (covering Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham) has a bad track record for road casualties, air pollution and steadily growing motor traffic.
Which candidate will deliver safe active travel and cleaner air? A group of local residents have put together a website called Reboot West Central London looking at the main candidates and their policies on healthier streets.
We've asked them all for healthy streets
We've written to the four main West Central candidates, with the same wording to each:
Please tell us - if you are elected, how will you make our streets safe and less traffic-dominated? What commitments can you give us to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys in Westminster, for all ages, and to reduce vehicle miles, not just encourage a switch to electric vehicles? While this switch is necessary it is by no means a ‘silver bullet’.
And finally, do you support our asks as Westminster Healthy Streets? We are asking for:
- Low traffic neighbourhoods
- Safe, direct walking and cycling routes across the borough
- Traffic -free school streets at school run hours
- Turning car parking into spaces for people.
Let's see if they reply. But once again, please use your vote wisely on Thursday 6 May!