As Ealing heads towards local elections on 5 May, here's how the parties shape up on cycling. We've pulled out the relevant sections from their manifestos.
Ealing Green Party* *(This party has signed up to deliver Climate Safe Streets)
Don't have a manifesto, but made the following statements:
Traffic must be reduced. All transport policies must expressly aim to reduce car use not just make traffic move more smoothly. There must be a connected network of safe routes for cycling, safe and attractive walking routes and joined up public transport. If the council’s net zero target by 2030 is to mean anything, car use will have to fall by at least 1/3 in this term.
Any street that has over 2000 vehicle movements (per day) should have a consultation on how to reduce traffic on the road. This should contribute to a network of filtered and protected routes around the borough.
The Uxbridge Road cycle lane needs to be continuously protected through the borough.
Finally there should be an air quality monitor in each school. Where pollution exceeds recommend limits there should be a consultation on how to reduce it. This would likely lead to a reduction in traffic levels.
Ealing Conservatives
Act against speeding drivers, motorcycle offenders and unlicensed e-scooters.
Resurface damaged roads and repair dangerous pavements.
Use the revenue from former LTN fines for repairs to Ealing’s roads.
Repairing our roads and pavements: we pledge to
invest in a major repaving and resurfacing programme.
fix dangerous pavements and repair potholes.
We will act resolutely against deliberate pollution of Ealing’s roads and waterways, but we will not reinstate the ineffective Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.
Air quality: we pledge to
install 2000 extra electric charging points in the borough.
impose £80 fines for deliberate engine idling.
replace the Council’s diesel vehicles with electric vehicles.
encourage going to school by foot, bike, or public transport.
Cycling: we pledge to
hold a consultation on the need for bike parking spaces
offer bicycle health-check drop-ins.
extend the Council’s cyclist training programme, with free lessons for under 18s.
back more local cycling quietways.
Ealing Labour
Launch our Active Travel Charter setting out how we will deliver active travel in the borough and invest at least £10m to increase cycling, walking, running, and scooting and reduce polluting vehicles through active travel schemes, rapidly expand our popular School Streets programme to 50 schools, delivering schemes only where we have the support of local residents.
Rapidly expand the number of bike hangers to at least 150 where communities want them, and electric vehicle charging points to at least 2,000 across the borough, invest £35 m to improving our roads, tracks and pavements, and continue to implement controlled parking zones where a clear majority of residents want them.
Campaign to win the powers we need off the Government to enforce 20 mph speed limits and ramp up fines for idling vehicles to the maximum.
Rapidly expand our Lets Go Southall initiative, investing an extra £3.2m in Southall to make cycling more accessible and safe.
Ealing Liberal Democrats
Consult on traffic schemes
No to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)
Implement School Street schemes
Support for cycling and walking
Sort out road and pavement repairs
Improve air quality
Transport
● We are against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and the Fisher Lane road closure.
● We will work with residents to make our 20mph streets safer.
● We will seek to make it easier to cycle and walk across Ealing, especially for journeys of less than a mile (where there are the biggest environmental and health benefits).
● We will focus on improving the Uxbridge Road and other major roads for cyclists and pedestrians.
● We will install more cycle hangers and cycle hoops to help local businesses and residents to store bicycles more safely.
● We will encourage residents to install cycle sheds in their gardens (and ensure the Council will not enforce these planning related rules)
The Built Environment
● We will prioritise street and road repairs, especially where they are a danger to road users or pedestrians. We will ensure Ealing roads are not pothole ridden.
● We will get repairs done faster to reduce wasted time and money with patches, repairing issues again and again. Instead, we will resurface more pavements and roads with hard wearing materials, so the long-term repair cost is lower.
