London, England is a beautiful place. It is also congested, polluted and recently saw its 14th cycling death of the year. Having experienced Montreal’s vibrant cycling culture first-hand last July, this Londoner is curious to learn from Canadian bikers and see how we can all improve.
When my lovely host in Montreal lent me her jittery, back-pedal-to-break bike, my nerves were mixed with excitement. Before moving to London, I had been living in Amsterdam, a city with 750,000 humans and 800,000 bikes. I had come to miss it and couldn’t wait to get back on two wheels in this new city.
I had a good bike ride in Montreal. There were plenty of other cyclists around and there were cycle lanes on all major routes. This was far more than I had seen anywhere I had traveled to in the months before. I was struck by the level of respect that existed between the driver and the cyclist. Not once did I hear abuse yelled from either party and traffic safety laws were generally respected by both. This was not the case when, in September, I moved to London to study.
According to the UK Office for National Statistics, the number of Londoners who go to work on a bicycle has doubled in the past ten years. But the danger cycling commuters find themselves in every day is shocking, as is the aggressive behaviour exhibited by both cyclists and drivers.
I’ve seen fist-shaking and swearing done by cab drivers and cyclists alike in London, and the high level of aggression doesn’t surprise me. It’s difficult to cycle for pleasure there, as many major roads are just too narrow to accommodate a bike lane.
In Montreal, I only felt at risk of collision when I went through a red light. Having biked a couple of times in London, I think it is the fact that drivers and cyclists share the same road space that causes aggressive behaviour. Once, I had to share a bike lane with a double-decker bus, a common occurrence during rush hour. But the bike lane suddenly ended and the bus moved closer to the curb, leaving me trapped. I could easily have been injured.
I can also say from first-hand experience that the fear of being hit makes a cyclist defensive, angry and scared. But I can also imagine that constantly dodging cyclists in a cramped space is terrifying for someone who makes a living driving around London.
Cycling is a relatively new trend for Londoners: dealing with cyclists isn’t a problem that existed for drivers ten years ago. So it’s understandable their reaction would be to suggest that cyclists “get off the road!”
However, London needs bikes. According to the Greater London Authority, 50 per cent of adult Londoners are obese. In fact, the obesity rating in the metropolis is higher than the U.K. average. In contrast, the 2014 findings of Statistics Canada put Montreal’s level of obesity in adults below the national average.
The Dutch too have below the average level of obesity compared to the rest of Europe. I’m not saying that Londoners’ health problems are solely due to a lack of exercise, or that the well-being of Montreal and Amsterdam is due exclusively to biking, but I bet it helps.
The problem is how to repair the relationship between driver and cyclist. Although harmonious coexistence is possible in many places, reckless driving, by cars and cyclists alike, in London is so rampant that some campaign groups have held “die-ins” in protest. One such demonstration was held recently in remembrance of Akis Kollaros. He was the 14th person to die while cycling in London this year. Having previously drawn a bike lane on the roadway in chalk, 300 protesters then lay in the road to honour his memory.
But many of London’s streets were built centuries ago; they were designed for carts and carriages, both of which are narrower than the modern double-decker bus. So unlike in Montreal, there often just isn’t enough space for a bike lane. As long as drivers and cyclists are squished, there will continue to be clashes.
However, what about Amsterdam? The canal district is made of narrow one-way streets with no bike lanes. But it has roughly double the number of cyclists of London, and here is where the success lies. It is notoriously difficult to finding a parking space for a car as so few people use one. Cycling is not merely a hobby of students and the health conscious, it is the most efficient and cost-effective way to get around. Because of this, many drivers have become cyclists. Those who remain on four wheels are spectacularly outnumbered. They have to be careful, and it pays off. The city sees only six or so fatalities each year.
London has a long way to go before it abandons its black cabs and busses, but the number of cyclists in London has increased yearly for the last decade. Driving a private car in central London incurs a hefty congestion charge and commuters are getting tired of paying for cramped, delayed and stressful public transport. I, for one, regularly long for my bicycle while sitting on the sweaty tube. With more cyclists comes less cars and less congestion. The result is a healthier, cleaner and safer city, and I look forward to it.