Cyclists force City of London 20mph zone u-turn in High Court

A group of cyclists today forced the Corporation of London to revive plans for a 20mph zone in most of the Square Mile (1). In a humiliating climbdown, the richest local authority in Europe and home of the world's leading financial centre backed down minutes before the High Court hearing on Monday 6 September and agreed to reconsider a 20mph zone, possibly as early as next month. The judge, Mr Justice Collins, commenting on the last minute settlement said: "It doesn't altogether surprise me".

The case had the support of national groups including Transport 2000, RoadPeace and the Royal National Institute of the Blind. The Co-ordinator of City Cyclists, bicycling barrister Ralph Smyth who knew two cyclists who have lost their lives in central London in the last year, commented: "We are all delighted by the result: the campaign for 20mph zones in central London is now growing and attracting support from a wide range of people including disabled people, environmentalists and road safety campaigners."

The City has the worst fatality rate for cyclists anywhere in the UK (2) and earlier this summer, the death of Vicki McCreery on Blackfriars Bridge highlighted the problems nationally. If successful, the case might lead not just to most of the City becoming a 20mph zone but also other areas of central London such as Oxford Street and Covent Garden.

The Corporation had originally proposed a 20mph zone to go in during 2005 but this was abandoned for the rather bizarre reason that it would result in "a plethora of signs", a view based on a legal error it later was forced to admit to.

Cyclists and campaigners, including relatives of people who had lost their lives cycling in the City, demonstrated outside the Royal Courts of Justice before the hearing with placards saying "20 now!".

Among them was Green Party Member of the London Assembly Jenny Jones and London's Road Safety Ambassador, who has today formally asked Mayor Livingstone whether he will push the Corporation to introduce a 20mph limit, and said: "20mph zones are appearing all over London except in the centre where more people walk and cycle, and where the safety problems are the worst. With most of the traffic already unable to travel above 20mph other than for short bursts between queuing at traffic lights, this makes no sense at all."

The Corporation has consistently failed to provide for cyclists by not implementing London Cycle Network routes within its borders for four years in a row. As a result many cycle routes simply stop at its boundary.


Notes for editors
(1) The Corporation received £170,000 following a successful bid to Transport for London for a 20mph zone based on the Traffic & Environment Zone ('Ring of Steel' security cordon) which covers just over half of the Square Mile but backed down in March 2004.
(2) The City has about a tenth of all of London's cyclist fatalities every year - about 2 out of 20 - while only making up a thousandth of the capital's area. According to Transport for London, the capital has by far the worst road safety record in the UK.


City Cyclists is the London Cycling Campaign's local group for the City of London.