TfL scraps cycle to school partnership as it scrambles for cash to pay for superhighways and Quietways

Transport for London (TfL) has dropped its cycle to school partnership programme - designed to allow boroughs and schools to bid to improve safe routes to school for cycling.

Although the total cycling budget for the capital for 2013 - 2022 is £913m, TfL has had to slash some projects to to able to afford an expanded cycle superhighways network and the Quietways programme.

Funding provision for the cycle superhighways programme has been increased from £150m to £189m, while the Quietways programme has increased by £7m from £115m to £122m - thanks in part to the ending of the 33m cycle to school partnerships programme.

But by far the biggest benefit to TfL’s coffers have been the lower costs for the new Serco contract for operating the capital's cycle hire, down from £149m to £81m, according to TransportXtra.

TfL has also announced that 270 full-time staff are now working on the city's cycle vision.

Lilli Matson, TfL’s head of strategy and outcome planning, better routes and places, reported to last week’s TfL’s finance and policy committee.

“Availability of resources, both within TfL and the boroughs, has been a considerable challenge in developing the cycling vision. However, TfL has undertaken significant staff recruitment and there are now around 270 full time equivalent staff working on cycling projects in TfL.

“During 2014, a dedicated TfL borough cycling team was established and recruited to manage and coordinate the delivery of cycling schemes on borough roads. In addition, the boroughs have recruited more staff. For example, each Mini-Holland borough now has a project team managing their programmes.”

She added “The biggest challenge for the Quietways programme is ensuring sufficient cycle design resources are available across Greater London. The appointment of Sustrans as the delivery agent has helped to coordinate this and centralise resources for the boroughs to draw on.”
 

Just last month we reported how the Mayor of London Boris Johnson has admitted that the spending on cycling in the capital during the 2014/15 financial year will, at £29 million, be little more than a third of the £82 million budgeted. 

That latter figure, confirmed last October, was itself a reduction from the original amount of £109 million as a result of cost savings on the city’s cycle hire scheme and the “re-phasing” of infrastructure projects aimed at making the streets safer for people on bikes.

The revelation was contained in a written answer to Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the London Assembly’s Liberal Democrats, who had asked Mr Johnson to confirm how much of the budget was being spent, and condemned the reply as "shameful."

But a spokesman for TfL told the Standard that money not used this year would be rolled over into the budget for the following financial year.

He added that some £160 million of infrastructure is due to be completed this year and next, including the two Cycle Superhighways running through the centre of the capital, and CS1 from Tottenham to the City.

Work on the East-West and North-South routes, given the go-ahead by TfL’s board last month, will start in the next few weeks. The projects were delayed by a lengthy consultation process that was concluded late last year.