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Mayoral candidate Christian Wolmar courts cycling vote... with spoke cards

Wolmar says he'd introduce segregated bike lanes, put cyclists at the heart of every junction redesign, replace Garden Bridge with cycle bridge...

London Mayoral candidate, Christian Wolmar, is targeting the cycling vote by putting 50,000 spoke cards on bicycles across the capital.

As further proof the cycling vote matters, Wolmar is keen to target London's approximately 400,000 cyclists, and to do so Wolmar's helpers will be hanging around bike racks across the capital getting their hands dirty in order to try and entice some of those votes.

The spoke cards include phrases like "10% of all journeys in London by bike by 2020", "A 20mph default on London's roads that is properly enforced" "Cyclists at the heart of every road junction redesign", "A network of safe, segregated, Dutch-style cycle lanes on major roads"

He also proposes to replace the controversial Garden Bridge with a cycle bridge, introduce 50,000 more bike parking spaces in the capital, and make the cycle hire scheme "cheaper and more extensive".

Wolmar said: “There are an estimated 400,000 cyclists who use London streets every day. As the Wolmar for London campaign has already shown, we can reach hundreds of cyclists during a single rush hour. With our vision for a more affordable, liveable and sustainable city, we are attracting people to Labour who like our ideas.

“We have a fresh and inspired message that appeals to real Londoners. We’re going to splash our bicycle spoke cards out across London over the summer, recruiting new supporters and members.”

Wolmar's spoke card

Wolmar's key areas are housing, the environment and transport. He has been outspoken about issues like Oxford Street, one of the world's most polluted streets, which he would pedestrianise. In his monthly #askwolmar Q&As, many questions come from cyclists, some of which are easier to answer in 140 characters than others. Some answers are more controversial than others.

Wolmar on shared space

Ahead of the 2012 London Mayoral elections all the major candidates signed up to the London Cycling Campaign's Love London, Go Dutch campaign, which attracted 40,000 signatures and called on the next mayor to introduce three flagship infrastructure schemes, which became London's mini Hollands, improve the cycle superhighways to Dutch standards, and improvements to junctions, all of which have happened to some extent.

Wolmar certainly won't be the only candidate courting the cycling vote ahead of next May's elections.

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