With the recent backlash over Cycle Enfield it has become clear that the unpopularity of the scheme is largely due to the removal of parking bays and its supposed detriment to local business.
However, neither the scheme, nor its opponents, are the first of their kind, so it is good practice to examine the effects elsewhere, rather than stating baseless assertions.
There are many examples of cycle lanes improving business for retailers. On 9th Avenue in Manhattan, building protected bike lanes resulted in a 49 per cent increase in sales for local businesses. Removing parking bays in 65th Street in Seattle for bicycle lanes also increased sales for businesses.
We also must remember that business-owners consistently overestimate the proportion of shoppers arriving by car and how much they spend. In Camberwell, retailers overestimated that number by 400 per cent.
The bottom line is that what matters more to shoppers than convenient parking is the general atmosphere and range of shops available.
Currently the areas of proposal are congested, noisy, and polluted through routes for motor vehicles. Done correctly, the bicycle lanes reduce these issues and make the area more amenable to shoppers.
Tom Mellor
Langdale Gardens, Waltham Cross
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