David Hughes has asked me to clarify five of my points against segregated cycle lanes on the A105 Green Lanes.

1. The alternative, of creating a cycle path along the New River instead of cycle lanes along Green Lanes, represents positive discrimination for cyclists. Not only will cyclists continue to enjoy the freedom to share road space along Green Lanes with all other traffic, they will have a whole new safe, dedicated route for themselves and pedestrians.

2. If you remove car parking from outside shops, because there is a segregated cycle lane in the way, of course it make life harder for disabled people. The remaining road space won’t be wide enough to allow for sufficient meaningful parking for anyone.

3. Why on earth does Mr Hughes believe that five per cent of commuter journeys along Green Lanes are on a bicycle? This figure is a figment of his futile imagination. Traffic counts are published on the Enfield Borough Council and Department for Transport websites. Fewer than one per cent of vehicle movements on Green Lanes are bicycles and when you consider that a bicycle typically carries just one person, where as a car may carry up to seven and a bus 70 plus individuals, the number of journeys taken by bicycle is perhaps 0.2 percent. Figures from Transport for London suggest that around one per cent of journeys to work in London are on a bicycle.

4. Taking away a large amount of road space from motor vehicles will, of course, increase congestion, because the additional number of people cycling instead of driving or using a bus will have only a minimal effect on the number of motor vehicles on the road, with a substantial reduction in the number of road space.

If anyone wants to see how underused segregated cycle lanes are, they should look at the A406 between Bowes Road and Pinkham Way.

5. Mr Hughes may harbour romantic visions of an earlier age, that of the horse and cart. But, the human condition is far better now, than it was then.

Paul Mandel

Ulleswater Road, Palmers Green