- Representatives of Cadent’s Team London complete Transport for London (TfL) Cycling Experience
- Experience designed to give companies a cyclists eye view of London’s roads and cycle lanes
- Lessons learned will help further develop cyclist and pedestrian friendly roadworks
Members of Cadent’s London team undertook a cycle tour of the capital to better understand the challenges faced by London’s cyclists and how utilities can help mitigate them.
James Harrison, Director of Cadent’s London Network and a cross section of the company’s Team London working in and around the capital negotiated some of London’s busiest cycle routes this week on a Cycle Experience organised by Transport for London (TfL).
Their ride gave the team first-hand experience of what the capital’s roads look like for cyclists and the effect roadworks can have on them.
The team also met with London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman and took part in an interactive presentation and discussion on the impact of streetworks for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Cycling Experience was developed by TfL’s Network Management team and Michael Barratt, MBE - Development Impact Manager at TfL, to help utilities and others working in the capital better understand the challenges faced by pedestrians and cyclists.
Mr Barratt, who also supervised and rode with the Cadent group, said: “TfL’s Healthy Streets Approach encourages Londoners to walk, cycle and use public transport more.
“It’s therefore important that roadworks do not deter people from using these sustainable ways of getting around.”
He added: “Taking representatives of Cadent’s Team London on a tour like this enables them to see the benefits of cycling in the capital first hand.
“The presentation and discussion after the ride focused on how roadworks can be designed and delivered in a way that’s inclusive for pedestrians and cyclists.”
James Harrison commented: “Even a small excavation can have a big impact on a cycle route potentially disrupting what is a clean, sustainable and healthy means of travel.
“Cycling around London’s busy roads helps ensure we understand things from the cyclist’s point of view and that we take that into account when we’re planning and delivering our work to maintain safe and reliable gas supplies around the capital.”
Tina Preston, Streetworks Manager for Cadent, also took part in the ride.
She said: “We try and design our streetworks to be delivered with as little disruption as possible and are always looking to innovate and improve our ways of working.
“The ride gave us insights into the challenges faced by cyclists and pedestrians which will help shape our thinking as we design and deliver our work.”
Cadent has recently been working with TfL and Oxford Plastics to develop new road plates which enable cycle routes where repairs are taking place to be reopened during peak commuting times.
Other innovations Cadent has invested in to cut disruption on London’s roads include ‘keyhole’ repair technology and the use of robots, with the use of robotic remediation tool CISBOT being expanded across the capital this summer, after successful high profile projects in Oxford Street and The Strand last year.
Cadent is also working with TfL on their Vision Zero initiative, to eradicate deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041.
ENDS