Those figures on the London improvements are undoubtedly genuine and are an annual progression. The change in cycling levels as I see them is astonishing, and any disbelief I have is that 83% seems too low.
I'm 100% in favour of congestion charging and as an owner of two e-bikes and two cars, I regard it as a big success.
As well as the advances Stuart mentions, there's a real move towards smaller lower powered cars, a number of electric cars have been sold, and hybrid sales of cars like the Prius have been buoyant. Mopeds have gained, but to nothing like the extent of cycling.
Public transport had grown considerably and struggles to keep pace with the demand, but at least there's thousands of new and better buses, (the maligned "bendy" being only a minute part of the fleet). New trains and tube trains are arriving currently, and the Oyster card fare scheme is a real success and has spread to include buses, tube and some mainline now, with more to follow.
Nearly all young people and all old people travel free, and though a few youngsters have abused the privilege at first, transport police are getting to grips with that and all such changes settle down with time.
Much of this has been financed by the congestion charging of course, and it makes a change to see what is a tax come back to us in such a tangible form instead of being spent on armed attacks on other countries.
There is a downside, many smaller businesses were hit, but the overall London economy has continued to grow in strength and remains a major subsidiser of other parts of the country.
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