As shadow transport secretary, I want to move cycling from the margins to the mainstream so Britain catches up with the likes of Germany and Denmark

Cycling is on the up, but under Labour it would rise still further

In the golden summer of 2012, I joined millions of people cheering on Vicky Pendleton, Sarah Storey, Wiggo and Chris Hoy to Olympic glory. With a clutch of Olympic medals and two Tour de France winners in a row, Britain is now the world’s top elite cycling nation.

Cycling is booming. The number of people getting on their bikes is up by a fifth in the past decade. For them, and me, cycling isn’t podiums, medals and world records. It’s about getting from A to B in a quick and healthy way. I enjoy, and sometimes endure, my morning ride to work. The roadworks, rain and bitter winter mornings are balanced out by reliability, free exercise and the ever changing seasons in one of the world’s great cities.

As shadow transport secretary, I want more cycling. Labour’s cycling manifesto will deliver a much-needed boost for cycling. We want a long-term funding settlement for cycling infrastructure that will allow us to plan for the future.

When nearly a quarter of car journeys are less than a mile, the switch to pedal power can cut congestion and pollution, improve public health and boost the economy. However, we need to move up a gear to catch up with countries like Germany and Denmark, which have set, and met, their impressive targets to increase cycling.

I want to move cycling from the margins to the mainstream. I want to swell the ranks of the commuter peloton and give beginners aged from eight to 80 the confidence to ride a bike. I want cycling integrated into our wider road and public transport network. The priority for cycling investment must be redesigning dangerous junctions, where almost two-thirds of deaths and serious injuries occur. A streak of coloured paint on the road is no substitute for cycle paths set apart from traffic. A Labour government would cycle-proof all major road schemes, by subjecting them to a Cycling Safety Assessment prior to approval. We need an HGV action plan to work with the haulage industry to make them safer for vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians.

Cyclists deserve better than this Tory-led government’s neglect. It axed Cycling England and its £60m annual budget as soon as it came to power. It is investing just £114m in cycling over the next three years. In contrast, it will spend £28bn on roads by 2020. It axed national targets to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads. A Labour government would restore these targets and set new ones to increase the numbers of people cycling.

Labour is on the side of cyclists. The recent tragic fatalities in London are a sobering reminder that cycling can be dangerous, and I welcome the Metropolitan Police action at key junctions today. I ride almost every day and I understand the risks. But we must not let those risks stymie Britain’s cycling potential. The more cyclists on the road, the safer cycling becomes.

The 2012 Olympics gave us some cycling memories to treasure. A truly golden Olympic legacy would be for Britain to become a nation of cyclists.