Here’s our newsletter for July. If you want it to your inbox, then sign up here.

This month we look at Southwark’s first Streetspace measures, our Healthy Rides are back, and we invite you to join our monthly meeting online next week.

First Streetspace Filters

Southwark has just installed its first modal filters as part of the Covid-19 Streetspace plan. We outlined the Council’s first set of plans on our blog. The Dulwich Village junction and Melbourne Grove are now a much safer place to be and travel through. Dulwich Village now has a square and residents are already thinking about how they could use this new space. Last week we tweeted a video of just how bad this junction was. These are just the first changes in Dulwich, more are coming later this summer.

The Council will start installing filters in Walworth this week. This will result in a low traffic neighbourhood on both sides of Walworth Road that should be complete in a few weeks’ time. Along with Walworth residents and other campaign groups, we’ve set up Walworth Healthy Streets to support these great changes.

If you want to learn more about the changes happening in Southwark, our Streets for Distancing campaign page has all the up to date information.

Take Action

The first set of initiatives Southwark has taken are great, but we’re still asking for more and for this we need your help! Many of these projects are being implemented as trial measures so they will need your support to be made permanent.

We have created this simple guide outlining what you can do to support our campaign for healthier streets. It includes an easy to use template for you to write to your Councillors and MPs. We particularly want you to tell your Southwark MPs your thoughts on the Walworth and Dulwich schemes if you live in or travel through these areas.

There is a vocal minority of residents trying to block these measures so we need to show our support.

Healthy Rides are Back

We have restarted our Saturday Healthy Rides. Rides are limited to 5 participants to follow government guidance. If there is interest we are looking at running multiple rides at the same time that will start from different locations.

Our first ride was last Saturday and it was a success. All riders from different households will physically distance during the ride to keep us all safe.

If you’d like to join check here’s where you can get more info and sign up for rides. Before considering whether you will join these rides please make sure that you have none of the Covid-19 symptoms as listed on the NHS website and have not recently been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed**.

Bike Buddy Coordinator Needed

We’re starting a new programme that will match experienced cyclists with people just beginning to ride. We just need someone that can help us coordinate the programme. You’ll get plenty of support. If you’re interested contact us at Southwark@lcc.org.uk (or reply to this email).

Join our next Meeting

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 8 July. This month Mrs Cleo Kenington, Consultant in Major Trauma & Emergency General Surgery at St George’s Hospital, will be talking about the importance of engaging health professionals to push for better cycling infrastructure and strategies she’s used in the past to do so.

We’ll also be giving an update on Southwark Council’s progress on improving our streets in response to Covid-19. The meeting starts at 7:30pm and follows our committee meeting at 6:30pm. All are invited. If you’d like to join email us at Southwark@lcc.org.uk (or reply to this email) and we’ll send you the Zoom invite.

Stay safe and happy cycling,

Jakub