Ken Livingstone, London’s mayor, today announced that £8m of the £120m Transport for London budget next year would be ring-fenced as a cycling budget.

At the same time as announcing the cycling budget this morning, the Mayor donned his boxing gloves and told the GLA’s Conservative members that he would oppose their plans to rip up cycle routes in the London Borough of Barnet if they took power in next year’s local elections. Atta boy Kenny.

Livingstone commented: ‘Too often the transport debate is focused on cars and trains. What about bikes and walking? I feel confident that if Londoners were to have safe and extensive cycling routes, they’d be more prepared to travel through their city on two wheels…The benefits are less congestion, less noise, less pollution and fitter Londoners.’

Indeed.

Ken also said that Transport for London is carrying out a fundamental review of how the money could be spent most effectively to improve cycling in the capital and will be helped in this review by the London Cycling Campaign and London boroughs. Good news for all those who do the daily danger dodge through the capital.