A night-time cycle race around Smithfield Market - a maths prize for a London bike-hire plan - and a rowdy group of MPs cycling to work. Islington MP Emily Thornberry is planning to make the most of Bike Week. Emily, chair of the Parliamentary Cycling Group, will be promoting cycling in Islington and beyond through a series of events in the run up to Bike Week which starts on June 14th.
Tonight, Emily will award prizes to the winners of a bike challenge between schools - in a series of races around Smithfield Market that will go on into the night. And the prize-giving continues next Wednesday with Emily congratulating the winners of the ‘Bicycles in London' contest - a mathematical competition, organised by eBourbaki, which asked students to develop a model for a low-cost bike hire network in Central London. Emily will meet the winning team at City University, where she will see details of their scheme involving 12 large bicycle stations at Central London rail stations and a network of 250 smaller stations throughout the West End and City.
And finally, Emily has persuaded more than 25 MPs and Peers to take part in the 3rd Annual Parliamentary Cycle Ride - a trip along Central London cycle routes involving politicians of all parties, ages, and sizes to promote cycling to work. Emily said: "I want people to see cycling as easy, accessible, and convenient. If people think it's scary or pricey they are less likely to give it a go. The race around Smithfield Market makes cycling fun, and I think a low-cost bike hire scheme would get lots more Londoners cycling."
