\n Mike has been the cabinet member for the environment, transport and climate action in Haringey for the past four years, and a local councillor for much longer.\n<\/p>\n
\n The news leaves a big black hole nearly as large as the one for cycling infrastructure in the borough – okay not quite as big as that obviously, that would be ridiculous, but you get the idea!\n<\/p>\n
\n Mike has been an inspiration to so many of us – as residents and campaigners he\u2019s made us feel that someone in power is listening, which is very important when you\u2019re putting a lot of energy into getting your message across. If you’re shouting into an abyss, you can feel like giving up.\n<\/p>\n
\n Carla Francome says cyclists have lost a supporter with Mike Hakata stepping down from the cabinet (Image: Carla Francome)\n<\/p>\n
\n He cycled everywhere, joined us on group rides, and made impassioned speeches.\n<\/p>\n
\n In fact, during one of his speeches at a Friends of the Earth rally, everyone around me was so moved they were crying – his words were hand-written on A4 paper, which seemed to add to the effect.\n<\/p>\n
\n It was good to know that someone with Mike\u2019s powers of persuasion was sitting at the top table of the council, as it were.\n<\/p>\n
\n In his resignation letter, he wrote: \u201cRepresenting one of London\u2019s most vibrant communities has been the privilege of my life\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n He also outlined the change that has taken place since he\u2019s been in the role \u2013 the borough has gone from having two to 36 School Streets, and the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, he says, \u201cserve 55,000 residents with traffic reduction\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n Not that much is written about the importance of having both residents and politicians who are on the same page at the same time, but it can help with bringing about change.\n<\/p>\n
\n If people are emailing their local councillors across the borough and saying: \u201cI need a safe route to cycle to work\u201d, and a cabinet member is saying: \u201cI think we need a safe route for cycling through the borough\u201d, it’s probably more likely to happen.\n<\/p>\n
\n Our interest was piqued with a couple of lines from Mike\u2019s letter: \u201cWe\u2019ve developed designs for a network of high-quality cycle lanes… The groundwork is there for whoever chooses to build on it\u201d. Well how interesting!\n<\/p>\n
\n So what next? With local elections coming up, we want to encourage the leaders of all parties standing in Haringey to include in their manifesto that they\u2019ll create a safe, connected cycle network here. Our aim is to make sure we see these plans, (or a version of them) become reality.\n<\/p>\n