Growth in London’s cycle network continues

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have announced that construction work will begin on four major new cycling infrastructure projects across the capital this month.

Enabling more people to walk and cycle continues to be at the heart of the Mayor’s vision to transform London’s streets for the better and to create a healthier, cleaner and more sustainable city for everyone. Since 2016, 260km of high-quality cycle routes have been delivered, with the need to create space on London’s roads for walking and cycling has become even more important since the coronavirus pandemic began.

TfL data has regularly shown significant increases in cycling at weekends, with an increase of 240 per cent over the weekend of 26-28 February 2021 - the most recent weekend for which TfL has data for – compared to the same weekend in 2020. Recent TfL cycle count data shows increased levels of cycling in both inner and outer London last autumn with a seven per cent increase in cycling in inner London and a 22 per cent increase in outer London compared to the previous count in Spring 2019.

Sadiq Khan said: “I’m absolutely determined to build an even better London after the pandemic – a greener and healthier city in which it’s easier and safer to walk and cycle. I’m delighted that construction work on four new cycle schemes is set to begin this month, adding to the record expansion in the network of routes across our city since May 2016.

“The huge number of Londoners who have taken up or rediscovered cycling over the past year - myself included – has been one of the few silver linings from the pandemic. By making it safer and more convenient for people to get to where they want to be, we will not only keep up this momentum but also enable a cleaner and greener recovery for our city.”