A quarter of Londoners cycle now, up on pre-pandemic days

2023 has not contained many industry news stories to treasure, yet the number of people getting into the saddle continues to rise regardless, according to new figures from Transport for London.

The new Travel in London report, showing trends in travel between 2022 and 2023, has revealed the Londoners cycle numbers has increased – from 21% in 2019/2020 to 24% in the last year. What’s more, the number of daily cycle journeys is up to 1.26 million in 2023, up 6.3% since 2022 (and up 20% on 2019).

Those comparisons to 2019 will be interesting to many, with the industry no longer sensibly comparing recent performance with the hugely disrupted and uncharacteristic performance of the covid/lockdown-affected years. An increase on 2019 numbers is probably more indicative of a genuine trend than judged against 2020-2022.

Cycle advocates will no doubt point out that this encouraging rise in numbers has been made possible due to a range of factors, but the core one is probably London’s expanding cycle network, now 352km long, up from 90km in 2016. While it’s important to note that there are doubtless questionable sections of that cycle network, it’s still an unremittingly improved infrastructure and it is helping coax punters onto bikes. And it includes significant sections that are not just lanes painted onto existing roads in the hope that cars will be able to reduce their width and give cyclists room.

There is further encouraging news from TfL in terms of diversity. Given the industry’s challenges in this area, it should be cheered to hear that Black Londoner cycling numbers increased (15% in 2022/2023 compared with 12% in 2019/2020) as did Asian Londoner cycling numbers (15% in 2022/2023 from 11% in 2019/2020). TfL also noted, however, that given the profile of all London residents there is still underrepresentation on many ethnic groups – something hoped to be addressed in part with TfL’s Cycling Action Plan 2.

Shanks’s Pony fans will also be pleased, with walking numbers up. Walking now accounts for 39% of all trips by London residents, with overall trip rates increased from 0.66 trips per person per day on average in 2017/2018 to 0.80 in 2019/2020 and 0.84 in 2022/2023.

Quite how these numbers fit in with the government’s perceived war on the motorist remains to be seen, but it’s likely that the concept of reduced congestion (as roads free up as people leave their cars in favour of bikes), improved health (as people exercise by walking and cycling more), improved air quality (less road traffic), improved mental health (exercise evidentially seen to enhance mental health) and more potential bike industry customers will likely be welcomed by the vast majority.