As infrastructure reaches more doorsteps London’s cycling rates soar

New data published by Transport for London has revealed that, as ease of accessibility to cycling infrastructure has grown, so too has the rate of pedal-powered travel, which is up 40% on average pre-pandemic levels and by as much as 90% on weekends.

Versus pre-pandemic accessibility the number of people now within 400 metres of a cycle route has near doubled, something that is creating veins onto the main cycling arteries running through the city. 22% of Londoners now find themselves inside 400 metres of a high quality cycle route, versus 12% in 2019.

The TfL report demonstrates that weekday cycling rates tend to sit between 20% to 25% higher than in 2019, even with what is suspected to be a dip in commuter cycling.

All of this coincides with a record rate of use for the Santander-sponsored bike hire service. As of September 2022, hire rates were 11% above 2019 levels and numerous records have been broken in 2022. These include the overall annual milestone, which so far in 2022 has registered 10.9 million and that’s with competition from non-docked services such as Lime, Dott or HumanForest.

At the time of writing the number of hires is already 762,500 ahead of 2021 hire figures. Every month month from August 2021 to August 2022 racked up the highest number of hires for the corresponding month. As for the introduction of electric bike models recently, so far they have added 86,000 rides.

The positive externalities of more cycling and walking, plus the safe provision for, is starting to show measurable benefits in terms of reductions in transport pollution.

A new Imperial College London Study has discovered that Low Traffic Neighbourhoods lead both to a reduction in traffic volume and nitrogen dioxide pollution not only locally, but in boundary roads surrounding the infrastructure. Anti-LTN campaigners have, wrongly, claimed the infrastructure increases pollution.

TfL’s assessment furthers this finding, revealing that substantial improvements in air quality have come with extensions of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone to inner London; NO₂ concentrations are said to be 20% lower. The Mayor now hopes to be able to extend the ULEZ zone London-wide, improving air quality for a further five million Londoners.

London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “It’s great to see that the boom in walking and cycling we saw during the pandemic has continued as more Londoners enjoy using sustainable ways to get around the capital.

“We must continue to make active travel around the city as accessible and safe as possible. That’s why I’m delighted that this year we’ve seen the introduction of e-bikes to the Santander Cycles scheme, we’ve built hundreds of kilometres of new or upgraded cycle routes since the pandemic and completed work to make some of the capital’s most dangerous and intimidating junctions safer. The Mayor’s bold decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission zone London wide will also see new support put in place to help people switch to greener options such as public transport, bikes, e-bikes or car clubs. The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, greener and more prosperous London for everyone and investing in and encouraging use of sustainable transport options is a vital part of that.”

James Cleeton, Sustrans London Director, added: “It is hugely encouraging that cycling in London is up 40 per cent, and walking up 11 per cent, compared to pre-pandemic levels. The numbers show that investing in infrastructure like cycle lanes, reduced speed limits, ambitious low traffic neighbourhoods, crossings, pavements and junctions, and community initiatives such as cycle hubs, has direct impact on communities and changes the way we travel.

“But we need to go further. People who have a physically active lifestyle have a 20-35 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who have a sedentary lifestyle. With 38 per cent of adults and 66 per cent of children in London not having the recommended amounts of physical activity, it’s clear that we still have a lot of work to do to create a city where everyone can lead healthy and active lives by choosing to walk, wheel or cycle their everyday journeys.”

TfL recently announced that it will restart work on paused schemes to make the capital’s roads safer and more attractive for those walking and cycling, following vital investment being secured as part of the latest funding agreement with Government. Since April, TfL and boroughs have already delivered 10.6km of new or upgraded cycle routes and there are a further 16.4km in construction. In total, TfL aims to deliver at least 39km of new or upgraded cycle routes over the next 18 months, with the support of boroughs. TfL will also start work on pedestrian and cycling improvements at Streatham High Road and Manor Circus.