New housing and office infrastructure to require doubled cycle parking in London

A draft housing plan to be published later this week will include ambitious new proposals to encourage Londoners out of their cars and on to to bikes.

As has been seen in Singapore, the proposals will require many new housing developments to double provision for cycle parking.

Set out in the draft Transport Strategy, the Mayor wants to increase the proportion of trips in London made on foot, by cycle or using public transport to 80 per cent by 2041, compared to 64 per cent now, meaning an average of 3 million fewer car journeys in London each day.

Also included in the proposals, in many parts of London, the level of cycle parking required outside shops will be doubled. Cycle parking requirements for new office developments will increase significantly in areas of London where demand for cycle parking is high, or which have the most potential for cycling growth. Cycle parking in some parts of outer London will be doubled to match levels required in central and inner London.

Requirements for long-stay cycle parking for student accommodation will also double from one space per two bedrooms to one-to-one provision, so all students can own a bike if they want to.

Since adding segregated cycling infrastructure cycling levels have been in the ascendancy and with a dockless bike share wave heading from north to south there are signs that modal share is increasing in the UK capital.

Alongside the London Plan, the Mayor is working with TfL and the boroughs to deliver a London-wide network of cycle routes, with new routes and improved infrastructure to tackle barriers to cycling. The Mayor’s aim is for 70 per cent of Londoners to live within 400 metres of a high quality, safe cycle route by 2041.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “To secure the future health and prosperity of our city, we need to be bolder in encouraging people to reduce their reliance on cars. It’s essential for dealing with congestion as London’s population grows, and crucial for reducing our toxic air pollution emissions.

“My draft London Plan will set out how I want to transform how London’s infrastructure works, making cycling and walking a safe and convenient alternative for millions more journeys every day. If you buy or rent a home in London and make regular journeys to the work or shops, I want to see safe and secure cycle parking available for every journey, across all parts of the city. For too long our housing and infrastructure has been built solely around the car.

“Currently only around a third of Londoners do enough walking and cycling each day to stay healthy. Reshaping our city around walking, cycling and public transport is essential for getting more Londoners active, but will also improve our quality of life and the environment for everyone.”

Housing developments in the parts of London that are best connected by public transport will now be expected to be car-free, with no parking provided, other than for disabled people.