TfL opens grants to boost walking and cycling in London

Transport for London (TfL) has started receiving applications for the Walking and Cycling Grants London (WGCL) programme, offering a total of over £550,000 of grant funding for community and not-for-profit groups to encourage Londoners to walk and cycle.

The programme aims to help the organisations identify and address the barriers that prevent people from making active travel across London. Applicants for the grants will be considered based on how their ideas could positively impact their local community and encourage more walking and cycling.

Funded by TfL, in partnership with The London Marathon Foundation, and administered by Groundwork London, the grants will offer successful applicants up to £5,000 over one year.

“TfL’s Walking and Cycling Grants London (WGCL) programme is helping transform the lives of thousands of Londoners by empowering communities and local organisations to encourage more walking, cycling and active travel in their area,” said Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner. “The Mayor and I encourage community and not-for-profit groups in our city to apply for available grants which can help bring their ideas to life as we build a better, greener and more accessible London for all.”

Aside from the WGCL programme, the Community Ideas Grants are also open to help kickstart smaller projects across London that are based on previous successes in other communities. Potential candidates for the Community Ideas Grant will be able to browse successful former projects on the Community Ideas Hub and apply for this funding for a single year to replicate these projects in their local community.

The application deadline for both programmes will be 8 September.

“The grants have been crucial in benefitting thousands of participants who have built the confidence to choose active travel options, and we are excited to see even more Londoners of all ages and backgrounds get active and help build a greener and more sustainable future for London,” said Miranda Leedham, Head of Customer Marketing & Behaviour Change at TfL.

Recently, TfL published annual casualty statistics, which indicated that nine people were killed while cycling in London last year. Although the number of casualties related to cycling increased from eight in 2023, it was a third lower than the 2010-2014 baseline.

Meanwhile, London had 1.33 million daily cycle journeys last year, up by 5%, or 1.26 million, in 2023. TfL said it will continue to improve cycle safety and ensure cycling is sustainable, safe and accessible for all. Since 2016, the cycle lane network has quadrupled in the capital of the UK.