Sadiq Khan says he’s determined to build “an even better London” for cycling after the pandemic
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that he is 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“.
Along with Transport for London (TfL), Khan has announced that construction work will begin on four major new cycling infrastructure projects across the capital this month. These new “safer routes” will play a "vital role" in supporting Londoners to move around the city as restrictions ease and the economy begins to reopen and recover, the Mayor added.
Enabling more people to walk and cycle continues to be at the heart of the Mayor's vision to transform London's streets for what he believes will be for the better and to create a “healthier, cleaner and more sustainable city“ for everyone.
260km of cycle routes have been delivered since May 2016 and TfL say the need to create space on London's roads for walking and cycling has become even more important since the coronavirus pandemic began, with “record numbers” of Londoners walking and cycling to make essential journeys.
TfL data has regularly shown 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.
TfL has said that their recent 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% increase in outer London compared to the previous count in spring 2019.
They said walking and cycling accounted for nearly half of all journeys during the first lockdown between April and June last year, up from 29 per cent before the pandemic.
Construction work will start this month on four new trial cycle schemes:
A protected two-way cycle lane on Mansell Street in Tower Hamlets and the City of London, which will help create a vital new link between two major protected routes in the area, Cycleways 2 and 3
A cycle route along Tooley Street, which will extend the existing Cycleway 4 route from Tower Bridge Road to London Bridge, creating a high-quality cycle route between Rotherhithe and London Bridge for the first time
Further trial upgrades to the CS7 route between Oval and Elephant & Castle. These will mean that people can cycle between Colliers Wood, Tooting, Balham, Clapham and central London via a largely protected route - or in improved bus lanes - for the first time
Work to make cycling safer along the A23 between Streatham and Oval, including by widening bus lanes at stops to make it easier for people cycling to safely pass stationary buses, and creating separate traffic signals for cycling at key junctions.
These new routes will build on the construction work already underway, including significant upgrades to the CS8 route between Wandsworth Town Centre and Chelsea Bridge, which will connect to further improvements to create a route between Wandsworth and Lambeth Bridge. Work is also in progress at Old Street, Cycleway 9 at Kew Bridge and Cycleway 4 on Creek Road in Greenwich.
A spokesperson for TfL said: “Improvements in walking and cycling has enormous benefits for Londoners and for people visiting the capital. Continued investment in active travel has been proven time and time again to have a profoundly positive effect on people's physical and mental health, while helping to tackle toxic air and the global climate emergency. Research also shows more walking and cycling provides an important boost to high streets and the local economy.
“This continued investment is also central to achieving the Mayor's Vision Zero goal of eradicating all deaths and serious injuries from London's roads by 2041. The risk of a damaging car-led recovery from the pandemic has made it even more important to make it easier to walk and cycle, especially as around 40 per cent of Londoners don't have access to a car, with a high proportion of these from low-income households. The Mayor is determined to ensure that his work with TfL and the boroughs continues to be at the forefront of London's recovery.”
The Mayor of London, 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.“
Alexandra Batey, TfL's Director of Investment Delivery Planning, said: ”Reducing car dependence and enabling more people to walk, cycle and use public transport is absolutely vital to improving road safety and our physical and mental health, as well as the health of our economy and the environment.
”That's why we've worked closely with boroughs across London to deliver record growth in the capital's cycling network over the past five years, including the vital work done to support Londoners since last March. Walking and cycling will be a vital part of both London's immediate recovery and future prosperity and we'll continue to engage closely with people across the capital as we deliver further schemes to reflect the changing situation.“
