Skip to main content

Mayor secures record investment in cycling in London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has committed to spending US$194 million (£154 million) per year on cycling over the next five years, representing an average US$21 (£17) per head per annum, a level of spending on a par with Denmark and the Netherlands. The investment, part of the Transport for London (TfL) draft Business Plan, goes beyond his manifesto commitment to increase the proportion of TfL’s budget spent on cycling. It will also include substantial benefits for pedestrians with new pedestrian crossings an
December 9, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has committed to spending US$194 million (£154 million) per year on cycling over the next five years, representing an average US$21 (£17) per head per annum, a level of spending on a par with Denmark and the Netherlands.

The investment, part of the 1466 Transport for London (TfL) draft Business Plan, goes beyond his manifesto commitment to increase the proportion of TfL’s budget spent on cycling. It will also include substantial benefits for pedestrians with new pedestrian crossings and more pavement space.

Over the course of the Business Plan, up to 2021/2022, a total of US$971 million (£770 million) will be spent on infrastructure and initiatives to promote cycling.

This new cycling budget, which will help achieve the target of 1.5 million cycle journeys per day by 2025/26, includes the completion of phase two of the North-South Cycle Superhighway from Farringdon to Kings Cross, which will begin construction next year. It also includes the extension of the East-West Cycle Superhighway from Lancaster Gate and work to deliver Cycle Superhighway 11 from Swiss Cottage to the West End.

The plan also includes two new Cycle Superhighways, Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich and Cycle Superhighway 9 from Olympia towards Hounslow, with each route also tackling a number of traffic-dominated junctions. Consultations will begin next year.

Working with London boroughs, the three ‘mini-Hollands’, Dutch-style pedestrian and cycle friendly streets, in Enfield, Kingston and Waltham Forest and at least 20 more Quiet-way routes will be planned or rolled-out, making cycling safer and easier in different parts of London.

The investment also includes a new cyclist and pedestrian bridge over the River Thames linking Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf, creating easier connectivity in the area.

Sadiq Khan, who will shortly appoint a new walking and cycling commissioner for London, hailed the amounts of money being committed for cycling in the capital and promised 'further detailed plans for making cycling a safe and obvious choice for Londoners of all ages and backgrounds'.
UTC

Related Content

  • December 19, 2013
    First electric buses hit London’s streets
    Transport for London (TfL) and bus operator Go-Ahead London have begun a trial of the capital’s first electric buses on two routes in the city. The 12-metre single deck buses were built by Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto have zero tail pipe emissions, resulting in lower carbon emissions. The trial will help TfL develop plans for greater use of electric buses in central London in the future, supporting the Mayor’s vision of a central London Ultra Low Emission Zone. The trial will be used to establish wh
  • April 26, 2019
    London debuts three more low-emission bus zones
    Transport for London (TfL) and the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan have introduced three more low-emission bus zones (LEBZ) to help reduce toxic air in the UK capital. There are now 10 LEBZs in London, which are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 90% along some of the capital’s most polluted roads. Buses operating within the zones meet the cleanest emissions standards and have been delivered through a combination of new and retrofitted vehicles, TfL says. The three new zones in Lewisham, Stratford and
  • April 30, 2013
    London may trial Dutch-style roundabouts
    Roundabouts similar to those used in the Netherlands, which separate cyclists from cars and give them priority, could be used in London as early as next year, according to Andrew Gilligan, the city's cycling commissioner. The layout means cyclists are in the clear line of sight of drivers when vehicles exit the roundabout. The trial forms part of the mayor of London's Vision for Cycling. Over 600 people have been involved so far and the effects on safety and capacity will be studied as well as the impact o
  • September 18, 2014
    TfL upgrades London’s speed and red light safety cameras
    Transport for London (TfL) has begun work on a programme to overhaul the capital’s road safety camera network; replacing hundreds of old wet film cameras with modern and more efficient digital safety cameras in order to help further reduce casualties on London’s roads. According to TfL, safety cameras have proved successful in reducing road casualties in recent years. At locations where safety cameras operate in the capital, research shows that the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) fell