London's cycling boom!

It goes without saying that infrastructure is key. TFL‘s cycle network has risen from 90 km in 2016 to 431km now. TfL's aim is to have 40% of all Londoners living close to a Cycle Super Highway by 2030.

The net result of this increase in cycling is improved air quality and a much nicer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. These routes are much more more than painted lines on roads with a stencil bicycle logo, which are just a waste of paint.

Looking at the map of main routes in London, there are a variety of Super Highways that can get a cyclist to its destination directly, safely and quickly.

There’s been a big increase in secure bike parking and many suburban streets now have safe and dry cycle hangars to park their bikes. Car parking has been removed to make space for them.

In addition to this, low traffic neighbourhoods have been created, which are designed to reduce or remove traffic where people live. The net result is a quieter more attractive street where people can walk, cycle and children can play. They are controversial, but those that live within one would rarely want to go back .

One of the most significant drivers of increased cycling is the implementation of 20 mile per hour limits throughout most of London. These are enforced and are generally adhered to . The net result is riding on a street with no cycle path feels less intimidating and is much safer because you are travelling at a similar speed to the car. Pedestrians certainly feel the benefit as well. Where 20 mile per hour limits have been introduced, there has been a 25% reduction in the number of collisions – saving lives in the capital.

London is not unique in introducing these limits as the vast majority of Europe increasingly has 30 km per hour limits towns and cities.

The school run is one of the main drivers of traffic throughout the UK and the bedlam that is witnessed around schools at drop off is shocking. Many London boroughs have been implementing school streets which encourage and support more children to walk wheel or scoot to school by limiting traffic flows outside of schools before and after the school day. There are now over 500 school streets in London making drop off and pick up a healthier experience for the children.

There’s no doubt that successful bike hire schemes have played a big contribution to London’s cycling success. This year marks 15 years since London had its first cycle hire scheme in what was known as Boris bikes and now Santander bikes. It launched with 315 docking stations which has now grown to 800 with 12,000 bikes and 2000 e.bikes.

However, this is now dwarfed by Lime bikes who have an estimated 40,000 bikes in the capital. The attraction of Lime is obvious, they’re electric and they are easy to use and easy to ride.  They often attract people who would not normally ride a bike and recently have had film stars and famous sportspeople spotted riding them around town. They are controversial. One of the biggest headaches is where they park, dockless means they can be left pretty much anywhere.

However, they are successful, with one in three Londoners in 2025 using a rental e.bike.

So London is a perfect example of if you build it, they will come. It is often said that what happens in London happens here. I certainly hope that that is the case because in our town of Marlow cycle usage is at very best stagnant. Because nothing has been done to tame the traffic it has just got more intense . Cars have got fatter and heavier and our roads crumbling as a result.

Let’s hope in 2026 we get a little bit more London.