Transport for London reports record high levels of cycling in the capital

The Prudential RideLondon is just one month away and new figures from TfL show record levels of cycling in the capital with more than 4m km travelled each day by people on bikes.

Cycling journeys were up 5% in London – significantly more than the 1.8% recorded nationwide – while the Mayor of London is investing £169m into cycling over five years.

This is all good news for London Sport and Sport England who found “strong and substantial” evidence that active travel interventions are effective at increasing cycling and physical activity.

The ’Mini-Holland’ programme, for example, is transforming local environments for walking and cycling in three London boroughs and saw an average of 44 minutes extra active travel per week.

London’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman, said: 

“The mayor is determined to enable more cycling all across the capital, and I’m really pleased last year saw the biggest increase in the amount of cycling in London since records began.”

“Where we have invested in new high-quality routes, people feel safer and more confident cycling on London’s streets.

“And it is yet more evidence for boroughs across London that investing in walking and cycling infrastructure works – getting more people healthy and active as part of their everyday routine, and making our streets cleaner, greener and safer.”

There is more work to be done though, with TfL analysis demonstrating that just 27% of cyclists are women, and the majority of people using their new infrastructure are white, middle-aged, high-income men.

It's one of the reasons why British Cycling has launched their bespoke This Girl Can campaign to raise awareness of women’s cycling among new audiences as well as promoting HSBC UK Breeze.

Efforts to increase the accessibility of cycling continue apace with Prudential RideLondon adding a 19-mile event to their 2019 programme specifically for younger cyclists and families.

Cycling UK meanwhile recently held their 100 Women in Cycling event at the House of Commons with London Sport Award winners Hornbeam JoyRiders Women’s Cycling Club proudly attending.

The JoyRiders is a club created to get more women and families cycling in Waltham Forest and empowers women by expanding their social networks and increasing their independence.

Such success stories are vital if London Sport are to succeed in encouraging this trend of increased levels of cycling in the nation’s capital and getting more people active as a result.