Image: TfL
New data shows there has been a ‘continued boom’ in walking and cycling in London, with levels of cycling remaining 40% higher than before the pandemic.
TfL’s annual Travel in London report shows this autumn, cycling on weekdays has typically been around 20-25% higher than 2019 – and around 90% higher at weekends.
TfL says it has worked closely with boroughs across the Capital to invest in its network of Cycleways. The proportion of people living within 400 metres of a ‘high-quality cycle route’ is now almost double what it was in 2019 (22% vs 12%).
The report also shows that walking continues to be central to how many people travel in London, according to TfL, with levels still ‘noticeably higher’ than before the pandemic.
The latest quarter of available data, for April-September 2022, shows that the proportion of journeys made on foot is now 41%, compared to around 35% before the pandemic.
Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, said: “Walking and cycling are absolutely essential to a more sustainable future for London so it’s very encouraging to see this new data, which shows that there continues to be significant increases in the number of journeys cycled or on foot.
“We’re determined to ensure that the way people travel in London is as healthy and sustainable as possible and continuing to encourage people back onto public transport is also a key part of this.”
Elsewhere, the Santander Cycles scheme continues to see record hire numbers, with hires at 11% higher than the pre-pandemic level as of late September 2022.
The scheme has broken a number of records this year, with 10.9 million hires so far in 2022. This is 762,500 higher than the same point last year.
TfL also says the recent introduction of e-bikes has added to the scheme’s popularity, with 86,000 hires now made.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “We must continue to make active travel around the city as accessible and safe as possible.
“That’s why I’m delighted that this year we’ve seen the introduction of e-bikes to the Santander Cycles scheme, we’ve built hundreds of kilometres of new or upgraded cycle routes since the pandemic and completed work to make some of the Capital’s most dangerous and intimidating junctions safer.”
01 December 2022