Transforming the city for cyclists

29 Sep 2015 02:16 PM

The Capital is experiencing a cycling revolution, with a number of major projects under way to provide safer, more reliable routes.

Here's the top five schemes set to transform two-wheeled travel.

1. Superhighways for cyclists

Dubbed 'Crossrail for bikes', Cycle Superhighways separate cyclists from other traffic and provide a safer way to travel. Four routes already run into central London and four more are planned to launch by spring next year. The North-South Cycle Superhighway, currently under construction, will provide a segregated lane running from Elephant and Castle to Stonecutter Street, near Holborn Viaduct, with a later extension planned to King's Cross.

This will be complemented by the East-West Cycle Superhighway, which will run through central London from Lancaster Gate to Tower Hill. The plan is to complete this route by next summer. A later extension will take the route to Acton.

2. Calmer, quieter routes

Less confident cyclists will be pleased to hear that a number of well-signed cycle routes, following backstreet
roads with less traffic, are being worked on. Seven pilot Quietway routes are being drawn up including one from Waterloo to Greenwich and one from Bloomsbury to Walthamstow. The first routes will be in place by early 2016.

3. Joined-up network

The new Quietways and Superhighways will together form a cycling grid of connected cycle routes in central London. TfL and the boroughs started work on proposed routes in 2014 and large sections of the grid are on course on course to be finished by next year.

4. Mini Hollands

The Dutch are world-famous for their cycle-friendly streets. Now TfL aims to make the capital as welcoming to
cyclists as their counterparts across the sea. Up to £100 million is being shared by Enfield, Kingston and Waltham Forest boroughs to transform local cycling facilities.

In Enfield, the town centre is being redesigned with segregated cycle lanes and new 'greenway' routes being
introduced across the borough. Kingston residents will benefit from a Thames riverside boardway. Waltham
Forest is working on a semi-segregated route along Lea Bridge Road.

5. Bright red bikes

Since its relaunch as Santander Cycles in February, the popular cycle hire scheme has seen a new mobile app released, which guides users to the nearest docking station and allows them to get a release code sent
straight to their phone.

The scheme now covers more than 100km2 of central and inner London, with around 90 Underground stations - including the entire Circle line - all within a short walk of a docking station. The bike hire scheme is the second-largest in Europe with nearly 43 million journeys made since its introduction in 2010.

Find out about these projects and more on our Cycling pages.