Three years after committing to treble the distance of protected cycle lanes across the Capital by May 2020, Sadiq Khan says he is on course to achieve that goal.
Speaking at the London Walking and Cycling Conference on 24 May, the mayor of London revealed 63km of protected cycle lanes have been built – or are under construction – since 2016, more than double the 53km in place when he took office that year.
The new segregated routes are a combination of:
- 20km from the Superhighways programme
- 5km from the Quietways and Central London Grid programme
- 21km from the mini-Holland programme
- 17km from other schemes, such as Stratford High Street, Highbury Corner and Westminster Bridge South
In his speech, Mr Khan described progress on cycling infrastructure as a ‘tale of two cities’, praising the work of councils like Enfield, Hackney, Camden, Waltham Forest and City of London Corporation for building ‘high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure’.
However there was criticism for boroughs like Westminster whose ‘addiction to the status quo is harming the health of Londoners’, according to the mayor.
Mr Khan also reiterated his commitment to TfL’s new ‘quality criteria’ saying he will not build or fund new routes that aren’t up to scratch.
Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted that in just three years we have already doubled the amount of protected cycle routes on streets across London.
“I want to now deliver even more high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure across all parts of the Capital, but even with record investment from the TfL we can’t achieve that on our own.
“Boroughs across London must recognise the huge benefits of getting more people out of their cars and cycling as part of their everyday routine – getting more people active, improving their health, and reducing the air pollution on our streets which causes so much harm.”
30 May 2019