TfL’s spending on cycling will fall by ‘scores of millions’ by 2021/22, according to figures obtained by the Green Party’s Darren Johnson. (Transport Network)
The Transport Network article suggests that in 2021/22, £31m will be spent on cycling, resembling a significant drop from the £155m budget in 2016/17.
According to Transport Network, the fall reflects the tailing off of TfL’s 10 year £913m Vision for Cycling programme, which was announced by London mayor Boris Johnson in 2013.
Figures released by TfL on 8 February highlighted that the number of cyclists in central London during rush hour will soon overtake the number of car drivers.
In 2017/18 the figure will rise to £166m before dropping to £124m in 2018/19 and £66m in 2019/20. 2020/21 will see a slight rise to £68m before dropping to £31m in 2021/22.
Between 2012/13 and 2015/16, £302m was spent on cycling – taking the total to £912m in the 10-year period.
Darren Johnson told Transport Network: “These extreme cuts to the cycling budget are set to kick in just as cycling is set to rocket in London.
“The next mayor should be investing consistently year-on-year to bring London’s cycling infrastructure up to continental standards, not letting funding fall off a cliff edge and leaving cyclists to face danger.
“The London Assembly agreed unanimously that cycling’s share of funding should match the proportion of London trips taken by bike and that would mean at least £200m of TfL’s budget at today’s level of cycling, not a pathetic £31m. I urge the next mayor to spend more to make cycling safer and more appealing in London and to intervene to reverse these planned cuts.”
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