TfL launches 10 new Cycleways to boost safe cycling in London

Credit: Transport for London

Transport for London (TfL) has launched ten new Cycleways, adding 35km to London’s cycling network, which has expanded from 90km in 2016 to 390km in June 2024. These high-quality routes aim to make cycling safer and more accessible for Londoners of all backgrounds and abilities, promoting greater diversity in cycling.

The new Cycleways include:

• Folkestone Gardens to New Cross and Greenwich to Lewisham
• Stratford to Woodgrange Park: 3km link to Cycleway 2 (Aldgate to Stratford) through Newham
• Cycleway 51 – Burnt Oak to Colindale: Barnet’s first Cycleway connecting two town centres
• Cycleway 60 – Chingford to Walthamstow via Ainslie Wood: Connects to Cycleway 24 and Waltham Forest network
• Cycleway 61 – Chingford to Walthamstow via Highams Park: Links Waltham Forest Cycleways from Chingford to Walthamstow
• Cycleway 8 – Lambeth Bridge to Battersea: Upgraded 3km route along Chelsea Embankment and Grosvenor Road
• Cycleway 40 – Ealing to Greenford and Ealing to Brentford: Two new links adding 10km, connecting to Cycleway 9
• Hanwell to Greenford: 3km link from Uxbridge Road to Greenford, connecting to Cycleway 40.

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TfL has created user-friendly maps showing how these routes connect, alongside the recent launch of TfL Cycle Sundays, promoting leisure cycling with easy-to-follow routes and maps. This initiative is supported by leading cycling organisations and offers beginner-friendly journeys with additional support to encourage new cyclists.

TfL is advancing efforts in outer London, following the completion of Cycleway 4 (London Bridge to Greenwich) in March. Further expansions are planned, including two major Cycleways: Cycleway 9 (Hammersmith to Brentford) and Cycleway 23 (Dalston to Lea Bridge), both set to be completed by late 2024. Recent safety data indicates a 5.7% decrease in cycling injuries from 2022 to 2023, with a 6.3% increase in daily cycle journeys.

London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “Expanding London’s cycleway network is key to enabling more Londoners to choose cycling as their mode of transport for shorter trips. These ten new routes connect communities in areas including Stratford, New Cross, Barnet, Walthamstow and Ealing and will support Londoners of all backgrounds and abilities to cycle safely as the Mayor builds a fairer, safer greener London for everyone.”

TfL’s updated Cycling Action Plan 2 underscores the essential role of cycling in creating a greener, more modern city, aiming to broaden cycling’s appeal to underrepresented groups by addressing barriers and ensuring the health and economic benefits of cycling are accessible to all Londoners.