More than £24m awarded to boroughs across London for walking and cycling schemes

Construction will start this week on a brand new temporary cycle lane on Euston Road as part of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and TfL's world-leading Streetspace for London plans to rapidly transform streets to accommodate a possible ten-fold increase in cycling and five-fold increase in walking. 

The major new protected temporary cycle lane along Euston Road will transform the key corridor for cycling between TfL's new temporary cycle lane on Hampstead Road, and Cycleway 6 on Midland Road/Judd Street. Construction of the new route will begin on Thursday and use temporary materials to connect businesses and major rail terminals along the road by means of a safe, protected cycle lane. ​

The work follows the recent construction of major new lanes using temporary materials along Park Lane in central London, and on the CS8 route between Chelsea Bridge and Lambeth Bridge. Many more such lanes are set to be rapidly deployed across the capital, with construction work to start in the coming weeks on an upgraded, protected lane along the CS7 route in Tooting and Balham. Design work is also continuing at pace on routes between Mile End and Westferry and between Greenwich and Woolwich, which connect key destinations across east London to London's strategic cycling network.

TfL is working closely with local boroughs to create more space for walking and cycling at pace across London by building a strategic network for cycling, transforming town centres and reducing traffic on residential streets. More than £24m of Streetspace funding for schemes that will change how people move around the city has already been awarded to 30 boroughs. 

This includes funding for 47 strategic cycle routes, prioritising routes linking town centres and other destinations. New cycle infrastructure is being built between Rotherhithe and Peckham, on Lower Road (Southwark), Liverpool Road (Islington), Romford Road (Newham) and Uxbridge Road (Ealing). Funding has also been confirmed for 124 low traffic neighbourhoods, 204 School Street schemes and 205 projects designed to create additional space at town centres.

In Lambeth, TfL funding has created a low-traffic neighbourhood in the Oval Triangle area between Vauxhall, Oval and Stockwell Tube stations, creating extra space for walking and cycling and improving people's quality of life by making roads in the area access-only for motor vehicles. Boroughs including Hackney, Croydon, Lewisham and Hounslow have also installed measures on local roads, such as bollards or other traffic filters, to limit rat-running by motor vehicles and reduce traffic volumes. Schemes have been awarded funding on the basis that they can be quickly delivered, with these schemes set to be installed in the coming weeks.

With London's public transport capacity running at significantly lower levels due to social distancing requirements, millions more journeys a day will need to be made by walking and cycling. If only a fraction of journeys are switched to car, London risks grinding to a halt, air quality will worsen, and road danger will increase. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "It is essential that we don't replace one health crisis with another fuelled by toxic air pollution, which is why I'm determined that our city's recovery from coronavirus is clean, green and sustainable. My world-leading Streetspace for London plans will help sustain the record boost in cycling over the past few months. I'm delighted that more than £24m has already been awarded to local boroughs to rapidly transform streets across our city, and that construction of the Euston Road cycle lane will begin this week. 

"With more than 500 Streetspace schemes already approved and hundreds more still to come, we will enable millions more journeys to be made by walking and cycling."

Alexandra Batey, TfL's Director of Investment Delivery Planning, said: "The recovery from coronavirus is one of the most significant challenges London has ever faced and we're determined that transport will be at the heart of a green, healthy and sustainable recovery. This means that our roads and public spaces must be transformed to enable millions more journeys on foot and by bike and we're working around the clock to deliver the changes needed for this to happen. New dedicated space for walking and cycling across the capital will be a boost for sustainable transport, air quality and safety, as well as aiding London's economic recovery."

Simon Munk, Infrastructure Campaigner at the London Cycling Campaign, said: "Euston Road is one of the most polluted and hostile roads in London for people cycling and walking, so the announcement of this 1km temporary scheme is welcome. It is positive to see the Mayor and TfL repurposing road space to enable more people to cycle - it will be essential to keeping London moving during the crisis, and to help London's recovery towards a greener, climate safe, future. We look forward to further Streetspace schemes connecting to Euston Road to the west particularly, in TfL's ongoing rollout of Streetspace plans to build a safe cycling network, and ensure every Londoner who wants to can cycle to work, the shops, school and more, in safety."

Stephen Edwards, Director of Policy & Communications at Living Streets, the charity for everyday walking said: "Creating more space for walking is a key way to improve health, our local environment and local economies. It's especially important at a time when physical distancing is a part of everyday life.

"It's incredible to see so many Low Traffic Neighbourhood and School Streets schemes funded for London though TfL. These initiatives help people feel safer and more inclined to walk local, everyday journeys. Our work supporting communities and local authorities across the UK has shown they achieve great results for those who live, work and play around them."

James Austin, London Director of walking and cycling charity Sustrans, said: "We're excited about the landmark cycle lane on Euston Road and to see the results of major investment from TfL and councils in walking and cycling infrastructure across London. Sustrans is passionate about developing confidence and skills of new cyclists alongside infrastructure improvements. These changes deliver safer travel for Londoners during the pandemic and a healthier, greener London for the future. All boroughs must seize this opportunity to create cycle and pedestrian friendly streets and protect vulnerable road users. At this crucial point when people are again travelling more, we have to maintain momentum and deliver the ambition in the Streetspace projects."

32 Streetspace schemes have been created on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) so far. This comprises 13,055 m² of extra pedestrian space and 5.3km of extra cycling space. An additional 7.6km of new or upgraded cycling space has been delivered to date on borough roads.

TfL recently announced an expansion of the Santander Cycles scheme to keep up with the unprecedented demand. There were 52,160 Santander Cycle hires on Thursday 25 June - with Wednesday 24 June the first time there has been more than 50,000 hires on a normal working day. In response to this, TfL is making 1,700 additional Santander Cycle bikes available, bringing the total to more than 14,000 - an increase of nearly 15 per cent and the largest single increase in bikes for the scheme since 2013. Eight new docking stations are also being installed this summer to ensure more Londoners than ever have access to the bikes. 

The number of cycle journeys made across London has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with particular increases at weekends as people make the most of quieter roads to try out cycling for leisure journeys. The weekend of 20-21 June saw an increase of 151 per cent compared to the same weekend last year, with cycling across the week up by 26 per cent.

NOTES TO EDITORS

  • Full details of TfL's Streetspace for London programme can be found on the TfL website at https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/streetspace-for-london
  • Details of open and proposed cycle routes, as well as Santander Cycle docking stations across London, can be found using this map: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/cycle
  • The road space being allocated for the Euston Road temporary cycle lane is already proposed to be used for construction of HS2 from late 2021 onwards. In order that cyclists can still make their journeys safely, when the temporary cycle facility is removed, TfL will work with local boroughs to develop alternative routes along side streets
  • To allow space for new cycle lanes and bus stop bypasses, general traffic lanes along Euston Road will decrease by one lane in each direction
  • Safety benefits, including a speed limit reduction from 30mph to 20mph will be implemented, to make it safer for all road users
  • Feedback for any Streetspace for London scheme can be given by emailing streetspacelondon@tfl.gov.uk