New data from Transport for London (TfL) reveals that the number of cycle journeys have increased by 26% since 2019.
TfL’s annual Travel in London report finds that 1.33 million cycle journeys take place every day in the English capital – a 5% increase from the 1.26 daily journeys that occurred in 2023.
The growth in cycle journeys comes after London’s Cycleway network surpassed 400 kilometres in September, more than quadrupling its size since 2016 and making it longer than the London underground.
“It’s a massive uptake in cycling which is bucking all of the national trends,” London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman told Zag Daily in an interview. “What it shows is that all the actions and policies like the expansion to Cycleways, the Mayor’s Healthy Streets approach and the Vision Zero strategy are working in terms of getting more people cycling.”
The growth was strongest in central London, where cycle journeys increased 11.6% between 2023 and 2024. In inner London, there was a 4.2% rise and in outer London there was a 3.8% rise.
Eight Cycleways were expanded in London last month, and TfL launched 20 new Cycleway routes in 2023/24. Today, 27.4% of Londoners live within 400 metres of the cycle network and TfL is working with London boroughs to reach the Mayor’s goal of 40% by 2030.
One industry call is that London’s cycle routes must connect across the whole map and address existing holes in the network.
“We’ve made progress, but this is the start,” Mr Norman said. “There are still holes in the network – one of the obvious being Kensington and Chelsea. Focusing on those boroughs that are not yet delivering is a priority because a network is only as good as its weakest spot.”
TfL says that next year will see the completion of several borough-led Cycleways such as Rotherhithe to Peckham, Enfield to Broxbourne and Deptford Church Street.
“There are boroughs who have never had bike lanes looking at installing cycle networks in the next six to 12 months and that is thanks to campaigning communities and politicians recognising the importance of this.”
