Cycling in London up 5% in 2024
Cycling trips in London are up 5% in 2024 compared with 2023, and 26% on 2019.
That’s according to an article by Transport for London (TfL) based on their Travel in London 2024 report.
Number of Trips
In 2024 there are an estimated 1.33 million cycle trips, up from 1.26 million in 2023.
The 5% increase is for London as a whole, but the percentage increases are different for central, inner and outer London:
- central London +11.6%
- inner London +4.2%
- outer London +3.8%
London’s Strategic Cycle Network
TfL says that London’s strategic cycle network is now 400km, up from 90km in 2016. Of course, that statistic does not guarantee the quality of the 400km.
27% of Londoners live within 400m of the cycle network. The Mayor’s target is 40% by 2030.
In 2023/24, TfL launched twenty new Cycleway routes. It says:
‘Delivering high-quality new Cycleways will support Londoners of all backgrounds and abilities to cycle safely, encouraging greater diversity in cycling’.
Travel in London 2024 Report
The Travel in London 2024 report says that the Mayor’s target for active, efficient and sustainable mode share by 2041 is 80%. In 2023, it was 63.2%.
Progress is off-track because of lower numbers of public transport trips post-pandemic.
Another 2041 Mayoral target is for 70% Londoners to do 20 minutes of active travel a day.
There is a lot of work to do to meet the target.
Use of Santander cycles dropped in 2023 due to the withdrawal of a 24h tariff, and because of competition from other operators.
A post-pandemic rebound in London’s road traffic is starting to level off.
Quotes
London Cycling Campaign welcomed the news of the increase in cycling trips, saying that ‘London has really embraced cycling’.
Alex Williams of TfL said:
‘We’re determined to ensure that the way people travel in London is not only healthy and sustainable but also affordable, which is why we are working closely with boroughs to transform our roads and invest in our transport network, enabling even more people to make their journeys by walking, cycling and using public transport’.
London’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Will Norman said:
‘We’re working hard with London’s boroughs to expand our network of cycleways, and it’s great to see more and more people using them to travel around the capital.
Enabling more people to make their journeys by walking, cycling and using public transport is key to building a safer and greener London for everyone’.