cycling in London

{{Short description|Overview of cycling in London, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

File:^bikeboom pic negates almost every wonky stereotype about people who ride bikes in London - Flickr - carltonreid.jpg in the City]]

Cycling is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. Following a national decline in the 1960s of levels of utility cycling, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within London began a slow regrowth in the 1970s. This continued until the beginning of the 21st century, when levels began to increase significantly—during the period from 2000 to 2012, the number of daily journeys made by bicycle in Greater London doubled to 580,000.{{efn|name=daily}} and from 2012 to 2024 it doubled again to 1.3 million.TfL Travel in London 2024 https://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-2024-annual-overview-acc.pdf This is partly attributed to the 2010 launch of a cycle hire system in Central London. By 2013, the scheme was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year.{{sfnp|Barclays Cycle Hire statistics|2013}} Health impact analyses have shown that London would benefit more from increased cycling and cycling infrastructure than other European cities.{{cite journal

| last = Mueller

| first = N

| title = Health impact assessment of cycling network expansions in European cities.

| journal = Preventive Medicine

| volume =109

| pages =62–70

| year = 2018

| pmid = 29330030| doi = 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.12.011

| hdl = 10230/42143

| s2cid = 3774985

| hdl-access = free

}}

Cycling conditions in the city have in recent years been perceived as unsafe by cyclists.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013b}} A spate of cycling deaths in London occurred in November 2013, drawing criticism of TfL's cycle facilities and sparking protests and calls for safety improvements from politicians, cycling organisations and the media, as well as differing views on the extent to which poor cycling contributes to safety risks for both cyclists and other road users.

History

=19th century=

{{Page numbers needed|section|date=January 2023|reason=The copy of Manners I'm using is only partial, and doesn't have page numbers, sorry!}}

The popularity of cycling during the 19th century is in itself cyclical, consisting of several short periods of bicycle booms followed by a sharp decline in popularity.

Bicycles first made their way to London in 1818 via the carriage maker Denis Johnson, having imported and improved upon the original design by Karl von Drais, from which they acquired the name draisine, though its popularity among predominantly young male members of the aristocracy quickly gathered it the nickname 'dandy horse'. These designs lacked the pedals common to modern bicycles and were instead propelled by the action of the rider's feet on the ground. While briefly popular in the following years, slopes were challenging both to climb and descend, and riders were widely mocked in the streets and newspapers{{cite book |last1=Manners |first1=William |title=Revolution : How the Bicycle Reinvented Modern Britain |date=2019 |location=Richmond, United Kingdom |isbn=978-0715653333}} while the London College of Surgeons condemned the practice of cycling as dangerous.{{cite book |last1=Herlihy |first1=David V. |title=Bicycle : the history |date=2004 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven |isbn=9780300120479}}{{rp|38}} Its popularity soon fell out of fashion. In the following years a number of designs were proposed, tested, and built, attempting to remedy the drawbacks of the design, including tricycles and quadricycles,{{cite journal |last1=Rubinstein |first1=David |title=Cycling in the 1890s |journal=Victorian Studies |date=1977 |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=47–71 |jstor=3825934 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3825934 |issn=0042-5222}}{{rp|48}}{{rp|45–71}} or the tandem bicycle.{{cite book |last1=Horton |first1=Dave |last2=Rosen |first2=Paul |last3=Cox |first3=Peter |title=Cycling and society |date=2007 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Aldershot, England |isbn=978-1317155140}}{{rp|157}} None gained widespread popularity.

It was not until the invention of the first 'true bicycles' in the 1860s, powered by the action of the rider's feet on two pedals driving a single wheel, did cycling gain significant popularity again.{{rp|76}} Originally called velocipedes, the lack of suspension, rough Victorian roads, and metal-rimmed tyres soon gathered them the nickname 'boneshakers'.{{rp|??}}

A further development was to move the rider directly above the forward wheel, allowing the rider to fully extend their leg with each cycle and thus deliver the most power, resulting in the ordinary bicycle, more commonly known as the penny farthing. However this made the machine dangerously unstable - in the event of an upset, the rider would likely be thrown forward over the handlebars. Consequently, its popularity lay predominantly among young middle and upper-class men who were more accepting of the risks. Older men, and women of all ages, preferred safer designs such as the tricycle, but the high cost conferred by the additional mechanical complexity meant that such machines were rarely seen. Among those who did ride, cycling developed as both a recreational and social activity, particularly among middle and upper class townsfolk taking advantage of their new machines to enjoy day trips through the nearby countryside. The village of Ripley, lying on the popular London to Winchester route, was declared "the Mecca of all good cyclists".{{cite journal |last1=Mackintosh |first1=Phillip Gordon |last2=Norcliffe |first2=Glen |title=Flaneurie on bicycles: acquiescence to women in public in the 1890s |journal=The Canadian Geographer |date=March 2006 |volume=50 |issue=1 |page=31 |doi=10.1111/j.0008-3658.2006.00124.x|bibcode=2006CGeog..50...17M }} Other popular destinations included Thames Ditton and Box Hill.{{cite web |title=Cycling in Victorian Surrey |url=https://www.surreyhillssociety.org/cycling-in-victorian-surrey/ |website=Surrey Hills Society |access-date=26 January 2023}}

Some riders joined one of the many cycling clubs formed in this period. Club members would often ride together on shared excursions, often behind a recognised club Captain and his Lieutenants, with orders given by the club bugler{{rp|160}} or by whistle. Membership of such clubs could be exclusive, and the distinctive club uniforms conferred social opportunities even as a lone rider at the many rest stops.

The first recognisably modern bicycle, with equal-sized wheels and pedals driving the rear wheel via a chain mechanism, was the Rover safety bicycle of 1885.{{cite web |title=Rover 'Safety' bicycle, 1885 |url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co25833/rover-safety-bicycle-1885-bicycle |website=Science Museum Group Collection |access-date=27 January 2023 |language=en}} The invention of the pneumatic tyre in 1888 and the associated ride quality improvements only added to its popularity, triggering the third great bike boom which would last through the 1890s. First Battersea Park and then Hyde Park were popular with new cyclists seeking a space to learn to ride.{{rp|49}}

The introduction of the drop-frame bicycle in 1889, based on the design of the safety but without the crossbar between the rider's legs, allowed women to ride comfortably for the first time while wearing the long skirts typical of Victorian fashion.{{cite journal |last1=Winkworth |first1=Kylie |title=Women and the Bicycle: fast, loose and liberated |journal=Australian Journal of Art |date=January 1989 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=101–102 |doi=10.1080/03146464.1989.11432907}}{{cite journal |last1=Kiersnowska |first1=Beata |title=Female Cycling and the Discourse of Moral Panic in Late Victorian Britain |journal=Atlantis |date=2019 |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=85–104 |doi=10.28914/Atlantis-2019-41.2.04 |jstor=26867631 |s2cid=214122020 |issn=0210-6124|doi-access=free }}{{rp|91}} Cycling was one of the few activities a woman could take part in without a male chaperone,{{rp|61}} and while the bicycle changed how men took part in the same activities they had previously, for women the bicycle provided new opportunities and access to activities previously closed off to them,{{cite journal |last1=Bonnell |first1=Marilyn |title=The power of the pedal: The bicycle and the turn-of-the-century woman 1 |journal=Nineteenth-Century Contexts |date=January 1990 |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=215–239 |doi=10.1080/08905499008583318}}{{rp|224}} and from the image of women on bicycles enjoying their newfound freedom of movement outside the immediate proximity to the home emerged the image of the new woman.{{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=Angelique |last2=Willis |first2=Chris |title=The new woman in fiction and in fact : fin-de-siècle feminisms |date=2002 |location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-65603-5 |isbn=1349656038 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-349-65603-5}}{{rp|53}} Several prominent feminist writers commented on the freedom the bicycle provided women and advocated others to take up riding. Susan Hamilton, Countess of Malmesbury, pronounced the sport "one of the greatest blessings given to modern women",{{rp|61}} and John Galsworthy would write the bicycle had "been responsible for more movement in manners and morals than anything since Charles the Second".{{rp|71}} Such changes did not come without significant pushback from more traditionalist factions. The female cyclist was seen as violating the separate spheres ideology prevalent at the time, and accused of attempting to become a man. Opposition ranged from satirical caricatures in the newspapers, to poor service provided at inns and cafes, to verbal and in some cases physical abuse directed at riders,{{cite journal |last1=Jungnickel |first1=Katrina |title=One needs to be very brave to stand all that": Cycling, rational dress and the struggle for citizenship in late nineteenth century Britain |journal=Geoforum |date=1 August 2015 |volume=64 |pages=362–371 |doi=10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.04.008|doi-access=free }} including an instance of a meat hook thrown at a rider in Kilburn. Particular attention was directed towards riders dressed in rational dress, who rejected the traditional long skirts and corsets typical of Victorian women's fashion in favour of bloomers and other more practical forms of clothing especially suited to cycling. Despite the opposition, women continued to ride, with one in three bicycles ordered in 1895 placed by women.

=20th century=

London's first segregated cycle track was introduced in 1934, between Hanger Lane and Greenford. Although the facility was well-used for cycling, segregation was opposed by cycling organisations at the time, fearing loss of rights to ride on the highway.{{cite web|author1=Matt Brown|title=When London's Cyclists Said "No" To Segregated Lanes|url=http://londonist.com/2014/08/when-londons-cylists-said-no-to-segregated-lanes.php|website=Londonist|access-date=26 August 2014|date=19 August 2014}}

Beginning in the 1960s, Britain experienced a decline in levels of utility cycling due to the increasing wealth of its populace and greater affordability of motor vehicles; this in turn led to the favouring of vehicular traffic over other options by transportation planners.{{sfnp|Greater London Council|1984}} In 1977, the Conservative Party won the Greater London Council (GLC) election, and enacted policies that deprioritised spending on public transport.

In 1980 Ken Livingstone, at the time the Labour Party's transport spokesperson, made a promise to the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) that should Labour take control of the GLC they would spend more on the needs of cyclists.{{sfnp|New Scientist|1981}} In May 1981, Labour won the GLC election, with Livingstone becoming GLC leader shortly afterwards. The following month, Livingstone announced that the GLC would accede to the LCC's demands, creating a cycling planning unit and spending at least 1% of the yearly transport budget, £2m, on cycling.{{sfnp|New Scientist|1981}}

=21st century=

File:Cycle hire point, Southwark Street, London - DSC08158.JPG docking station in Southwark Street]]

In 2000, Livingstone became the first elected Mayor of London, and in 2008 set a target of a 400% increase in cycling between 2008 and 2025. On 9 February 2008 Livingstone announced an estimated £400 million of initiatives to improve and increase cycling and walking, including thousands of new bike parking facilities at railway and tube stations. To be co-ordinated by the TfL and London boroughs, the aims include having one in ten Londoners making a round trip by bike each day and five per cent of all daily trips by bike by 2025.{{sfnp|The Guardian|2008}}

In 2011 around 2.5 per cent of all commutes to work in London were by bike,{{sfnp|The Economist|2013}} though the figure was as high as 9% in Hackney.{{sfnp|Sport England|2013}} This compared to other cities in the United Kingdom such as Cardiff (4.3 per cent), York (18 per cent){{sfnp|Colville-Andersen|2009}} and Cambridge (28 per cent of commutes){{sfnp|Cambridge Cycling Campaign|2013}} and to cities in mainland Europe such as Berlin (13 per cent), Munich (15 per cent), and Amsterdam (37 per cent of all journeys).{{sfnp|Transport for London|2008}} The amount of growth has varied between regions within the city; on some routes such as Cheapside cyclists have been reported to comprise over half of rush-hour traffic.{{sfnp|Evening Standard|2011}}

Plans to construct twelve "Cycle Superhighway" routes were announced by Livingstone in 2008, connecting inner and outer London, as well as providing cycle zones around urban centres.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2014a}} Livingstone lost the subsequent mayoral election to Conservative Boris Johnson in May 2008, and the new mayor promised to continue to support cycling.

In July 2010, two pilot routes were implemented with Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) connecting Barking in East London with Tower Hill on the eastern perimeter of The City of London and Cycle Superhighway 7 (CS7) linking Colliers Wood in South London to Bank in the city.{{Cite web |last=Matters |first=Transport for London {{!}} Every Journey |title=Mayor launches London's first two Barclays Cycle Superhighway routes |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2010/july/mayor-launches-londons-first-two-barclays-cycle-superhighway-routes |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Transport for London |language=en-GB}}{{cite web |title=gearinstant |url=https://www.gearinstant.com/ |access-date=13 June 2023}} CS7 was criticised by rival cycling commentators and campaigners for relying on "blue paint" and bus lanes to protect cyclists from motor traffic, without using kerbed cycle tracks. CS3 was more popular, although critics argued that much of it had existed already, and had simply been rebranded as a Superhighway. Campaigners argued that the Mayor's rhetoric prior to launch had promised a much higher standard of cycling facility, yet the Superhighways encouraged cyclists on to busy main roads in conflict with buses and other motor traffic, with significant risk of being hit by left-turning vehicles at major junctions.

In July 2010, 6,000 bicycles became available for short-term rental from TfL under the Barclays Cycle Hire at 400 docking stations in nine central London boroughs. This was later expanded to 8,000 cycles from 570 stations, and is now branded Santander Cycles. The scheme, run by Montreal-based PBSC Urban Solutions, initially covered about 17 square miles (44 square kilometres).{{sfnp|The Economist|2009}} The docking stations were spaced {{Cvt|300|m}} apart, and sited mainly at key destinations and tube stations. There is a charge for hire, although there was an initial period of free use to promote the scheme.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} The scheme was designed based on a feasibility study produced by German Dector-Vega and Charles Snead in November 2008.

Over the next few years, pressure from campaign groups, bloggers and everyday cyclists using social media and on-street demonstrations brought the state of London's roads for cycling to the attention of the media. Eventually, this led to significant new investment in safer cycle infrastructure for London.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013a}} In March 2013, City Hall announced £1 billion of improvements to make cycling safer and easier in London, as well as to improve air pollution and inner city congestion in the capital. Boris Johnson, Livingstone's replacement as Mayor of London, planned to build a 15-mile "Crossrail for bikes" running from the West London suburbs across the Westway, through Hyde Park, the Mall and along the Victoria Embankment past Canary Wharf and into East London.

In March 2013 "The Mayor's Vision for Cycling in London" was announced, a plan which includes a "Crossrail for bikes" running a fully segregated route from east to west across London to be in place by 2016. The statement also announced a Central London "bike grid" which would join up and improve existing cycle routes in Zone 1, as well as a network of "Quietways" in outer London, and E-bikes for rent in hilly areas of the city.{{sfnp|Evening Standard|2013}} The London Cycle Hire Scheme has been described by the deputy mayor as "oozing" out over London with expansion in 2014 in Hackney, Notting Hill, Hammersmith, Fulham and Wandsworth.{{sfnp|London Cycling Campaign|2012}}

In December 2013, TfL published a draft map of a "Central London Grid" of new cycle routes.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013c}}

In February 2017 Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council agreed to set up a social prescribing trial as part of the Go Cycle campaign, in which GPs, physiotherapists and mental health professionals can refer patients for a free 12-week course with professional cycle coaches and qualified instructors.{{cite news|title=GPs back plan to prescribe cycling lessons for patients|url=http://www.gponline.com/gps-back-plan-prescribe-cycling-lessons-patients/article/1422972?bulletin=gp_commissioning_bulletin|access-date=10 March 2017|work=GP Online|date=2 February 2017}}

The Obike dockless hire scheme launched in London in July 2017 followed by introduction of the Lime and Uber e-bike schemes.

Facilities

File:Cykelbox London.jpg allows cyclists to get a head start on stationary traffic.]]

= Cycle lanes and paths =

{{Main|List of cycle routes in London}}

On-road cycle lanes vary. Some have raised concrete kerbs that separate people cycling from other traffic, whilst others are defined by lines painted on the road surface. The first Cycle Superhighways went into use in May 2010,{{sfnp|Transport for London|2014a}} and the first Quietways in 2016.

Cycle paths include routes through the royal parks (St. James's Park, Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Green Park), along the Thames Path and London's canals and waterways. There is a behavioural code for considerate riding on London's towpaths.{{sfnp|Canal & River Trust|2014}}

= On public transport =

File:Thames Clipper 4.jpg

Folding bicycles may be carried on almost all public transport in London. Full-size bicycles may be carried on some sections of the transport network during certain hours of the day.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2014b}} Bicycle parking facilities, generally cycle stands, but in some cases more secure facilities, are available at many stations.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2014c}}

class="wikitable" style="width: 75%; margin: 0 auto"

|+ When bicycles may be carried on London's public transport network

Full-size bicyclesFolded bicycles
During morning (07:30-09:30)
and evening (16:00-19:00)
rush hours

| style="background-color: #f99" | Prohibited on

| rowspan="3" style="background-color: #9f9" | Permitted on

  • All LU, NR and Tramlink lines
  • All river boat services
  • Buses, at driver's discretion
rowspan="2" | At other times

| style="background-color: #9f9" |

Permitted on

  • LU surface lines{{efn|name="BOPT-note"}}
  • All LO and NR lines
  • All DLR lines
  • The Elizabeth line
  • The Emirates Air Line
  • Most river boat services
style="background-color: #f99" | Prohibited on
  • Deep-level LU lines{{efn|name="BOPT-note"}}
  • All Tramlink lines
  • All buses
  • Safety

    File:Pedestrian guardrail in London due for removal.jpg

    Many roads in London are lined with guardrail, and cyclist deaths have occurred when motor vehicles crushed people against the rail as they cycled.{{sfnp|Zheng|Hall|2003}} In 2007, TfL set a policy of the use of guardrail only in locations where it has been proven to be a requirement for safety, and began a programme of removing it where possible.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2009b}} By 2010, {{convert|60|km|mi}} of the {{convert|204|km|mi}} of guardrail on the Transport for London Road Network had been removed.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2011}}

    In 2008 Ken Livingstone announced that councils would be able to set borough-wide {{convert|20|mph|kph}} limits without a requirement for special enforcement measures.{{sfnp|Evening Standard|2011}} Islington and Southwark subsequently{{when|date=April 2012}} imposed borough-wide 20 mph zones, with Camden announcing plans to introduce the same system in 2012.{{sfnp|Ham & High|2013}} The City of London imposed a borough-wide 20 mph limit in July 2014.{{sfnp|City of London|2014}} Such zones are backed by cycling groups,{{sfnp|Evening Standard|2012}} who support traffic speed restrictions for both encouraging walking and cycling, and making them safer.{{sfnp|Brake|2012}}

    In January 2013 Boris Johnson appointed London's first Cycling Commissioner, tasked with making it a safer and more popular mode of transport in the capital,{{sfnp|Greater London Authority|2013}} and announced that segregated cycle facilities would be built across London as part of a package of measures designed to improve cyclist safety.{{sfnp|The Independent|2013}}

    In June 2013 TfL announced the creation of a "Safe Streets for London" plan. The plan aims to cut road deaths by 40% by 2020 via a range of measures, including redesigning "critical" major junctions and streets, installing more and upgrading existing traffic enforcement cameras, working with London boroughs to implement more 20 mph speed limit zones, modifying heavy goods vehicles with safety equipment, and offering cycle training to every school pupil in London.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2013b}}

    Later the same year, it was claimed that half of cyclists still routinely ignored red stop lights at typical junctions in London, with the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association releasing two-hour-long rush hour videos that they said backed up drivers' daily experience that cyclists illegally using the pavement, running red lights or weaving in and out of vehicles, were not a small minority.{{Cite news|title=The cyclists filmed jumping red lights|last=Blunden|first=Mark|date=28 November 2013|work=London Evening Standard|page=19}} The London Cycling Campaign said that police figures indicated far more of cyclists' accidents were caused by poor driving than by ignoring red lights, although a survey indicated that more than half of cyclists admitted ignoring a red light at least once.

    The following year the London Cycling Campaign participated in a safety initiative with the Guide Dogs charity stressing that cyclists have a duty of care to be considerate to other road users, and pedestrians in particular, after the charity found that one in four blind and partially-sighted people in London had been hit by a cyclist, and seven in ten suffered a near miss, with cyclists commonly riding on pavements at speed or running red lights.{{Cite news|title=Blind people 'terrorised by cyclists on pavements'|last=Blunden|first=Mark|date=27 August 2014|work=London Evening Standard|page=8}}

    = Statistics =

    The number of daily bicycle journeys in London has increased by 314% since the 1990s, from 270,000 daily journeys in 1993 to 1,118,000 in 2022.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-04 |title=Travel in London 2023 - Annual Overview (Data) |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-2023-annual-overview-data-acc.xlsx |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=Transport for London}} Jan-Aug 2023 has an average 1,172,000 daily journeys (5% increase on 2022 and 7% decrease on 2020), 3 fatalities and 626 seriously injured.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-04 |title=Road safety data: Road danger reduction dashboard |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety |website=Transport for London}}

    class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

    |+Journeys by bicycle,{{efn|name=daily|Daily journey figures from Transport for London.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2013a}}{{sfnp|Transport for London|2014}}}} fatalities and serious injuries to cyclists{{efn|Fatality and serious injury figures from Transport for London.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2009a}} Transport for London uses{{sfnp|Transport for London|2009a|page=116}} the Department for Transport's definition of "seriously injured", which is one or more of the following: broken neck or back; severe head injury, unconscious; severe chest injury, any difficulty breathing; internal injuries; multiple severe injuries, unconscious; loss of arm or leg (or part); other chest injury, not bruising; deep penetrating wound; fracture; deep cuts/lacerations; other head injury; crushing; burns (excluding friction burns); concussion; severe general shock requiring hospital treatment; detention in hospital as an in-patient, either immediately or later; injuries to casualties who die 30 or more days after the accident from injuries sustained in that accident.{{sfnp|Department for Transport|2011}}}} in Greater London

    |Year

    |Average daily journeys (millions)

    |Average miles per person per year

    |Killed per year

    |Seriously injured per year

    1993

    |0.270

    |

    |18

    |485

    1994

    |0.270

    |

    |15

    |480

    1995

    |0.270

    |

    |15

    |521

    1996

    |0.270

    |

    |20

    |571

    1997

    |0.270

    |

    |12

    |560

    1998

    |0.270

    |

    |12

    |595

    1999

    |0.270

    |

    |10

    |469

    2000

    |0.276

    |

    |14

    |399

    2001

    |0.307

    |

    |21

    |434

    2002

    |0.307

    |

    |20

    |387

    2003

    |0.328

    |35

    |19

    |414

    2004

    |0.343

    |46

    |8

    |332

    2005

    |0.406

    |50

    |21

    |351

    2006

    |0.445

    |54

    |19

    |373

    2007

    |0.444

    |51

    |15

    |446

    2008

    |0.466

    |53

    |15

    |430

    2009

    |0.468

    |61

    |13

    |420

    2010

    |0.492

    |58

    |10

    |457

    2011

    |0.491

    |58

    |16

    |555

    2012

    |0.501

    |61

    |14

    |657

    2013

    |0.504

    |61

    |14

    |475

    2014

    |0.561

    |71

    |13

    |419

    2015

    |1.015

    |79

    |9

    |378

    2016

    |0.979

    |65

    |8

    |682

    2017

    |1.012

    |62

    |10

    |675

    2018

    |1.012

    |68

    |12

    |770

    2019

    |0.986

    |65

    |5

    |773

    2020

    |1.258

    |136

    |6

    |862

    2021

    |0.865

    |108

    |10

    |989

    2022

    |1.118

    |104

    |7

    |1,020

    A study of deaths of cyclists in London published in 2010 in the research journal BMC Public Health stated that "the biggest threat [to cyclists] remains freight vehicles, involved in more than 4 out of 10 incidents, with over half turning left at the time of the crash."{{sfnp|Morgan, Dale, Lee and Edwards|2010}}

    = 2013 deaths =

    File:Cycling die-in protest outside Transport for London headquarters.jpg

    File:Space for Cycling protest approaching Houses of Parliament.jpg

    In November 2013, six cyclists were killed on London streets within a two-week period, bringing the number of cyclists killed in London in the year to 14, nine of which involved a heavy goods vehicle (HGV).{{sfnp|BBC News|2013d}} In response, the Metropolitan Police announced an initiative called Operation Safeway, in which 2,500 traffic police were stationed at major junctions throughout the city to issue fixed penalty notices to road users breaking road traffic laws and offer advice to vulnerable road users.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013d}} Following the deaths, Boris Johnson stated in an interview on BBC Radio that cyclists were endangering their lives when not following road traffic laws, making it "very difficult for the traffic engineers to second-guess [their actions]". The comments were immediately condemned as "deflecting blame onto cyclists [and] grossly insensitive" by Roger Geffen, campaigns and policy director of the Cyclists' Touring Club, and as "dodging responsibility" and "an insult to the dead and injured" by Darren Johnson, the Green Party member of the London Assembly.{{sfnp|The Guardian|2013a}} Former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman, policy director for British Cycling, the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain, called on Johnson to ban HGVs from some London roads during peak hours, saying that Johnson had made a verbal promise to him "to look at the successful experiences of Paris and many other cities in restricting the movements of heavy vehicles during peak hours". Johnson stated in a radio interview that he was unconvinced by the idea, but was however considering banning cyclists from wearing headphones while riding.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013e}} However, the traffic division of the Metropolitan Police were unable to identify any serious cycling incidents in which headphone use could be identified as a contributing factor.{{sfnp|The Guardian|2013b}}

    Two weeks after the sixth death, a protest campaign organised via social media held a die-in—modelled on the Dutch "Stop de Kindermoord" pro-cycling demonstrations of the 1970s—outside the headquarters of TfL, in which over 1,000 cyclists lay silently in the road and held a vigil for cyclists and pedestrians killed by road traffic.{{sfnp|The Guardian|2013c}}

    A BBC poll taken in December 2013 found that one fifth of regular cycle commuters had stopped cycling to work as a result of the recent spate of deaths. A fifth of the survey respondents had also been involved in a collision, and 68% believed that London's roads were not safe to cycle on.{{sfnp|BBC News|2013b}}

    Regular events

    File:Freewheel 2008 1660.JPG

    • RideLondon (formally Mayor of London's Sky Ride): an annual event launched as London Freewheel in September 2007, for which certain roads in central London are closed to motor vehicles for several hours on a Sunday. On 10 August 2012 it was announced that the 2013 Skyride would be re-branded as 'RideLondon', a two-day 'World-class festival of cycling'.{{sfnp|Greater London Authority|2012}} The event incorporates an 8-mile 'FreeCycle' event, 'Aimed at cyclists of all ages and abilities' on closed roads, as well as a 100-mile ride and a 'Grand Prix' event for professional cyclists.
    • Critical Mass, which leaves the National Film Theatre on the South Bank around 7.00pm on the last Friday of each month

    File:2005-10-28 - London - Critical Mass (4887793481).jpg

    • World Naked Bike Ride, held annually in 70 cities in 20 countries, including London every June since 2004,{{sfnp|World Naked Bike Ride|2013}}
    • Bike Week, an annual UK celebration of cycling with many local events in June{{sfnp|London Cycling Campaign|2008a}}
    • London to Brighton ride for charity each summer; about 30,000 cyclists take part
    • London to Paris rides for various charities{{sfnp|London Cycling Campaign|2008a}}
    • Dunwich Dynamo, annual midsummer overnight ride to Suffolk since 1993
    • London Cycling Awards: the London Cycling Campaign celebrates some of the best improvements for cyclists each year with the London Cycling Awards. 2008 winners included cycle parking at Frampton Park Estate in Hackney and at Shadwell DLR station; Kingston Council and Metropolitan Police for the Recycling Bikes Back into The Community scheme; Newham University Hospital NHS Trust for the Well at Work project; STA Bikes and Hackney Council for Family Cycle Clubs; and Jenny Jones for services to cycling.{{sfnp|London Cycling Campaign|2008b}}
    • The Tweed Run, an annual ride inaugurated in 2009 where the participants recreate the early years of British cycling by wearing tweed and other period clothing and by riding vintage bicycles.

    Notes

    {{Notelist | refs=

    {{efn|name="BOPT-note"|See Transport for London's website for full details.{{sfnp|Transport for London|2022b}} }}

    }}

    References

    {{reflist|20em}}

    Citations

    = News =

    {{refbegin|30em}}

    • {{cite news|title=The Economist explains: Why does cycling thrive in some cities and not in others?|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/12/economist-explains-12|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=17 December 2013|author=D.K|date=16 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|The Economist|2013}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21692087|work=BBC News |title= How London bloggers changed cycling|publisher=BBC|date=6 March 2013a|access-date=2013-04-16|ref={{SfnRef|BBC News|2013a}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25176031|title=London cyclists: Fifth of riders 'stop bike-commuting'|newspaper=BBC News|date=2 December 2013b|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|BBC News|2013b}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25444916|title=London cycle network map published|newspaper=BBC News|date=20 December 2013|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|BBC News|2013c}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25080427|title=London cyclist deaths: Officers at dangerous junctions|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 November 2013d|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|BBC News|2013d}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/camden-joins-islington-and-southwark-to-cut-road-speed-limits-to-20mph-8389053.html|title=Camden joins Islington and Southwark to cut road speed limits to 20mph|date=6 December 2012|newspaper=Evening Standard|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Evening Standard|2012}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24999302|title=London cycle deaths: Chris Boardman wants HGV ban|newspaper=BBC News|date=21 November 2013e|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|BBC News|2013e}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONm4--sv5mcC&pg=PA676|title=London's cyclists get a £2 million better deal|first=Mick|last=Hamer|date=11 June 1981|work=New Scientist|volume=90|issue=1257|page=676|issn=0262-4079|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|New Scientist|1981}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/14/boris-johnson-london-cycling-deaths|title=Boris Johnson accused of dodging responsibility over cycling deaths|first1=Sam|last1=Jones|first2=Peter|last2=Walker|first3=Patrick|last3=Wintour|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 November 2013|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|The Guardian|2013a}}}}
    • {{Cite news|url=http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/council_give_green_light_for_camden_to_become_20mph_zone_1_2296896|title=Council give green light for Camden to become 20mph zone|first=Amie|last=Keeley|date=25 July 2013|newspaper=Ham & High|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Ham & High|2013}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/truly-a-cycling-revolution-boris-johnson-reveals-his-15-mile-segregated-bike-lanes-from-east-to-west-across-the-heart-of-london-8524002.html|title=Truly a cycling revolution: Boris Johnson reveals his 15-mile segregated bike lanes from east to west across the heart of London|first=Ross|last=Lydall|newspaper=Evening Standard|date=7 March 2013|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Evening Standard|2013}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/londons-bike-boom-6416979.html|title=London's bike boom|first=Andrew|last=Neather|date=30 June 2011|newspaper=Evening Standard|access-date=24 June 2011|ref={{SfnRef|Evening Standard|2011}}}}
    • {{cite news|last=Quigley-Jones|first=Jennifer|title=On yer bikes|url=http://www.economist.com/theworldin/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14742214&d=2010|series=The World in 2010|newspaper=The Economist|date=13 November 2009|access-date=23 November 2009|ref={{SfnRef|The Economist|2009}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/dec/01/stop-killing-cyclists-die-in-tfl-protest|title=Over 1,000 cyclists stage die-in protest outside Transport for London HQ|newspaper=The Guardian|first=John|last=Stuttle|date=1 December 2013|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|The Guardian|2013c}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/feb/09/transport.world1|title=City's two-wheel transformation|last=Taylor|first=Matthew|date=9 February 2008|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 August 2010|location=London|ref={{SfnRef|The Guardian|2008}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/crossrail-for-bikes-boris-unveils-fullysegregated-cycle-lanes-in-billionpound-plan-to-revolutionise-cycling-in-london-8524154.html|title=Crossrail for bikes: Boris unveils fully-segregated cycle lanes in billion-pound plan to revolutionise cycling in London|first=Simon|last=Usborne|newspaper=The Independent|date=8 March 2013|access-date=23 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|The Independent|2013}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/19/boris-johnson-london-cyclists-headphones|title=Boris Johnson's credibility with London cyclists is slipping away|first1=Peter|last1=Walker|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 November 2013|access-date=30 December 2013|ref={{SfnRef|The Guardian|2013b}}}}
    • {{cite news|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23433523-20mph-limit-for-london.do|title=20mph limit for London|author1-first=David|author1-last=Williams|author2-first=Ross|author2-last=Lydall|date=22 January 2008|newspaper=Evening Standard|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Evening Standard|2008}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606141340/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23433523-20mph-limit-for-london.do|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=dead}}

    {{refend}}

    = Reports and data =

    {{refbegin|2}}

    • {{cite web|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/bch-transparency-december-2013.pdf|title=Barclays Cycle Hire: Frequently requested statistics|date=December 2013|website=Transport for London|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Barclays Cycle Hire statistics|2013}}}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://www.lscp.org.uk/lrsu/www/downloads/publications/collisions_casualties_london10.pdf|title=Collisions and casualties on London's roads 2009|date=October 2010|author=London Road Safety Unit|website=Transport for London|page=116|access-date=24 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2009a}}}}
    • {{cite journal|author1-first=Andrei|author1-last=Morgan|author2-first=Helen B.|author2-last=Dale|author3-first=William E.|author3-last=Lee|author4-first=Phil J.|author4-last=Edwards|title=Deaths of cyclists in London: trends from 1992 to 2006|journal=BMC Public Health|date=15 November 2010|doi=10.1186/1471-2458-10-699|volume=10|page=699|pmid=21078190|pmc=2992064|ref={{SfnRef|Morgan, Dale, Lee and Edwards|2010}} |doi-access=free }}
    • {{cite web|website=Transport for London|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/Item09-Guardrail-Removal-Programme.pdf|title=Guardrail Removal Programme|date=24 February 2009|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2009b}}}}
    • {{cite web|title=How many people ride bikes in Cambridge?|url=http://www.camcycle.org.uk/resources/cyclinglevels/|website=Cambridge Cycling Campaign|year=2013|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Cambridge Cycling Campaign|2013}}}}
    • {{cite web|title=Local area walking and cycling statistics: England 2011/12|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/185738/local-area-walking-and-cycling-england-2011-12.pdf|access-date=17 December 2013|website=Sport England|date=16 April 2013|ref={{SfnRef|Sport England|2013}}}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://mts.tfl.gov.uk/Read-the-strategy/Public-Transport-(1)/Cycling.aspx|title=Mayor's Transport Strategy - Cycling|date=2008-06-16|website=Transport for London|access-date=2009-12-08|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2008}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223221300/http://mts.tfl.gov.uk/Read-the-strategy/Public-Transport-(1)/Cycling.aspx|archive-date=23 December 2009|url-status=dead}}
    • {{cite web|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/number_of_daily_cycle_journeys_i#incoming-539209|title=Number of daily cycle journeys in London|author=Transport for London|date=15 July 2014|website=WhatDoTheyKnow|access-date=15 July 2014|author-link=Transport for London}}
    • {{cite web|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/pedestrian-guardrailing-review-of-criteria-for-installation.pdf|title=Pedestrian Guard Railing: A Review of Criteria for Installation|author1-first=P.|author1-last=Zheng|author2-first=R. D.|author2-last=Hall|publisher=University of Southampton|website=Transport for London|date=October 2003|page=1|access-date=25 June 2014}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/series/road-accidents-and-safety/stats20-instructions-for-the-completion-of-road-accident-report-form-stats19-2011.pdf|title=STATS 20: Instructions for the Completion of Road Accident Reports from non-CRASH Sources|date=September 2011|website=Department for Transport|page=72|access-date=24 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Department for Transport|2011}}}}
    • {{cite report|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-1.pdf|title=Travel in London, Report 1|author=Transport for London|year=2009|page=21|access-date=23 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2009c}}|author-link=Transport for London}}
    • {{cite report|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-6.pdf|title=Travel in London, Report 6|author=Transport for London|year=2013|page=16|access-date=15 July 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2013a}}|author-link=Transport for London}}
    • {{cite web|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/Item05-STP-12-July-2011-Guardrail-Removals.pdf|title=Update on the Guardrail Risk Assessment Form|date=12 July 2011|website=Transport for London|page=2|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2011}}}}

    {{refend}}

    = Announcements =

    {{refbegin|30em}}

    • {{cite web|url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/what-we-do/media-centre/news-releases/2014/Pages/citys-20mph-speed-limit-passes-final-hurdle.aspx|title=City's 20mph speed limit passes final hurdle|date=8 April 2014|website=Transport for London|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|City of London|2014}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701172923/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/what-we-do/media-centre/news-releases/2014/Pages/citys-20mph-speed-limit-passes-final-hurdle.aspx|archive-date=1 July 2014|url-status=dead}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2013/01/mayor-appoints-andrew-gilligan-as-cycling-commissioner|title=Mayor Appoints Andrew Gilligan as Cycling Commissioner|website=Greater London Authority|date=25 January 2013|access-date=16 April 2013|ref={{SfnRef|Greater London Authority|2013}}}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/mayor-announces-world-class-ridelondon-event-take-forward-capital%E2%80%99s-olympic-legacy-0|title=Mayor announces world class RideLondon event to take forward capital's Olympic legacy|website=Greater London Authority|date=10 August 2012|access-date=20 August 2012|ref={{SfnRef|Greater London Authority|2012}}}}
    • {{cite web|url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/safe-streets-for-london.pdf|title=Safe Streets for London: The Road Safety Action Plan for London 2020|website=Transport for London|date=June 2013|access-date=24 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2013b}}}}

    {{refend}}

    = Other =

    {{refbegin|30em}}

    • {{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/routes-and-maps/barclays-cycle-superhighways |title=Barclays Cycle Superhighways |website=Transport for London |access-date=25 June 2014 |ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2014a}}}}
    • {{citation|url=http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=817 |title=Bike Week 2009 |date=19 December 2008 |work=London Cycling Campaign |access-date=8 December 2009 |ref={{SfnRef|London Cycling Campaign|2008a}}}}
    • {{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/bikes-on-public-transport|title=Bikes on public transport|publisher=Transport for London|year=2014|access-date=25 June 2014|ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2014b}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycles-on-public-transport |title=Cycles on public transport |website=Transport for London |year=2022 |access-date=11 June 2022 |ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2022b}}}}
    • {{cite news |url=http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/07/worlds-most-bicycle-friendly-cities.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728203742/http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/07/worlds-most-bicycle-friendly-cities.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=28 July 2012 |title=Bicycle Culture by Design: The World's Most Bicycle Friendly Cities |first=Mikael |last=Colville-Andersen |work=Copenhagenize |date=21 July 2009 |access-date=16 April 2013}}
    • {{cite web|website=London Cycling Campaign |url=http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1222 |title=Charity rides & events |date=20 November 2008 |access-date=8 December 2009 |ref={{SfnRef|London Cycling Campaign|2008}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/cycle-parking |title=Cycle parking |website=Transport for London |access-date=25 June 2014 |ref={{SfnRef|Transport for London|2014c}}}}
    • {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmR5t2RELns |people=Davies, J.R. (Writer, Producer, Director) |year=1984 |title=Cycling for London |medium=Television production |location=London |publisher=Greater London Council |time=1:52 |ref={{SfnRef|Greater London Council|1984}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=http://www.brake.org.uk/assets/docs/Whatshappening/Influencegovernment/GO20_campaign_briefing-Oct12.pdf |title=GO 20 Campaign Briefing |website=Brake |date=October 2012 |access-date=25 June 2014 |ref={{SfnRef|Brake|2012}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=http://lcc.org.uk/articles/mayors-new-vision-for-cycling-is-ground-breaking-says-london-cycling-campaign |title=Mayor's New Vision for Cycling is Groundbreaking|website=London Cycling Campaign |publisher=Lcc.org.uk |date=2012-12-06 |access-date=2013-04-16 |ref={{SfnRef|London Cycling Campaign|2012}}}}
    • {{cite web|website=London Cycling Campaign |url=http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1222 |title=London Cycling Award Winners 2008 |date=10 November 2008 |access-date=8 December 2009 |ref={{SfnRef|London Cycling Campaign|2008b}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=London |title=London - World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) - Wiki information site |website=Wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org |date=2013-03-29 |access-date=2013-04-16 |ref={{SfnRef|World Naked Bike Ride|2013}}}}
    • {{cite web |url=http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/walking-and-cycling-in-londons-greatest-park/share-the-space-drop-your-pace |title=Share the Space, Drop your Pace |website=Canal & River Trust |year=2014 |access-date=25 June 2014 |ref={{SfnRef|Canal & River Trust|2014}}}}

    {{refend}}

    =General information on London cycling=

    • [http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Cycling%20Vision%20GLA%20template%20FINAL.pdf/ The Mayor's Vision for Cycling in London] (March 2013)
    • [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/ Transport for London's cycling pages]
    • [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/routes-and-maps Cycle guides and maps]
    • [http://cyclejourneyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/cycle/ Cycle journey planner]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
    • [http://london.cyclestreets.net/ London CycleStreets map and journey planner]

    =Organisations=

    • [https://web.archive.org/web/20110511045402/http://www.lcc.org.uk/ London Cycling Campaign]
    • [http://www.centrallondonctc.org.uk/ Central London CTC], the local branch of Cyclists' Touring Club, a charitable membership organization supporting cyclists and promoting bicycle use

    =Safety information=

    • [https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/safety/road-safety-advice/driving-and-cycling-safety Driving and cycling safety tips] from Transport for London
    • [http://www.lscp.org.uk/lrsu/data-research_publications.html Road safety fact sheets, reports and data] from Transport for London's London Road Safety Unit
    • [https://spreadsheets1.google.com/ccc?hl=en&key=tvjlFu5W-U0UxTjNcUlfgmw&hl=en#gid=0 Cycling in London: Severe crashes 2006-2014] (Google Maps custom map)
    • [https://spreadsheets1.google.com/ccc?hl=en&key=tvjlFu5W-U0UxTjNcUlfgmw&hl=en#gid=0 Cycling in London: Severe crashes 2006-2014] (Google Docs spreadsheet)

    =History=

    • [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXORho_jxAs Cycling in London] ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmR5t2RELns alternative link]; on YouTube, 24 minutes), a film produced by the Greater London Council in 1984 to show improvements made by their Cycling Unit to cycling facilities in London

    {{Cycling in different countries and cities}}

    London