Cycling in London is up 40% since the pandemic, says TfL

Cycling in London has increased by 40% since the start of the pandemic, according to Transport for London (TfL).

The annual Travel in London report also shows that the total number of journeys by all modes of transport in the capital is starting to recover since the pandemic.

As of October, demand for Tube services across the week was around 82% of pre-pandemic levels, while bus passenger numbers are at 84%.

The DLR and Trams are seeing around 80% of their pre-pandemic levels of use and London Overground just below this.

Tfl described the increase in people cycling as “encouraging”  and “essential to a more sustainable future for London.”

The data revealed that weekday cycling trips this autumn have been around 20-25% higher than pre-pandemic levels, despite less commuting, and around 90% higher at weekends.

The proportion of people living within 400 metres of a high-quality cycle route is now almost double what it was in 2019, with 22%  of Londoners now living near one, compared to 12% in 2019.

There has also been record usage of the Santander bike hire scheme - 10.9 million hires so far this year, up 762,500 on the same point last year, and including 86,000 hires of the scheme’s new e-bikes

The proportion of journeys that are walked has increased from 35% to 41%.

London’s Walking and Cycling commissioner, Will Norman, said: “It’s great to see that the boom in walking and cycling we saw during the pandemic has continued as more Londoners enjoy using sustainable ways to get around the capital.

“We must continue to make active travel around the city as accessible and safe as possible.”

The report also highlights improvements in air quality over recent years, attributing this to the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to inner London, with estimated reductions of 20%  in NO2 concentrations.

The report shows that outer London now accounts for an increasing proportion of NOx  and PM2.5 emissions from road transport.

This comes as the mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced plans to extend the ULEZ to outer London next August.

Alex Williams, TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer, said: “Walking and cycling are absolutely essential to a more sustainable future for London so it’s very encouraging to see this new data, which shows that there continues to be significant increases in the number of journeys cycled or on foot.

“We’re determined to ensure that the way people travel in London is as healthy and sustainable as possible and continuing to encourage people back onto public transport is also a key part of this.”