Cycle journeys in London up by 20% since the pandemic, says TfL

The number of daily cycle journeys in London has increased by 20% since before the pandemic, new data from Transport for London (TfL) has revealed.

The annual Travel in London report shows that daily cycle journeys increased in 2023 to hit an estimated 1.26 million journeys per day, up by 6.3% from 1.19 million in 2022, and up a fifth since 2019.

The figures also reveal that cycling now accounts for 4.5% of all trips in London - up from 3.6% in 2019. 

Cycling in central London has seen a smaller increase of 1.7% reflecting hybrid working and less commuter cycling, but both inner and outer London have seen strong increases of 8.2% and 5.5% respectively compared to 2022 levels.

New data also shows that the proportion of Londoners who have cycled in the past year has increased from 21% to 24%, though women and black and minority ethnic Londoners continue to be under-represented.

The report also shows that walking accounts for 39% of all trips by London residents.

TfL attributed the rise in cycling to the increase in cycle lanes, which now total 352 km.

London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “I’m delighted to see the increase in cycling and walking journeys in London continue for yet another year. The mayor and I are committed to boosting this further. We will continue to expand the network of cycleways and make more junctions and crossings safer.”

Stephen Edwards, chief executive of Living Streets, said: “This data shows that investing in our streets to make them better for people walking and wheeling pays off. Creating safer, more pleasant streets makes it easier for people to choose to walk their short journeys. 

“We need to build on these results and continue to make London a great city for walking, so we can all reap the benefits of cleaner air and safer streets.”