London Succeeds in Growing Cycling
The number of people cycling in London has increased by 83 per cent over seven years. The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured each year has fallen by 28 per cent over the same period.
The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, credits increased investment in cycling infrastructure and education, as well as growing confidence among riders. London is experiencing a cycling renaissance. We can now justifiably call ourselves a cycling city, a proposal that would have seemed ridiculous just six years ago. Record investment in cycling through Transport for London, an expanding network of cycle and bus lanes, and the confidence given to cyclists through tackling congestion in central London, has transformed levels of cycling in the capital. And, critically, while numbers of people cycling are up, levels of those being killed or seriously injured on bikes are down.
Transport for London, or TFL, is the region’s transportation authority. Among the investments are: the completion of 500 kilometres of cycling routes, with a further 400 kilometres to be completed by 2010; a campaign to increase safety for all road users; and the installation of 10,000 parking spaces for bikes in the past two years.
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