Transport for London (TfL) and Southwark Council have completed work on Lower Road in southeast London. This new section of Cycleway 4, the latest to be completed, now enables people to cycle safely all the way from London Bridge to Greenwich. It is a vital part of TfL’s commitment to expand the cycle network, making it even safer, easier and more affordable for people to travel around London.
The completion of Cycleway 4 means that TfL and London boroughs will have quadrupled the size of the strategic cycle network from 90km in 2016 to over 360km by the end of this month. The rapid expansion of the network in recent years means that nearly a quarter of Londoners now live within 400m of a high-quality route. The new Cycleways are supporting many more people to cycle, by making it more inclusive and removing barriers that stop some Londoners from cycling, with recent TfL data showing that the number of daily cycle journeys has increased to 1.26 million in 2023, a 20 per cent rise compared to 2019.
TfL has also launched a new day pass for Santander Cycles this week, which allows unlimited journeys under 30 minutes all day from £3 and makes Santander Cycles one of the most affordable ways to travel in the capital. TfL is also on track to add an additional 1,400 new e-bikes to the scheme this summer, more than tripling the number available to hire and further expanding access to cycling.
Since 2016, TfL’s work alongside London’s boroughs has been crucial to the continued rollout of a number of significant new Cycleways in the capital, as well as extensions to existing Cycleways. Major additions to the network include:
C4 between Tooley Street and Greenwich
C9 between Hammersmith and Kew Bridge
C17 along Rosendale Road in Lambeth
C24 between Tottenham Hale and Walthamstow
C38 between Angel and Finsbury Park
C42 between Ilford and Barking Riverside
Work to complete the ‘missing section’ of C1 between Edmonton and White Hart Lane, enabling continuous cycling between the M25 and City of London
On Lower Road, the new section of Cycleway 4 includes 1.3km of protected two-way cycle lanes, which connects the previously completed sections on Jamaica Road and Evelyn Street. As well as the new Cycleway, a new signalised pedestrian crossing has been installed outside the entrance to Southwark Park, further improving pedestrian safety and accessibility. Cycleway 4 now connects central London and Greenwich, with further connections to Cycleways 10 and 14, and has eight new and 28 upgraded pedestrian crossings along the route in total, along with six Santander Cycles docking stations.
During the next financial year, TfL will continue to work with London’s boroughs to deliver more high-quality cycling schemes with £19.5m of investment already announced. This funding will complete Cycleways between Lea Bridge and Dalston, between Deptford and Deptford Creek and Hammersmith and Kensington Olympia. This funding will also progress design and delivery of Cycleways across Bexley, Harrow, Hounslow, Newham and Redbridge.
