Transport for London (TfL) has awarded more than £3.5 million of investment to 30 London boroughs to create 7,800 new cycle spaces in town centres, stations, schools and residential areas.
Published: Wednesday, 15th January 2020
The increased investment will enable thousands more cycle journeys to take place each week by ensuring more journeys begin and end with a place to park. The investment has been carefully targeted to add spaces where they are most needed.
The funding is part of TfL’s Cycle Parking Implementation Plan, published last year, which highlighted that thousands of new bike parking spaces are needed to keep up with increased levels of cycling. TfL is working with councils, schools, universities and hospitals across the capital to ensure the number of cycle parking spaces can meet demand.
Cycling in London has continued to boom in recent years, with recent TfL data showing the average daily total distance cycled in the capital exceeding four million kilometres for the first time.
The £3.5 million cycle parking funding is part of the Mayor’s record investment in cycling and walking. This is designed to help create healthy streets across the capital, which enable people to walk, cycle and use public transport more often – benefitting people’s health, improving air quality and reducing road danger. The Mayor and TfL are committed to increasing the number of journeys made in London by walking, cycling or public transport from 63 per cent to 80 per cent by 2041.
In Hounslow, the additional funding received from TfL has enabled the council to set up a scheme to offer residents of the borough the possibility of having a Bikehangar installed. Bikehangars offer a secure solution to overnight cycle parking and an effective way to protect bikes from tough weather conditions and vandalism. This product stores six bikes within half the space of a car parking bay, making it ideal for areas where space for indoor cycle storage space is limited.
Hounslow Council continues to review cycle parking provision and is interested to hear about locations that would benefit from additional on-street cycle parking to help residents safely secure a bike while visiting local shops and other amenities.
Councillor Hanif Khan, Cabinet Member for Transport at Hounslow Council said:
We welcome this additional investment from TfL as if we want our residents to switch to sustainable modes of transport, such as cycling, we need to make this convenient for them and providing adequate cycle parking is a key part of this. If there is any area in the borough that you feel needs further cycle parking provision, please get in touch with us on [email protected]
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said:
“We are determined to get more Londoners onto their bikes to help to tackle congestion and make the city greener.
“As well as continuing to make cycling safer, we know it’s vital that we make the beginning and the end of people’s journeys as simple and hassle free as possible. Alongside our investment in high-quality routes, we are extremely pleased that this new funding for cycle parking facilities will enable thousands more Londoners from all corners of the capital to hop on a bike.”