In early September, London witnessed a striking surge in cycling as the city's lime-green rental e-bikes became a common sight during five days of tube strikes. Rental firm Lime reported a remarkable 74% increase in trips, with journeys being 40% longer and covering 35% more distance than usual. This surge reflects London's position as one of the UK’s leading cycling hubs, alongside cities like Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, Milton Keynes, and Brighton, though the UK as a whole still lags significantly behind European cycling powerhouses such as the Netherlands and France.
The Netherlands, often considered the world’s cycling capital, offers lessons in how to integrate cycling into everyday life effectively. Despite not being the birthplace of the bicycle, the Netherlands boasts more bicycles than people, with approximately 27% of all journeys made by bike compared to a mere 2% in the UK. The key to Dutch cycling popularity is an infrastructure designed around safety and convenience. The country features 25 cycling superhighways—dedicated, segregated routes with their own traffic signals and ample space to accommodate cyclists safely and comfortably. Thoughtful integration of cycling infrastructure into transport hubs, such as the Driebergen-Zeist train station’s below-ground cycle lanes, illustrates the country’s commitment to seamless, safe cycling.
Iconic examples of Dutch cycling infrastructure include the Eindhoven Hovenring, a suspended cycling roundabout that enhances safety in busy road areas, and the bicycle apple in Alphen aan den Rijn, a pioneering bike parking facility holding over 2,800 bikes. Meanwhile, the 800-metre Pieter Smit Bridge in Groningen is among the longest walking and cycling bridges worldwide, exemplifying large-scale investment in active travel routes. Employers further encourage cycling through tax incentives, offering a milage allowance of up to €0.19 per kilometre.
France’s experience during the Covid-19 pandemic also demonstrates how active travel can be rapidly promoted under pressing circumstances. To maintain its sustainability goals amid reduced public transport usage, France implemented temporary ‘Covid cycle lanes’ nationwide, introduced urban cycling training courses, and offered €50 bike repair vouchers. These measures resulted in a 27% increase in bike use in Paris from the previous year, with the trend continuing thereafter.
In contrast, cycling in the UK faces significant safety challenges and infrastructure shortcomings. Department for Transport figures for 2023 reveal 87 pedal cyclist deaths, nearly 4,000 serious injuries, and over 10,000 slight injuries in Great Britain, with driver failure to look properly being the most common cause of serious collisions. Dame Sarah Storey OBE, a cycling Paralympian, emphasises the need to treat driving as a privilege rather than a right, calling for authorities to prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users.
Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) pose a particular risk, with collisions involving these vehicles accounting for many fatalities. The construction sector must adopt stringent risk management approaches akin to those seen on-site, supported by the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard. This standard mandates responsibility across construction stakeholders to reduce road network and community impacts. Notably, London's introduction of the Direct Vision Standard, which restricts the most dangerous lorries, has resulted in a 62% reduction in fatal collisions.
Beyond safety, broader cultural and infrastructure deficits impede growth in UK cycling. Phil Jones, chair of transport planning practice PJA, highlights a chicken-and-egg scenario: low cycling numbers lead to reluctance in investing in infrastructure, perpetuating poor cycling uptake. In 2023, the average UK person spent just six minutes weekly cycling, accounting for only 1% of travel distance, reflecting insufficient infrastructure and a lack of perceived accessibility.
Yet, the UK government is making strides to reverse this. Earlier in the year, it pledged nearly £300 million to build 300 miles of new footpaths and cycle tracks, aiming to boost active travel journeys by 30 million annually. This is part of the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3), which also allocates £30 million to enhance the National Cycling Network’s 10,000-mile-plus routes. Further capital funding of £616 million is earmarked for Active Travel England from 2026 to 2030, supporting councils in building and maintaining safe, high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure. This funding complements broader transport investment schemes amounting to billions, aiming to improve safety, social mobility, and environmental outcomes through active travel.
London itself remains ambitious in its efforts. Under the Mayor’s leadership and Transport for London (TfL), the city has expanded high-quality Cycleway routes to 360 km, quadrupling the network since 2016. The city now sees around 1.26 million daily cycle journeys—a 20% increase since 2019. Community-focused initiatives like the Walking and Cycling Grants London programme have injected over £550,000 into supporting grassroots groups to remove barriers to active travel, ensuring inclusivity across diverse communities.
Historical efforts such as the Mini-Hollands scheme, launched in 2014, underscore the impact of adopting Dutch-style cycling infrastructure in outer London boroughs. This £100 million initiative transformed areas like Waltham Forest, Enfield, and Kingston with segregated lanes and car-free zones to encourage everyday cycling, demonstrating effective models for replication.
The UK’s National Cycle Network, run by charity Sustrans, further supports cycling with over 12,000 miles of designated routes—5,220 miles of which are traffic-free paths. Utilizing an array of thoroughfares including disused railways, canal towpaths, and traffic-calmed streets, the network provides safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
While London’s recent cycling surge during tube strikes was perhaps situational, it highlights the potential for wider cycling acceptance if supported by safer, innovative infrastructure and societal commitment. To truly realise the benefits of active travel—healthier populations, reduced congestion, lower emissions—the UK must continue learning from international exemplars while nurturing an inclusive, safety-focused cycling culture. This requires sustained investment, community engagement, and robust regulation of road users, especially motorists, to cultivate a safe and accessible environment for all cyclists.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (Institution of Civil Engineers) - Paragraphs 1-9, 11-17
- [2] (UK Government - CWIS3) - Paragraph 10
- [3] (UK Government) - Paragraph 10
- [4] (UK Government) - Paragraph 10
- [5] (Mayor of London / TfL) - Paragraph 11
- [6] (Wikipedia - Mini-Hollands) - Paragraph 12
- [7] (Wikipedia - National Cycle Network) - Paragraph 13
Source: Noah Wire Services