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New Yorkers pedal hard to catch London's cycling lead
Kiran Randhawa and Mark Prigg01.09.09
London cyclists have inspired a bike revolution in New York, it was claimed today.
Transport bosses from America have made factfinding missions to establish how London is geared up for cyclists.
The number of commuters using bicycles in New York jumped by 35 per cent between 2007 and last year, with 185,000 cycling every day.
New York cycling campaign group Transportation Alternatives said London "fuelled the fire" behind the city's enthusiasm for commuting by bike.
Its members met the London Cycling Campaign, who took the Americans for rides around cycle lanes in March - from Marylebone through to Islington, for example.
Spokesman Wiley Norvell said: "Ten years ago, both New York and London were similarly hostile cities for cyclists.
"The transformation in London really took shape with congestion charging, and in terms of the way the roads are laid out, means it had more opportunities to create cycle lanes to make it more bike-friendly.
"This definitely fuelled the fire for New York. We didn't want to be left behind so we took ideas from London and the result is a phenomenal success."
New York has built more than 600 miles of bike lanes and more are scheduled to open next year.
Tom Bogdanowicz of the London Cycling Campaign said London could also learn from New York.
"We spent a lot of time with Transportation Alternatives and showed them what is here and what is planned.
"We are cities perfectly suited to cycling, so we are proud we can show them what we have achieved, and I'm sure they will do things we can learn from."
In 2007 Sustrans was given £3.5million to improve cycling in the capital. Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London are investing £111million this year on cycling infrastructure.
Some 545,000 daily bicycle journeys are made in London - a nine per cent increase on last year. Since 2000 the capital has seen a 107 per cent increase in cyclists.
Among the planned projects are 12 Superhighways - routes designed to encourage people to commute by bike.
Two, from South Wimbledon to Bank via the A24 and A3, and Barking to Tower Hill via the A13 and Cable Street, will be finished by next spring. The others will be created by 2012.
A cycle hire scheme will also be introduced next year, enabling people to pick up and drop off bikes at 400 hire points in central London.
An initial 6,000 hire bikes are expected to generate 40,000 extra daily cycle trips.
The Mayor has also pledged to create 66,000 cycle parking spaces by 2012 to add to the 70,000 put in since 2000.
But Ralph Smyth, a transport worker at the Campaign to protect Rural England, said London trailed New York in its cycling infrastructure.
"We are spending a lot but not seeing a lot of improvement. Paris, Berlin and New York are much more cycle-friendly."
Reader views (10)
Bill, pedestrians’ anger at cyclists stems from envy? No, it stems from the stress and fear of injury caused by pavement cyclists. I have never owned a car and either take the bus or walk everywhere but walking has now become a nightmare where I live. Aggressive, bullying cyclists just do whatever they like with absolutely no fear of repercussions.
I think people like you have no idea what it feels like to be constantly looking behind you for the next man (it's always men) to storm up behind you at speeds faster than the cars in the road. It is stressful and exhausting and getting worse every week. They use bikes as weapons of intimidation.
I travel everywhere with someone who is blind and has a guide dog. You would think that would entitle her to a little consideration wouldn’t you? She has been hit on three occasions and her guide dog frightened on countless more. Do blind people not have the right to function independently in this city any more or the right to feel safe on the pavement because of cyclists “rights” to do whatever they like?
For me and for many of my neighbours and friends pavement cycling has become a political issue; which party is going to protect us and give us back our pavements? Gordon Brown has claimed that he will clamp down on anti-social behaviour, well he could try starting with pavement cyclists and stop making pavements “shared paths”, a practice that just rewards the bullies.
- Sharon, East London
David, I don't if you're aware but Wimbledon is in South West London, have a look at the map of the planned routes and notice the huge gap across South London (not SE or SW).
- Bob, Cheam
The increase in cycling in London says more about how resilient Londoners are than it does about the quality of dedicated cycle lanes here. I've had several minor accidents and two major ones (one of which resulted in a laceration along the side of my neck that was close to fatal) which were all caused by reckless / less than aware drivers. London's cycle lanes are little more than symbolic - I would not recommend cycling in London to anyone, and only continue to cycle here because my love for cycling means I'm too stubborn to stop.
- Hv, London
Londoners cycling is a great way to reduce your fat, save money on the congestion charge and time. But please follow the highway code and use lights like me. Thanks.
- Andrew, London
Reasons to cycle in London...
- It is a hell of a lot quicker than any of the public transport, especially the busses that barely exceed walking pace.
- It is 100% more reliable, with journey times being the same day in day out.
- It is a lot cheaper!
- Saves having a gym membership.
- You get to know London better.
- You don't have to suffer the inhumain conditions of the public transport in rush-hour, especially in the summer when livestock transportation have a better situation.
- Although you are the most hated person out there, by drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, you know the anger stems from envy.
Yes the raods could be better, and the death rate lower, but on the whole it makes London a much more stress free place to live and work.
- Bill, London
Cyclists are a nuisance and dangerous. As someone who walks to work, a full 80 mins a day, I wish they would go away or that someone would police them properly. They run reds, rush through pedestrian crossings, wander into the roads in front of buses and have a total disregard for everyone but themselves.
- Af, London
Bob,
There is a superhighway planned from South Wimbledon along the A3 Kingston Bypass and into town. It even states that in the article above.
- David, London
This is a fantastic reflection on London and Londoners in the best city in the World.
I don't know what has prompted this massive increase in cycling in London but I do know that whatever the reasons for people getting on their bikes the end result is good for all of us. Firstly for the environment because of the resulting reductions in carbon emissions, and secondly for health reasons. I think the Mayor of London’s investment in cycling is forward thinking and definitely worthwhile.
We live in a beautiful city with a wealth of historic buildings, stunning modern architecture, vibrant local communities and fabulous green spaces – what better way to get round it than on a bike.
- Charley Artmeis, London
It's good to see that all 12 "Superhighways" cover every part of London except the South. Perhaps they think we still live in the dark ages and consider self propelled conveyances as witchcraft?
- Bob, Cheam
The increase in cycling in London was prompted firstly by the Congestion Charge and then (though illogically) by 7/7. This increase is in spite of, and not because of, London's appalling cycle lanes which are mostly both inconvenient and dangerous. They act as a disincentive to cycling.
- Dave Kahn, Twickenham, UK
