London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to build two new cycle superhighways and a cycling bridge over the Thames under proposals to spend 'a record' £770m on active travel.
Over the next five years the mayor oplans to invest in the completion and extension of existing superhighways, two new superhighways and a new cyclist and pedestrian bridge linking Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf , thought to cost more than £88m.
Cyclists using the East-west Cycle Superhighway
Mr Khan said: ‘Our plans include consulting on two new Cycle Superhighways next year, in addition to a new East-West Route. And unlike the previous mayor, we will continue to focus on how we can minimise disruption and congestion as we push ahead with the construction of new cycling infrastructure.
'By spending £770m over the course of the next TfL Business Plan, we’ll now be spending the same per head as Denmark and the Netherlands – places famous around the world for their cycling.'
The Transport for London (TfL) draft business plan is being published later this week and outlines a total of £770m up to 2021/2022 on infrastructure and initiatives to promote cycling.
According to the mayor’s office, the average of £154m per year under the new plans represents an average £17 per head per year, or 5.5% of TfL’s budget, compared with 2.4% under the last term of previous mayor Boris Johnson.
Research to be published in the next few months will identify ‘the links that are fundamental to the development of a cycle network’, the mayor’s office said, while Mr Khan said he will ‘very shortly’ appoint a new walking and cycling commissioner for London.
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