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The number of Londoners who cycle regularly has surged over the past few years thanks to a deliberate strategy to promote the healthy, emissions-free mode of transport.
London’s latest traffic survey, which is conducted every second year during the autumn months, shows that the number of people cycling in the central part of the city was 57% higher in 2024 than just two years before, and 70% up from 2017 levels.
Walking is also on the up, but remains below pre-pandemic levels, most likely due to the move to remote working, the city says.
On the other hand, motor vehicle numbers have declined 34% since 2017 and are now at “nearly a third of what they were in 1999”.
As a result, “active” modes of travel — walking, wheeling and cycling — now account for three-quarters of all travel in the city. During peak hours (8-10am and 5-7pm), 85% of all on-street travel activity is active.
If recent trends persist, the city says cycling will overtake motor vehicles as the main mode of transport within the next two years.
Behind the switch: The decline in motor vehicle use is partly explained by the city’s congestion charges and low-emission zones, which have led to a 27% decline in harmful roadside concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
Meanwhile, the city’s cycling renaissance is largely due to the ongoing roll-out of “cycle superhighways” throughout the metropolitan. To complement that programme, the local government has partnered with companies to incentivise bike purchases through a “cycle to work” programme, and to introduce a range of bike rental options.
