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London to invest $140 million to boost cycling in the 'burbs

London to invest $140 million to boost cycling in the 'burbs

As we’ve been reporting, there are some pretty big urbanism proposals being pushed in London right now. Next month, the city is expected to break ground on a massive cycle superhighway that will give cyclists about 20 miles of new protected bike lanes. Mayor Johnson is also supporting a plan to bury parts of major thoroughfares to boost walkability and development. But now, something even bigger is brewing in the London suburbs.

People for Bikes reported that the city’s regional government is investing $140 million into cycling, which could be “the biggest municipal bicycling investment in the history of Europe.” This amount, which represents 10 percent of Transport for London’s (TfL) ten-year bicycle infrastructure budget, will be used to turn three suburbs into what the agency calls “mini-Hollands.” The goal in each of these three ‘burbs (Kingston, Enfield, Waltham Forest) is to get people out of their cars and onto bikes—especially for short trips.

To bring Holland to outer London, TfL is proposing to redesign town centers, build new suburban Cycle Superhighways, and create “Dutch-style roundabouts and rail superhubs.” The TfL sees huge potential for bike transit growth in these areas where mass transit tends to be less convenient than what is offered in denser urban environments. “More than half of potential cycle journeys in London are in the suburbs,” said the agency on its website. “This programme will aim to target these journeys, moving significant numbers of short car trips to bike.”

The agency said the boroughs are currently working on detailed designs and timelines for their plans.


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