TfL awards 30 community projects grants to encourage cycling

Thirty community projects across London have been awarded TfL’s Cycling Grants London funding to encourage more people to cycle.

In 2017 the Mayor set out plans to improve air quality in the capital and set out an ambition of increasing the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80% of journeys by 2041.

However, latest figures show that just 25% of people from non-white or mixed backgrounds cycled at least once in 2017/18, compared to 37% of people from white backgrounds.

Cycling Grants London funding particularly helps groups that are traditionally under-represented among those choosing sustainable methods of travel.

The winning projects stretch across London and range from schemes that train young people in bike maintenance, a project that encourages women working in hospitals to cycle, training for young offenders to become bike mechanics, cycling groups for disabled and homeless people and a cycle training and maintenance project for the Hindu Bengali community.

According to TfL, they have helped more than 18,000 people to cycle since Cycling Grants London began in 2015

They also say that following improved cycling infrastructure there has been a significant increase in cycling in certain areas, including a 200% increase on Lower Thames Street, a 124% increase on Blackfriars Road and a 53% increase in Whitechapel.

However, the number of women cycling in London has increased by just 4% in the last three years.

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: ‘We want Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to take up cycling and enjoy the huge benefits. These grants directly support local groups to run brilliant projects in their communities encouraging many more people on to two wheels.

‘By giving Londoners of all abilities, ages and backgrounds the confidence to cycle, we can improve their health and quality of life, as well as reducing toxic air pollution, which improves our city for everyone.’

Miranda Leedham, head of customer marketing and behaviour change at TfL, added: ‘We’re working hard to make cycling more accessible for everyone, giving them access to high-quality cycle training and infrastructure which keeps people fit and happy.

‘Cycle Grants London is a valuable part of that work – diversifying the growing number of people who are cycling in the capital every day. We’re looking forward to hearing success stories from the 30 projects that are awarded funding today.’

The Mayor and TfL hope to create 400km of new cycling routes to London’s cycling network. More than 140km of cycle routes have been constructed so far during this Mayoral term.