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The number of people cycling and walking on London’s Greenways up by a fifth (21 per cent), a figure buoyed by 40 new Greenway locations opening across London in 2011.
The Greenway network – comprising traffic-free walking and cycling routes through parks, along canals and quiet streets – now stretches 375km, or 233 miles.
The TfL figures cover the 12 months between summer 2010 and summer 2011. Six Greenways were surveyed in 2010 and 2011 and over one thousand route users were interviewed. 45 per cent of those surveyed said they were now walking more than a year ago; 49 per cent said they intended to walk more over the next 12 months; 19 per cent had started to cycle more because of Greenways and 26 per cent said they intended to cycle more over the next 12 months.
TfL said it is committed to developing Greenways across the city because ‘they are an effective way of encouraging more people to walk for shorter journeys and to begin to cycle more often’. The Greenways have been designed to connect pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities to town centres, schools, shops, parks and open spaces in safe and secure environments.
“The growing numbers of cyclists and pedestrians taking to Greenways is a clear indication of Londoners embracing sustainable ways of getting around," said TfL director of planning for surface transport Ben Plowden. "We are committed to working with our partners to breathe new life into neglected and underused spaces by creating a walking and cycling network that can be used by all.”
“Greenways are an ideal place for those who want to hone their cycling skills before cycling on London’s roads and provide a popular and often more pleasant alternative for pedestrians to busy streets.”
A further 1,900km of Greenways are planned for the future across the city with cash from Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding as well as from the Greenways Programme, which will build on the London 2012 Games legacy.
