Cycling in London: Can pop-up bike lanes keep us riding after lockdown?

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Falling back in love with a neglected bike and discovering the city from two wheels provided a bright spot for some Londoners over lockdown — and has prompted many to consider ditching their old transport options long-term.

“I think my car has forgotten who I am,� says Afsaneh Parvizi-Wayne, 54. “I’ve spent lockdown walking and getting the old lady [her bike] out, cleaning it up and cycling everywhere.�

It’s not just those who had lost the habit who have been embracing cycling. There are lots of new bikes now on the capital’s roads — nine per cent of Londoners have bought a bike since lockdown was imposed, according to recent analysis by analytics firm GlobalData.

To help keep people cycling as lockdown lifts, temporary bike lanes have been popping up around the city. Parvizi-Wayne, who lives in Highgate, has already tried out some of the 15km of pop-up lanes.

“Before, the cycling lanes were quite unconnected but the one in Park Lane now is brilliant. It links up the west to Hyde Park and onto Bayswater and I could literally stay on a bike lane all the way home,� she notes.
Health benefits of cycling

The health benefits of regular cycling are significant. A recent study by Dr Richard Patterson from the University of Cambridge’s MRC Epidemiology Unit found that cycling to work can cut the risk of dying early from illnesses such as heart disease and cancer by up to 24 per cent.

“We found that cycling was really good for you and quite substantially so,� Patterson says. “People who cycled to work had a 20 per cent reduced rate of dying. Other studies have found an even greater reduction so it’s actually more on the conservative side. We also found a 16 per cent reduced rate of dying from cancer.�

While lockdown saw more of us take to our bikes, Patterson is concerned that the pandemic may also have seen an increase in people using cars to avoid public transport. “The fewer people in cars, the more pleasant and enjoyable the cycle is, so it’s self-reinforcing,� he explains. “If things were pushed in that direction, more people would be pushed into more healthy behaviours.�

That means we have a great opportunity to build cycling habits, he notes, but there’s also significant risk. “If we get it wrong and double-down on the mistakes of the past where we have been very car-dependent, it’s difficult to see how we’ll pull it back.�

The health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks of deeply breathing dirty air. But reducing that risk and improving air quality in the city would make travelling by bike more appealing. Parvazi-Wayne, the founder of natural period care brand Freda, says she noticed a drop in air pollution over lockdown. “The air has been so different and I wish it could stay this way. Before lockdown you usually came home and your hands were dirty and your clothes were actually filthy and it hasn’t been like that.�

Over this period, air quality in the city improved dramatically — Marylebone Road, which normally sees high levels of traffic, saw levels of nitrogen dioxide drop by 55 per cent according to data collected by King’s College London — but there are concerns that pollution will return to pre-Covid levels.

Marketing executive Ryan Curle, 26, is a member of Brixton Cycles Club and involved in the Southwark Cyclists campaign group.

He got rid of his car when he moved to London, and usually commutes by bike from his home in West Norwood to Chancery Lane, so is keeping an eye on measures put in place by TfL and the Mayor. He is also keen to see a reduction in air pollution. “It’s definitely something I noticed in the first few weeks of living in London,� he says. “It just feels different. You breathe it in and it’s very strange.�

A recent report by Climate Assembly UK found that the British public wanted a “green recovery� from the pandemic and would be prepared to continue many of the lifestyle changes enforced by the coronavirus lockdown to help tackle the so-called climate emergency.

Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, told the Evening Standard: “It is essential that we don’t replace one health crisis with another fuelled by toxic air pollution, which is why we’re working closely with the boroughs to make London’s recovery from coronavirus as clean, green and sustainable as possible.�

New cycle lanes created so far include Park Lane, Hampstead Road, an upgraded route between Chelsea Bridge and Lambeth Bridge and a major new lane being built on Euston Road. The schemes are temporary but TfL says some may become permanent.
Reducing cyclists exposure to toxic air

But there are concerns about whether the changes go far enough. The London Cycling Campaign, a charity that advocates for cycling and cyclists, has called for more — speedier — action, citing a study that estimates a 22 per cent London-wide increase in car commuting compared with pre-pandemic figures as people seek to avoid public transport.

Segregated cycle lanes can help reduce cyclists’ exposure to air pollution. They also address one of the biggest barriers to commuting by bike: the fear of riding alongside London traffic.

Curle notes that people have often told him they are too afraid to cycle around the capital — and argues that closing residential roads to non-local traffic would be a good step.

“Those kind of measures are things we can do to make people feel safe and encourage them to keep riding because those back streets are often where cyclists turn to in order to stay away from traffic,� he says.

“The only way we are going to stop people buying cars to avoid public transport is if we help make people feel more comfortable out on their bikes.�

Thomasina Smith, 36, a freelance graphic designer who lives in Crystal Palace, used to rely on spinning classes for her cycling fix, but bought a bike at the start of lockdown. She plans to continue using it for exercise and transport — but has already noticed an increase in traffic since lockdown restrictions began to ease.

“It does feel more dangerous, and the air quality is pretty grim sometimes,� she notes. “I try to keep to quieter residential roads or plan my journey to go through parks if possible.�

But as for many other cyclists, the benefits outweigh the downsides for Smith.

“It’s convenient — you can just get up and go — it’s a great way to explore different places, it’s low-impact exercise and it’s free.�

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