Sutton cycling jumps 50 per cent in one year

Since the introduction of a TfL funded Smarter Travel scheme, cycling numbers in the London borough of Sutton are reported to have jumped 50 per cent.

According to TfL the three-year, £5 million project has also resulted in:

• A 17 per cent fall in reported cycle theft in the borough since the start of the programme, thanks to the introduction of around 200 new secure cycle parking spaces across Sutton; proactive targeting of cycle theft hotspots by the police; and more than 400 free bike security marking kits handed out under the Smarter Travel scheme
• Every school in Sutton is now actively participating in the Smarter Travel initiative and has an approved travel plan. Sutton is the first London borough to achieve this feat, two years ahead of government targets, and as a result, fewer parents are driving their children to school
• Every major Sutton employer is also participating in the scheme, involving more than 13,000 employees

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "The fact that this initiative has led so many people in Sutton to take to two wheels is great news for the environment and for the wellbeing of people in the borough.

"At the moment cycling represents just one per cent of journeys in London, so I hope that the experience of Sutton will help to encourage more people to get cycling – thereby reducing pollution and helping to tackle congestion."