After several years of stagnation, there has been a surge in cycling in Westminster this year. This is the conclusion of counts conducted on a regular basis by Westminster Cycling Campaign.
As the graph shows, the largest increase (up 43% from last year) was recorded in July in Hyde Park near the Park Lane crossing. A warm spring and the continuing attraction of cycling through the Royal Parks probably contributed to this increase.
The opening of Cycle Superhighway 8 along Grosvenor Road probably accounted for much of the increase of 24% recorded there in September. An increase in the number of eastbound cyclists proceeding along the route of the cycle superhighway was offset, however, by a decrease among those turning off onto the London Cycle Network route along Lupus Street. So it seems that many cyclists have now transferred from Lupus Street to the cycle superhighway.
At Albion Gate in Hyde Park there was an increase of 18% over last year. We believe that the availablity of alternative crossings of Bayswater Road at Stanhope Place and Marble Arch has limited the increase at this point.
Westminster Cycling Campaign have conducted counts at these locations in the morning peak on a weekday since the end of the last century. As the chart shows, the total number of cyclists has increased roughly fourfold during this period.
