What new cycle infrastructure will London build in 2026? What was built in 2026? Will things get better?
This video answers that question. In short, 2026 will be the best year for cycling in London since the pandemic.
If you like what the channel is doing, you can contribute to the London Cycle Routes Patreon below. It really helps keep the channel going:
http://patreon.com/londoncycleroutes
The Safe Cycle London map used extensively in this video is here — follow its creator on Twitter at @SafeCycleLDN
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XlpvN9R-Wg7qZHyezO8y-eVlftr4e0WX&hl=en&ll=0%2C0&z=12
Safe Cycle London’s annual 2025 map comparing infrastructure built by year is here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1dzywA6k0CrBgQeYculZ6rxZ92lCyvio&ll=51.51554617563198%2C-0.13784977329838632&z=13&client=safari
32 Comments
Thanks
Really great summary and by a wide margin the most informative local PSA I've seen all year. Thanks for putting the effort into it!
A dream ✨
I’ve never cycled in London in my life- but this video is incredible 😊
Congratulations on your LCC award, well deserved. Nothing happening here in Tower Hamlets and unlikely unless there's a change of administration in May which I doubt.
Famtastic round-up!!!
🤙🏽⚡️🤟🏽⚡️👌🏽
Lookin forward to your 2026 videos!!
tbf to them, City of London Corp have their hands full moving Smithfield and Billingsgate to the Royal Docks and repurposing the former into a very significant cultural 'destination' – not far short of a companion to Covent Garden.
Not to mention spending £170 million on the Barbican and moving/expanding the Museum of London.
Unfortunately I’ve fractured my wrist on the black ice so won’t be able to use the bike for a while – be careful people!
I haven’t been following cycling infrastructure much lately, so to put all this in a single video is greatly appreciated. Cheers Jon!
Great video – how about adding your bike model, camera and other kit to the description.
Newham is a surprise I must say.
A black hole I've recently encountered is getting to Archway from Dalston (have to go to Whittington Hospital for physio) – north Islington has little on the main north-west radial routes and in-between I've found. Had to use bus lanes on Holloway Road.
The elections could spell trouble from left as well as right as groups such as socialist independents and also some Greens/LibDems tend to side with anti-LTN pro-'worker' car access like Aspire in Tower Hamlets – the appeal decision against taking out Tower Hamlets LTNs is imminent as it was heard last month.
Jon – is there a reason why the Twitter bots don't follow you over to You Tube screaming about road tax?
Regarding the solitary scheme in Redbridge, I recently spoke to a council cabinet member who suggested the delay was due to a funding delay from TfL.
This is a great video! Incredibly comprehensive – just a shame my Borough (Tower Hamlets) featured so little – if you are able I'd love to connect over a call or via email if you have any thoughts on Tower Hamlets specifically.
ahh the east-west route through Islington at 24:10 would be so useful. I use this frequently and dislike the rat-running traffic islngton park street and the lack of considerate crossings across upper st. and across caledonian road and how there aren't greats links with camden's work on york way
Such a great video, I am from the EU but this makes me wanna move to London
Can't wait for the C4 extension to Woolwich to be done – forms part of my commute. From Bexley borough where infrastructure is barely existent, wish there could be more going on there too.
I started cycle commuting in London in 2020 thanks to one of the low traffic neighbourhoods, one that's only about 300m long but which made my 9km commute much safer. Since then, I cycle more and more.
Some very detailed and up-to-date information, thank you!
Fantastic- such a lot of important and interesting info –
Many thanks for putting this together and all the videos over the year
An important news for Newham, there will be futher closure of the Greenway from January 2026. The closure will extend further up to Upper Road from the current closures.
So nothing for me in Chelsea 💔 I would at least like to see, an ltn tween kings road & embankment. Bramerton made into a cycle path both directions to get us away from the Oakley road junction. Upper cheyne row & danvers street both way for bikes. Upper cheyne row is so quiet anyway x
you make an interesting point that you cant always map a local authority attitude to cycling to which party has control. Lewisham has been 100% labour, or close too, for decades but it one of the worse for risking any political capital to do anything bold. its one of the boroughs that has the least controilled parking zones, LTNs or road infrastructure. No sign of that changing, bar a few small exceptions.
Thanks so much for putting all this together. Really hoping that the extended rollout of cycleway 4 and the work around Peckham starts to bring more cycling to south east London. There’s a patchwork of infrastructure around Shooter’s Hill and I was hoping the council were planning on rolling more out here.
Happy new year bossman
23:30 as well as Smithfield Market (and soon-ish to be Museum of London) it's the entrance to Slough House from Slow Horses! (the exterior shot of the office is a minute away to the East by bicycle).
Superb!
30:10 – I suppose the bikebus approach lanes will be completed around the time the announced one year of free use comes to an end. I've only used it a few times, though there's never been more than two passengers so if they do start charging for use I can't imagine those lanes will be money well spent. Still, at least people with disabilities can use it, unlike the foot tunnels, as not many disabled people can carry a bike up or down a flight of steps. I think I'd have preferred a safer approach to Woolwich Ferry (once you get off the ferry you have to cycle across one lane of traffic and then merge with fast moving motorists who have also just gotten off of the ferry).
This is great local journalism. Its understated the effort that goes into collecting this information, as local authorities and TFL are very slow and useless at providing information.
I use your route guides to plan longer trips, stitching routes together.
One of the biggest issues with Londons cycle ways is that they are not maintained or swept. They get full of debris, broken glass, metal and plastic shards in summer. Leaves, sticks and muck in winter. It makes cycling more hazardous and frustrating. New cycle infrastructure is great, but if councils feel they have no need for new infrastructure, they should focus on maintaining their existing infrastructure. No ribbon cutting or photo ops for politicians though so maintenance will continue to be neglected.
Good to learn some improvements are going on. The current mayor has no interest in cycling so it looks like the boroughs are doing all the work now. Which is great if you live in London but for those of us who occasionally visit we are still waiting for improvements in central London.
Apart from the fantastic east-west route taking you from Hyde Park to the City, there is no other joined up route getting you around Oxford St, Piccadilly, etc. I understand current plans are to move cyclists off Oxford St entirely!
Yes, these things are difficult, but if Boris managed to get traffic off the Embankment and make Parliament Sq fun to cycle around!
Surprise, surprise… Kensington and Chelsea the biggest hold-outs in London……
Great video! Exciting times ahead! Most excited for the clerkenwell road scheme for my commute.
Just wish tower hamlets would do something about Bethnal Green road, it’s so dangerous in the morning with all the market vans unloading etc.
Hopefully we get a new change of leadership in TH in May, as well as K&C as Kensington high street is a death trap.
Huge thanks for all the work you've put into this video, as well as for the channel generally. Really exciting to hear about all the promising schemes on the way. I've used your vids for quite a few trips this year and am looking forward to doing so more in 2026. Wishing you a very happy New Year!