London Mayor Launches “Cycle Fridays”
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is working with residents and city agencies to promote more cycling in the city on a special campaign called ‘Cycle Fridays’. Because many rookie cyclists are leery of riding their bikes in one of the busiest cities in the world, the mayor and the agency called Transport for London have organized convoys to safely guide riders into the city center.
This is all part of an 8 week push to show commuters that cycling to work is a viable option. Rides will begin at 8am and start from six key locations around London. Each group will be led by experienced cyclists to help coach and guide new cycling commuters. Below is the ride location list they provide on the Cycle Fridays website:
| Brixton | Outside KFC, corner of Brixton Road and Coldharbour Lane, Brixton | Russell Square |
| Finsbury Park | Finsbury Park Gate, Finsbury Park, Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park | City (St Pauls) |
| Mile End | Under the Green Bridge, Mile End Road, Mile End | City (St Pauls) |
| Ravenscourt Park | Outside Ravenscourt Tube, Ravenscourt Place, Ravenscourt Park | Trafalgar Square |
| Swiss Cottage | Outside Theatre, Eton Avenue at junction with Swiss Cottage Gyratory, Swiss Cottage | Holborn continuing to the City |
| Greenwich | Cutty Sark Gardens, King William Walk, Greenwich | City (St Pauls) |
The aim is to have a 400% increase in cyclists in London by the year 2025. In the last year alone, London has seen a 9% increase in people cycling on the roads. One of the common threads in the coordinated approach by the city of London is to teach people that cycling is not as dangerous as most citizens think. They offer free cycling maps and host free courses on bike training.
This program is destined to reduce the number of cars in London, increase the health of the citizens of London and its surrounding areas and provide a safer riding environment for long-time cyclists. Either way it’s sliced, all parties win. Great work, London!
