On your bike

Following a 2.5km extension between Farringdon and King’s Cross, Cycle Superhighway 6 (CS6) is fully open. Cyclists hopping in the saddle at the start of the route in Elephant & Castle can now make the 5km journey to King’s Cross on the same course. Also, in the borough of Southwark, the first section of Quietway 14 (Q14), which runs from Blackfriars Road to Tower Bridge Road, has opened.

London’s network of cycle lanes has been updated and expanded in recent years to encourage safer cycling in the capital in a bid to reduce pollution, ease crowding on public transport and, of course, enable more people to gain from the health benefits that pedal power brings.

Introduced by Transport for London, the city’s series of Cycle Superhighways and Quietways complement each other and are interlinked. Cycle Superhighways are designed to provide protected space for cyclists on some of London’s busiest roads by segregating cyclists, where possible, from motor traffic. There are currently eight Cycle Superhighway routes across the capital with more to be introduced in the coming years.

Marked out by bold purple signs, Quietway routes are ideal for those who prefer cycling on lower-traffic London streets or are new to cycling in the capital. Most of the first seven routes have sections that are complete. Like many of the Quietways, the recently-launched Q14 benefits from a range of initiatives designed to improve cyclists’ safety, including: banning motor vehicles from sections of the route, creating contra-flow cycle lanes on one-way streets, junction improvements and new surfacing.

Elephant & Castle enjoys a close proximity to central London with great accessibility by public transport. Now residents who prefer to cycle their way across the city can do so in a safer and – depending on how fast you pedal – quicker way.

At the area’s new Elephant Park development, residents will find more than 3,000 cycle spaces, as well as 90 bikes available to hire by the wider public. Combined with the two new cycle routes, it couldn’t be easier to get on your bike at Elephant & Castle.