gold standard cycling presents
Central London’s ProtecteD cycle routes
Our project aim has been to develop a new ‘Gold Standard’ classification for cycling infrastructure. This will provide users with reassurance that a given cycle route will feature high quality continental-standard provision, rather than the conventional basic cycling infrastructure that we’re used to in the UK.
To qualify for the standard, facilities should be largely protected from motor traffic and have controlled ‘movements’ across busy junctions (e.g. through the use of mini traffic lights). They should also be segregated from pedestrians – shared pavements for walking and cycling are not considered good enough to meet the standard. Essentially, these are cycling facilities that are designed to enable mass cycling for all ages, abilities and demographic backgrounds.
We have developed a map and guide with an initial focus on London (where we live and where so many new routes have been built in the last five years). Despite the extent of these routes, it can be surprisingly difficult to work out their exact location and how they connect to form the basis of an emerging world-class London-wide network. This document is designed as both a wayfinding document to help people navigate around London by bike, but also as a ‘go to‘ evidence-base for anyone with a technical interest in active travel. It is hoped that the introduction of a gold standard may encourage other towns and cities around the country to follow suit.
View & Download
Map 1: Central London’s Protected Cycle Routes
Please click on the link to download the full ‘Gold Standard’ cycle map of London guide. We have also set up the guide to allow for printing of the Core Map on pages 1 and 2 as a pocket guide. This way, you can have key cycling information and locations to hand as you move around central London.
Map 2: Cross-cycle: LONDON’S NEW GOLD STANDARD CYCLE NETWORK
Please click on the link to download the Cross-cycle map of London.
The core map
The Core Map has been developed around the Gold Standard concept for the routes in central London. It has five main functions:
To alert people (e.g. commuters, tourists and London residents) to the location of London’s highest quality cycle routes, and how to access them e.g. by train or Tube;
To highlight specific technical aspects of the facilities and help disseminate some of the impressive innovation that has been introduced in the capital;
To show missing gaps in the emerging network and thereby help to emphasise where new provision is most needed;
To provide a useful source of data on the new routes including their cost, length, date of implementation, and impact on levels of cycling;
To introduce the concept of a ‘gold standard’ for cycle routes, and thereby help distinguish these facilities from conventional infrastructure.
60%
Increase in cycle flow since construction*
57%
Increase in cycle flow since construction*
37%
Increase in cycle flow since construction*
32%
Increase in cycle flow since construction*
*Data calculated up to and including 2019 (pre-Covid)
Mini Hollands
The Mini-Holland section highlights the three boroughs of Outer London (Enfield, Waltham Forest and Kingston) that each received £30m of TfL funding to develop focused high-quality cycling provision. We were keen to include these examples to show how the new generation of facilities can also work in more car-dependent areas with lower levels of cycle use and narrower streets – conditions in central London are much less transferable to other parts of the country. We’ve included some key information and photographs to highlight how quality cycling infrastructure is also available in Outer London, and that ‘gold standard’ schemes can be achieved in a range of settings.
Want to use the images below? Right click and save as, but please keep the copyright intact and credit Gold Standard Cycling.
About
“We hope our map will act as a quick-to-hand helpful resource, both as a best-practice guide for delivering quality cycling infrastructure on high-demand corridors, and as an orientation tool to help people locate the best cycling infrastructure so that they can go and experience it for themselves.”
Dermot Hanney
Working in London as transport planner since 2008, Dermot has focussed his spare time on developing resources for people cycling in the city to enable more cyclable trips to be cycled. Following on from his successful tube style cycle map for ‘Route Plan Roll’ with the help of Rich Cousins which outlines the main cycling corridors of London, Dermot has teamed up with Neil Guthrie and Rich again to develop this quick to understand map, guide and collection of photos to show the ‘best in class’ of what’s there.
Contact: @HanneyDP
Neil Guthrie
Neil has been involved in the sustainable/active travel world since the mid-1990s with stints at campaign organisations, research laboratories, consultancies and local authorities. He has a strong interest in cartography having developed cycle maps for several local authorities as well as rail maps with 2thealps.com. He has witnessed the seismic changes to London’s cycling infrastructure since 2010 both as a resident (living at the southern end of CS7) and a transport professional, and was therefore particularly keen to help map the new generation of facilities by teaming up with cycle-map expert Dermot Hanney and leading graphic designer Rich Cousins.
Contact: @TransportNeil
Rich Cousins
With over ten years design experience, Rich is a Creative Director working in digital marketing. Working with Dermot for a number of years, he along with Dermot has designed maps for ‘Route Plan Roll’.
Contact: @richcousins
Contact
Please feel free to contact us here. We are keen to hear from you in terms of feedback, suggested changes, potential for collaboration, or even just a note to say whether this has helped you in terms of understanding and promoting high quality cycling infrastructure.