Since national lockdown measures have been lifted and more workers return to the office, cycling levels in the UK have risen by up to 300 per cent on some days, according to Department for Transport data, as people seek alternatives to travelling via public transport.

In May, Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to overhaul London's streets to allow cycling to increase tenfold. Together with Transport for London (TfL), Khan set out an agenda to work with boroughs to allow the rapid construction of a strategic cycling network, a complete transformation of town centres to encourage people to walk and cycle wherever possible, and the creation of 'low traffic environments'.

Cycling to work has always been popular in the capital, with more people commuting by bike and using facilities provided by commercial offices to store bikes and shower. This is driven by a greater sense of health and wellbeing and supported by initiatives such as Cycle to Work, and the launch of Barclays Cycle Hire in 2010 which paved the way for the many other cycle schemes.

Londoners face some of the longest commutes to work in the country, with lockdown highlighting the daily stress that comes from travelling to work. And while many of us started to miss office life and the community environment that comes with it after months of working from home, few have missed the commute.

Any resistance to enduring a long and often cramped commute across the city is only accentuated in the post-lockdown/pre-vaccine environment we now find ourselves in, where sharing public transport with strangers poses a psychological barrier to overcome. This has been one reason for seeing more Londoners take to two wheels more than ever before.

There’s been huge investment into cycle storage in recent years and it’s now a top requirement to meet the needs of today’s occupier. At Battersea Power Station there are now more than 1,000 cycle spaces. Across town, Here East boasts 800 bike racks, while White City Place and The Television Centre has almost just as many. At King’s Cross, a further 250 spaces have been added to the existing 900 racks already there.

Meanwhile The Leadenhall Building currently provides over 400  spaces and has recently introduced up to 100 additional  spaces for ad-hoc use by employees and visitors during the pandemic. These are all schemes that Savills manages and promoting and facilitating a reliance on cycling is a key focus for us.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the UK, nearly 20 miles of permanent cycling lanes have been added to London’s existing cycle lanes, alongside a greater number of temporary lanes and reduced car speed limits near the lanes. Temporary bike storage and valeting services are emerging, with other developments including UK folding bicyle maker Brompton launching a subscription service to allow customers to hire bikes on a monthly or annual basis, as demand has surged.

As bike and repair shops struggle to keep up with demand, London is not alone. Even when (if) a vaccine for Covid-19 is found, the popularity of cycling will remain as city dwellers appreciate the new, healthier way of life and flexible approach to commuting that it offers.

Further information

Contact Adam Bray

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