Cycling in City of London rises by more than 50%
Lessons from this distinctive corner of London - story 69
Cycling in the Square Mile has shot up 50% in the last two years, reports the BBC.
According to new data from the City of London — which encompasses the square mile of land stretching from Tower Bridge to Temple in the west and the Barbican in the north — 139,000 people were cycling a day in the area, the largest increase recorded since 1999.
As the BBC reports
The changes in traffic mean the City of London Corporation has hit three key targets six years ahead of schedule.
It’s not hard to see why so many cycle in the City
More than half a million office workers flood into the Square Mile each day, crammed into a space built for a much smaller crowd. For many, cycling isn’t just faster — it’s survival. A bike often beats the Tube, the bus, and certainly the car, especially for workers living just a few miles away.
Infrastructure has followed the demand. Protected bike lanes, quiet backstreet routes, and secure parking now web the City, tying into London’s major cycling arteries. Riding in feels not just possible, but encouraged.
Driving, by contrast, has become an ordeal. Congestion charges, parking fees, emissions penalties — the message is clear: if you can avoid a car, do.
Employers have embraced the shift. Showers, lockers, cycle-to-work schemes — cycling is marketed as a lifestyle choice, a mark of health and hustle.
And crucially, the City feels safer. A decade ago, cycling through central London was an extreme sport. Now, slower traffic, better infrastructure and a change in culture have made two wheels seem almost sensible.
The workforce helps, too: young, affluent, fitness-minded. A perfect match for a commute that demands energy but rewards speed.
All together, these forces have turned the Square Mile into one of Europe’s most bike-saturated business districts — and perhaps a glimpse of the urban commute of the future for the other 32 boroughs.