Cycling will soon be easier and more accessible for tens of thousands of Londoners

The hugely popular Santander Cycles scheme will expand to Brixton later this year, making cycling easier and more accessible for tens of thousands more Londoners.

Santander Cycles now covers 100 square kilometres of London, making it the second largest cycle hire scheme in Europe. Since launching in July 2010, more than 60 million journeys have been made. The scheme goes from Hammersmith in the west to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the east, and Camden in the north and Brixton in the south.

The locations of the new docking points will be confirmed later this year. This expansion will bring the total number of docking stations within the scheme to more than 780 and 11,500 bikes, according to a press release from Mayor of Lodon, Sadiq Khan.

Seven new docking stations, providing space for up to 200 bikes, are to be installed across Brixton after funding was agreed with Lambeth Council.

The scheme is already one of the one of the largest cycle hire schemes in Europe and this extension will expand its reach south from Stockwell.

The expansion builds on last year’s installation of eight new docking stations at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and comes after a record-breaking 2016, which saw an unprecedented 10.3m hires – 4.4 per cent up on 2015. This year there has already been more than 5m hires, with five of the six months beating year-on-year records for the number of journeys being made.

Later this summer, TfL will also introduce a next-generation bike for Santander Cycles manufactured by Pashley that retains the popular features of the existing model but will be more manoeuvrable with smaller wheels, a lower frame, a new gear hub and a more comfortable seat.

“Extending the bike hire scheme further south into the borough is excellent news for Brixton and something we have campaigned for a long time. I’m delighted that the Mayor is as committed as we are about improving cycling infrastructure and making it easier for people to swap their cars for more active modes of transport. This all helps to make people fitter and healthier, reduces the congestion on our roads that is contributing to such poor air quality, and reduces the burden on other forms of public transport. I’d encourage everybody to give it a try and get cycling.” said Councillor Jennifer Brathwaite, Cabinet Member for Housing & Environment, Lambeth.

“Enabling people to switch between walking, cycling, and public transport in an affordable and seamless way – reducing car dependence and overcrowding on buses and tubes – is also essential to making the capital a greener, healthier city. Convenient cycle access on-demand helps achieve this, which is why it is fantastic news that the Santander Cycle Hire scheme is being extended to Brixton. The London Cycling Campaign looks forward to the day when cycle hire on demand is available throughout Greater London.” said also Ashok Sinha, CEO, London Cycling Campaign.

Encouraging people to cycle is one of the key components of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, which adopts a Healthy Streets approach to help Londoners lead healthier and more active lives. The strategy aims to increase the proportion of people using active and sustainable travel options, and to create streets less dominated by motorised traffic.  This includes providing a world-class cycle hire scheme, which will help Londoners get about quickly without having to use a car – benefiting their health and improving air quality.