List of cycle routes in London

For those cycling in, around or across London a network of cycleways called the London Cycle Network exists within the London Metropolitan Area as well as an expanding network of "Cycle Superhighways" and an emerging network of "Quietways". Also, a number of national and international cycling routes pass through, or originate in, London.

Cycle Superhighways

Cycle Superhighway CS7 start point at Colliers Wood Underground Station

Twelve new bicycle routes, dubbed Cycle Superhighways, were announced in 2008 by Mayor Ken Livingstone, with the aim of creating continuous cycle routes from outer London into and across central London by the end of 2012.

As of May 2016, only six cycle superhighways were operational: CS2, CS3, CS5, CS6, CS7 and CS8.

Routes

All twelve routes had been mapped with route numbers based on the 'clock face' radial direction each route took; for example, CS6 runs in a 6 o'clock direction. The originally proposed CS6 and CS12 routes were later cancelled.

Two route changes were later announced: an extension of CS3 to become part of an 18-mile long East-West Cycle Superhighway dubbed the "Crossrail for Bikes", and a new North-South Cycle Superhighway, co-branded as CS6 and replacing the originally planned CS6 route.

By summer 2016, the CS1 route (Tottenham to Liverpool Street) is due to be officially opened.

List of completed (highlighted), proposed and cancelled (struck through) routes:

Name	Route	Comments	Map
CS1	Tottenham to Liverpool Street (A10)	Was due to have been completed in spring 2016.	CS1(a) CS1(b)
CS2	Stratford to Aldgate (A118 - A11)	Upgrade between Bow and Aldgate was completed in April 2016, with separated cycle tracks replacing cycle lanes along the majority of the route.	CS2
CS3	Barking to Westminster (A13 - A1202 - A3211)	* Part of the East-West Cycle Superhighway. * The original route was from Barking to Tower Gateway. * An extension westwards to Westminster opened in May 2016, with a further extension of the East-West Cycle Superhighway to Lancaster Gate to be completed by the end of autumn 2016. * There are plans to extend the East-West Cycle Superhighway further westwards to Acton, although this section may be part of the proposed CS10 route.	CS3 EWCS (Phase 1)
CS4	Woolwich to Tower Bridge (A206 - A200)
CS5	Oval to Pimlico (A202)	To be extended later to eventually run from Lewisham to Victoria (A20 - A202).	CS5
CS6	Elephant & Castle to Stonecutter Street	* Also known as North-South Cycle Superhighway. * Later extension northwards to King's Cross. * The originally proposed CS6 route was to have run from Penge to the City.	CS6
CS7	Merton to the City (A24 - A3)		CS7
CS8	Wandsworth to Westminster (A3 - A3205 - Vauxhall Cross)		CS8
CS9	Hounslow to Hyde Park Corner (A4 - borough roads)	Originally planned to start in Heathrow.
CS10	Park Royal to Hyde Park Corner (A40 - borough roads)	Possibly will be constructed as part of Phase 2 of the East-West Cycle Superhighway plans.	EWSC (Phase 2)
CS11	Cricklewood to Marble Arch (A5)	There have been proposals for the CS11 to run from Swiss Cottage to the West End via Regent’s Park.
CS12	East Finchley to Angel (A1 - A1000)	Cancelled

Cycling conditions on CS2 at Aldgate East tube station. The pictured cycle lane was replaced by a separated cycle track in 2016.

CS2 in Stratford in September 2014, after implementation of separated cycle tracks.

Implementation and safety concerns

The London Cycling Campaign proposed a manifesto concerning safety, cycle priority and junction design along the Superhighways. The new Mayor Boris Johnson declined to sign it, but said that TfL would take stakeholders' views into account.

The implementation of the routes has drawn criticism as being unsafe, for example from urbanist and author Charles Montgomery, who, writing in The Guardian, described them as "inherently dangerous pieces of infrastructure... [that lead] cyclists directly into confrontation with other vehicles". However, he was writing at the time when the Cycle Superhighways were not physically segregated from the road.

An unofficial photo journey with commentary along the current super highways is available.

The building of the routes has not been without opposition. On 19 July 2011 the Mayor's office announced the opening of two more cycle superhighways, CS2 from Bow to Aldgate and CS8 from Westminster to Wandsworth. CS2 was originally being planned to extend as far as Ilford, but was met with opposition by the Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales. Blaming enough roadworks already on Stratford High Street, Sir Robin Wales made the decision to block the route from entering Newham on the grounds of cyclists' safety. The route has since been extended east around the A11/A12 roundabout as far as the Stratford gyratory.

Quietways

Unlike Cycle Superhighways which are intended to give cyclists a quicker way around London, Quietways, also promoted by Transport for London, target less confident cyclists who want to use lower traffic routes, whilst also providing for existing cyclists who want to travel at a more gentle pace.

Routes are generally along back-streets, through parks, along waterways or tree-lined streets, and are designed to overcome barriers to cycling such as high volumes of traffic and unsafe crossings.

Routes

The first Quietway (Q1) was introduced in early 2016 and runs between Waterloo and Greenwich. A total of seven Quietway routes (Q1–Q7) were due to have launched by mid-2016, with several more Quietways expected to be announced over time.

List of proposed routes:

Name	Route	Boroughs	Comments	Map
Q1	Waterloo - Bermondsey - Deptford - Greenwich	Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich		Q1
Q2	Bloomsbury to Hackney	Camden, Islington, Hackney, Waltham Forest	Will later be extended to Walthamstow. There are further proposals for a continuous route from East Acton to Walthamstow.	Q2
Q3	Regent's Park to Gladstone Park (Dollis Hill)	City of Westminster, Camden, Brent
Q4	Clapham Common to Wimbledon	Merton, Wandsworth		Q4
Q5	Waterloo - Clapham Common - Croydon	Lambeth, Wandsworth, Croydon		Q5
Q6	Victoria Park to Barkingside	Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, Redbridge	Will later be extended to run from Aldgate to Hainault	Q6
Q7	Elephant & Castle to Crystal Palace	Lambeth, Southwark		Q7
Q14	Waterloo to Canada Water	Southwark	Route has previously been referred to as Jubilee Quietway

London Cycle Network routes

Examples of route confirmation signage and road markings for London Cycle Network routes.

Other Signage for LCN routes including Directions, Destinations and Distances

Several London Cycle Network routes are signposted with route numbers, depending on whether the route is considered to be radial or orbital and which of four sectors the route is contained within. Some of these routes are also part of the National Cycle Network - these are signposted with route numbers on a red background. The LCN route numbers are broadly grouped as follows:

Quadrant	Radial	Orbital
Central	0-9	N/A
NE	10-19	50-59
SE	20-29	60-69
SW	30-39	70-79
NW	40-49	80-89

The route numbers currently in use with details of the primary destinations served (other destinations are in brackets) are as follows:

2

National and international routes

Route number design for NCN routes. Unlike local or regional routes, NCN routes use a red background.

National Cycle Network routes

Eight National Cycle Network (NCN) routes pass through London:

• NCN1 (follows the Thames)
• NCN4 (London to Fishguard)
• NCN6 Paddington – (Alperton) - Uxbridge
• NCN13 Purfleet – Rainham – (Royal Docks) – City
• NCN20 (follows the Wandle Trail from Wandsworth - Carshalton, then on to Coulsdon).
• NCN21 (the Waterlink Way from Greenwich - Catford - Beckenham - Addington).
• NCN212: (Beddington Park, Sutton – South Norwood Country Park, Croydon)
• NCN232: (Mitcham Common, Merton – Lloyd Park, Croydon)

EuroVelo and other international routes

Two EuroVelo routes pass through London: these are EuroVelo 2 (dubbed the Capitals' Route, which runs between Ireland and Moscow) and EuroVelo 5 (called the Via Romea Francigena, which runs between London and Rome).

Other international routes include the Avenue Verte route which runs between London and Paris. The Avenue Verte follows the NCN20 for much of the way out of London and crosses the English Channel via the Newhaven – Dieppe ferry.

TfL Cycling Guides

Transport for London publish several cycling maps which cover the following regions (by guide number):

1. Central London
2. Edgware, Mill Hill, Finchley, Barnet, Wood Green, Enfield, Tottenham, Chingford
3. Northwood, Pinner, Ruislip, Stanmore, Harrow, Wembley, Kenton, Edgware, Mill Hill, Hendon
4. Mill Hill, Hendon, Hampstead, Finchley, Wood Green, Tottenham, Chingford, Woodford, Walthamstow, Hackney, Islington
5. Woodford, Wanstead, Ilford, Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Harold Wood
6. Uxbridge, Hayes, Heathrow, Hounslow, Southall, Greenford, Ealing, Willesden, Acton, Chiswick
7. Kensington, Battersea, Brixton, Willesden, Camden Town, Islington, Stepney, West Ham, Poplar, Greenwich, Woolwich
8. Beckton, Barking, Dagenham, Charlton, Woolwich, Plumstead, Erith, Eltham
9. Hounslow, Heathrow, Feltham, Chiswick, Twickenham, Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston, Surbiton, Sutton
10. Bromley, Beckenham, Crystal Palace, Catford, Lewisham, Streatham, Mitcham, Wandsworth, Kingston, Surbiton
11. Lewisham, Catford, Beckenham, Bromley, Eltham, Bexley, Sidcup, Chislehurst, Orpington
12. Sutton, Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Purley, Carshalton, Croydon
13. Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Purley, Croydon, New Addington, Farnborough, Biggin Hill
14. Hampstead, Tottenham, Wood Green, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Clapham, Tooting, Sydenham

See also

• Cycling in London
• Santander Cycles
• National Cycle Network
• Cycleways in England
• List of cycleways
• London greenways
• Segregated cycle facilities

External links

• Transport for London's (TfL)
• TfL Cycling Guides
• London's secret cycle routes
• Sustrans

• Cycle Superhighways manifesto says make routes attractive to novice cyclists, LCC, Sept 2009
• LCC, London Cyclist magazine, December 2009, p7.