Cycling surges in Sutton after cash splurge

Smarter Travel Sutton is a three-year, £5 million pound project, funded by Transport for London and delivered in partnership with the London Borough of Sutton, local businesses and the local community. It aims to encourage people in the borough to travel in more sustainable ways, on public transport, foot or bike. The progress report for the second year of the scheme has been published by TfL.

Highlights from the report show that the project has achieved:

A 50 per cent increase in cycling in the borough in the second year of the project

A 17 per cent fall in reported cycle theft in the borough since the start of the programme, thanks to the introduction of around 200 new secure cycle parking spaces across Sutton; proactive targeting of cycle theft hotspots by the police; and over 400 free bike security marking kits handed out under the Smarter Travel scheme

Every school in Sutton is now actively participating in the Smarter Travel initiative and has an approved travel plan. Sutton is the first London borough to achieve this feat, two years ahead of government targets, and as a result, fewer parents are driving their children to school

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The fact that this initiative has led so many people in Sutton to take to two wheels is great news for the environment and for the wellbeing of people in the borough. At the moment cycling represents just one per cent of journeys in London, so I hope that the experience of Sutton will help to encourage more people to get cycling – thereby reducing pollution and helping to tackle congestion.”

Ben Plowden, Director of Smarter Travel at Transport for London, said:

“We want to change people’s attitudes towards transport. By travelling by public transport, cycling or walking, residents in Sutton are not just choosing the greenest option – they’re also choosing the quickest, cheapest and easiest option.

“Schools and work places across the borough are putting travel plans into action, and Sutton residents are taking to cycling in droves. The reduction in the incidence of cycle theft despite the 50 per cent increase in cycling in the borough in the second year of the scheme alone shows just how effective the smarter travel programme has been.”