The biggest ever investment in London cycling will connect Hackney’s riders to a capital wide network of routes.
The huge £500 million boost will also be spent on 6,000 ‘hire and ride’ bikes, which will be available from ‘docking stations’ at regular intervals on the paths.
The aim of the scheme is to increase cycling 400 per cent by 2025, reducing carbon emissions and congestion in the capital.
The exact route in Hackney has yet to be decided, but the network is set to stretch west to Ealing, east to Leytonstone and south to Balham, with central links at Victoria, Picadilly, Holborn and Bishopsgate.
Bike Zones will be introduced to tempt shoppers and parents on the school run out of their cars, with cycle priority streets and 20mph speed limits. Routes will link urban areas with green spaces and waterways.
Pedestrians are also set to benefit from new seats, with improved pavements and crossings linking stations, schools and shops.
Hackney's Mayor Jules Pipe said: “This is great news for Hackney. The Council has already received recognition for its efforts to improve routes for cyclists including being named as Best Bike Borough in the 2006 London Transport Awards.
“We aim to continue to lead the way in promoting cycling as a sustainable transport option and welcome this investment to support our work to develop and improve cycling facilities in the borough.”
