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Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.
Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City
Bicycles are the favored mode of transportation in London, shuttling the Brits around their capital city. Photo: Needpix.com, pexels.com and Streetsblog Photoshop Desk

Cyclists are packing the streets of London.

The UK capital is a haven for cyclists, seeing nearly double the amount of bikes as automobiles in the financial district confusingly known as the City of London — a shocking statistic for a metropolitan area with over 15 million residents.

The movement to expand cycling as a major mode of transportation has taken hold in London, pushing policymakers and drivers alike to rethink their dependence on motor vehicles. With the recent adoption of “low-traffic neighborhoods” — spots where through-traffic is funneled around and away from residential areas — and superhighways for cyclists, the Big Smoke might have cracked the code to revolutionizing how people get around cities.

The number of bicycles has shot up by over 50 percent since 2022, according to city officials, indicating how much the city has reshaped its urban landscape.

Take notes, New York.

Streetfilms‘ Clarence Eckerson visited the Big Smoke earlier this summer to check out the City of London, and talk to some of the people who made it happen — and a lot of happy cyclists who benefit from the change.

Enjoy the show:

Photo of Matthew Sage
Matthew Sage is part of the Streetsblog Summer Specialist class of 2025. He's a senior at Tufts University, an esteemed center of learning in Massachusetts, where he studies political science. He will help plot a path forward for our nation.

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