Siân Berry AM questioned the Mayor based on new findings about secure cycle storage in London

A photo of a cycle hanger in Islington with an inset of Siân Berry — A cycle hanger in Islington, Main image: Islington Council. Inset: London Assembly

Green London Assembly member Siân Berry has pushed Mayor Sadiq Khan to use his budget to cut the backlog of cycle parking requests.

The Green Party Assembly member was prompted to question Mayor Khan by new figures released by the Clean Cities campaign that show that:

50 bikes are stolen in London every day
60,200 Londoners are waiting for a secure cycle space
Only seven out of 32 boroughs are expected to meet current demand for secure cycle spaces by 2026
Car parking is cheaper than cycle parking in most boroughs

According to the Clean Cities, Barnet is in the bottom ten of London boroughs for cycle storage provision, with 186 secure spaces in the borough. In comparison, Southwark has 6082 spaces for secure cycle storage.

A recent Freedom of Information request found that TfL has funded just 1,000 spaces since 2021 despite a commitment by the Mayor to increase the number of secure cycle bike hangars.

Following her questioning of the Mayor, Green Party London Assembly Member Siân Berry said: “No-one should wait years to park their bike securely and affordably near their home. It is outrageous that Londoners are stuck in indefinite queues for a bike hangar.

“The wait for a new cycle parking space should be a matter of days or weeks – the same as for a car parking permit. And the cost to park that bike cannot be more than the cost of parking a car.

“London started to see these cycle hangars a decade ago, but the current pace and cost of delivery is simply unacceptable. We had a positive exchange today and I am hopeful of good news in the budget.

“We already know the environmental, health, and social benefits of cycling – the Mayor must recognise this urgent need and use his budget to close the bike hangar gap.”

Siân Berry AM has long been a champion of cyclists, and recently reminded the Mayor that “60 percent of Londoners support having more low traffic neighbourhood schemes,” indicating just how crucial more affordable, accessible cycle hangars are to the future of London.

Clean Cities are calling for Mayor Khan to create a £35 million fund to meet the demand of cycle storage.

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