London's first cycling 'Quietways' will open next May, offering signposted, low-traffic routes to residents on two wheels - mayor Boris Johnson has announced.
The £120m network is expected to make cycling more accessible for residents in all 33 London boroughs by offering direct cycle routes that avoid busy roads.
Construction on the first two routes is about to start, with five others at the design stage and two dozen expected to be delivered or in progress by 2016.
Johnson said the Quietway route would 'make cycling much more accessible for ordinary people, in their ordinary clothes, revealing some of London's hidden gems along the way'.
'If you would love to hop on a bike but feel intimidated by busier roads, these Quietway routes will be perfect, connecting parks, backstreets and waterways to create secret passages through London. They will get you where you need to go on a route you might not have known existed until we showed you,' the London mayor added.
Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has been awarded a three-year contract to design and manage the network in partnership with London boroughs, the Canal and Rivers Trust, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Lea Valley Regional Park Authority and the Royal Parks. Highway contractors from local boroughs will be used to deliver the scheme.
Sustrans London director, German Dector-Vega, said: 'Sustrans is delighted to be named as the winner of the Quietways contract and will start work immediately to deliver the best possible cycle routes for Londoners.
'We're pleased to be working with our partners to help London find solutions for population growth, remain economically vibrant and become an increasingly pleasant and healthy place to live.The Quietways programme is just one part of a much larger cycling transformation happening in the capital, and these safe and convenient routes are an important step in the right direction.'
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