Nearly four years ago, the city of London inaugurated its first bicycle-sharing program, Barclays Bikes, continuing the cycling trend of other large cities like Paris and Montreal. Along with the 720 bicycle stations scattered around London, cycling superhighways—bicycle lanes separated from motor traffic by bright blue paint—were also announced as a way to provide a safer means of traveling around the city’s streets on two wheels. With four completed superhighways and a fleet of "Boris Bikes," London seemed to find a way to effectively expand its bicycle culture and decrease road traffic. London's Boris Bikes, photo via But while London’s streets soon became teeming with commuters enthusiastically cycling to work—including Mayor Boris Johnson, the namesake for Boris Bikes—the city's bicycle infrastructure soon began to show its flaws. 2013 proved to be an especially dangerous year for the city’s bikers: In November, five cyclists were killed in just nine days, bringing the number of the year’s bicycle-related deaths to 14. Johnson himself had several close calls while biking to work, turning his commute into a feat of bravery. Photo via While bicycling comes with its share of dangers, especially when biking on roads ...
Nearly four years ago, the city of London inaugurated its first bicycle-sharing program, Barclays Bikes, continuing the cycling trend of other large cities like Paris and Montreal. Along with the 720 bicycle stations scattered around London, cycling superhighways—bicycle lanes separated from motor traffic by bright blue paint—were also announced as a way to provide a safer means of traveling around the city’s streets on two wheels. With four completed superhighways and a fleet of "Boris Bikes," London seemed to find a way to effectively expand its bicycle culture and decrease road traffic. London's Boris Bikes, photo via But while London’s streets soon became teeming with commuters enthusiastically cycling to work—including Mayor Boris Johnson, the namesake for Boris Bikes—the city's bicycle infrastructure soon began to show its flaws. 2013 proved to be an especially dangerous year for the city’s bikers: In November, five cyclists were killed in just nine days, bringing the number of the year’s bicycle-related deaths to 14. Johnson himself had several close calls while biking to work, turning his commute into a feat of bravery. Photo via While bicycling comes with its share of dangers, especially when biking on roads ...