Tube, bus or trampoline? London to add The Bounceway to commuting options

It will be the world’s longest urban trampoline when it's installed next year

Commuting is about to get a lot more exciting in London as the “world’s longest urban trampoline” is installed to let people bounce to the office.

Anyone wanting to escape the drudgery of the Tube or overcrowded buses will be able to spring along The Bounceway next year.

The trampoline, surrounded by soft surfacing for over-enthusiastic jumpers, or anyone wearing a pencil skirt, has been designed in partnership with Architecture for Humanity.

It will be trialled along with nine other projects as part of Transport for London’s (TfL) £1.8 million Future Streets Incubator scheme.

A date for the introduction of The Bounceway has not been confirmed but officials say the trial will start in 2015 in an as yet undecided location.

It was designed in partnership with Architecture for Humanity, a charity which has worked on community projects across the capital.

Beth Worth, a trustee, told the Evening Standard: “The idea was intended as something a bit innovative and fun for London. Transport for London wanted to show that London can have that fun factor, giving people a hop, skip and a jump from A to B.”

A spokesperson for TfL said it will be “the world's longest urban trampoline”.

“This iconic and inclusive new public space in the heart of London will boost fitness and fun, and provide a novel form of transport where the journey is the main event,” he added.

The trial will be part-funded by a crowdfunding campaign set to launch next year.

Other innovative ideas in the trial include turning parking bays into mini gardens, seating areas and bike bays, and introducing electronic parking permits and continental-style signals for cyclists.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said the new ideas have “hit the ground running”.

“Streets aren't just for getting around - they also shape our city and how people feel about it,” he added. “The bright ideas we've received reflect a shared belief that London's streets can be improved through a bit of creative thinking.”