Editorial: Boris Johnson has a welcome plan to improve the lot of the cyclist

"Crossrail for bikes" will be pricey, but it's a move in the right direction

Cycling in London is bowling along at a cracking pace. Indeed, bike usage in the capital has already more than doubled since 2000 and only keeps rising. Now, the Mayor is seeking to give cyclists an extra push. Boris Johnson’s £900m plan is for a “Crossrail for bikes”, fully segregating bikes from motor traffic, and upgrading other cycle routes.

The scheme is certainly a major financial undertaking, and non-cyclists might question it as a spending priority. But bicycles have a central part to play in modern urban living. And the capital’s roads remain too dangerous, the mix of cyclists and motorised traffic often uneasy, and too often fatal.

Mr Johnson’s initiative is, therefore, to be applauded. Even more so if it proves a model for elsewhere in the country. London may never be an Amsterdam. But we are pedalling hard in the right direction.