LONDON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three new safer cycle routes, spanning 15 kilometers, have opened in London as new figures show cycling in the downtown area of Britain's capital grew by eight percent in the last year.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has introduced so-called Quietway cycle routes, enabling cyclists to travel through safer, less busy streets across London.
The latest three routes mean that 100 kilometers of new Quietway routes have now been created in London, said a City Hall statement.
Quietways are continuous, well-signed routes on less-busy streets across London, complementing fully segregated cycle routes that Transport for London (TfL) is building on main roads across the city.
"Being able to ride safely through London's backstreets away from busy main roads is one of the ways of enabling more people of different ages and backgrounds to cycle more often," said a spokesperson for Khan.
"With toxic air in London causing thousands of premature deaths every year, expanding London's Quietway network is a key part of the mayor's plans to get more Londoners cycling and reduce car use," added the spokesperson.
New TfL figures show cycling levels in central London between April and June 2018 grew by eight percent year-on-year, from 173,045 daily journeys to 187,345 daily journeys - the highest quarterly level recorded since measurements began in 2014.
In its first week of opening, Quietway 2 which runs between Bloomsbury and Waltham Forest, more than 24,000 cycle journeys took place, with bikes accounting for an average of 43 percent of road users, rising to 70 percent in the morning peak.
The three new Quietway routes were officially opened Thursday by London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman.
They connect Blackfriars Road and Bermondsey, making 5 main roads are safer to cross, Stratford High Street toNewham Way via West Ham and Plaistow Park and a new 6.5 kilometer route connecting Wanstead Flats and Barkingside.
Mayor Khan said: "Given the damaging impact toxic air has on our city, it is vital that we do all we can to enable more Londoners to cycle and reduce journeys by car.
"The latest figures show that Quietways are leading to a big increase in cycling. It is great to see that Londoners of all ages and abilities are embracing the opportunity to ride safely on backstreets and now many more people will be able to benefit."
