This page contains information for Mayoral candidates about Newham Cyclists’ ask for the 2026 election—to build a safe, connected cycle network in Newham.
Newham Cyclists is part of the London Cycling Campaign, a charity that advocates to make cycling safe everywhere, and fun for everyone. Over 12,000 members across London support our goal for a future where cycling in London is safe, convenient, and accessible to all kinds of Londoners. Our Newham branch is made up of people who live in Newham, love Newham, and think more cycling would make Newham an even better place to live.
For the 2026 Newham elections,
we’re asking all candidates to pledge to
build a safe, connected cycle network.
- Every child should be able to cycle to school, safely.
- Everyone should be able to cycle to their local high street, safely.
- Every family should be able to cycle to their local park, safely.
Newham needs a safe, connected cycle network, to make cycling safe everywhere, and fun for everyone.
- TfL has identified 4 high priority cycle routes in our borough, where they know there is a high unmet demand for cycling.
- TfL has funding available to build them—Council officers just need to bid for the money.
- Finishing the 4 key routes in the next 4 years would give people in Newham a cheap and convenient way to work, school, and other opportunities.
Why build a safe, connected cycle network?
A Newham where cycling is safe and fun, everywhere and for everyone, is a happier, healthier Newham.
- Cycling is cheap, putting disposable income back in people’s pockets and putting time back in their day—without the stress and expense of trying to find a car parking space. Improving walking and cycling brings economic benefits for local businesses and local people.
- Physical activity in people’s daily lives—even if it’s just a five-minute ride to the shops, or a walk to pick the kids up from school—improves physical and mental health.
- Fewer journeys by car benefits everyone—including drivers—thanks to less congestion, less pollution, and fewer people being killed or injured in crashes.
Newham is a densely-populated borough where deprivation and poverty are unfortunately very common. Over half of Newham households don’t have access to a car. Many of those who do have a car want to drive less, not more.
We speak to all kinds of people across Newham who want a safe, connected cycle network—of all political persuasions, all cultural backgrounds, and all socioeconomic classes.
Study after study has shown that the #1 barrier to cycling is danger. Cycling is not dangerous, but streets can be. Most people simply will not cycle if they have to contend with cars, buses, and lorries—particularly Disabled people, older people, children, families, and women.
A safe, connected cycle network will help more Newham residents access cycling, giving them a resilient transport option that saves them money, frees them from car parking chaos, and brings them closer to their friends and neighbours.
Where to build a safe, connected cycle network
Transport for London regularly analyse latent demand for cycling in London as part of their “Strategic Cycling Analysis.”
Of the top 25 corridors in all of London with the most demand for cycling, 4 are in Newham—two north-south, and two-east west. Building these 4 cycle routes over the next 4 years would unlock the huge demand for all-ages cycling across our borough, creating a grid-shaped network that would bring safe, convenient cycling within reach of all of Newham.
Thin grey lines represent existing cycle routes, which are not always up to best-practice standards.
Thick coloured lines are routes built to latest best-practice standards. Dotted lines are routes/sections already in construction.
Warning triangles indicate dangerous junctions.
Thin grey lines represent existing cycle routes, which are not always up to modern best-practice standards.
The Royal Docks Corridor, shown in blue in the south, has already been built to high quality.
Finishing the 4 key cycle routes is not a pipe dream or a “nice to have.” It’s absolutely doable, completely affordable, and would set Newham up for the next decades with a safe, connected cycle network.
Stratford to Ilford (via Forest Gate)
This east-west route would extend and upgrade the very busy Cycleway 2, connecting Stratford, Forest Gate, Woodgrange, Manor Park, and Little Ilford—providing an even cheaper and more convenient transport option for local journeys, as well as a direct link to central London for those willing to ride a longer distance.
Where we are already
- This route is already in progress, with a protected cycle track being built on the Romford Road. The junctions will be Newham’s first Dutch-style protected intersections—simpler for drivers, and considerably safer for walking and cycling. Traffic modelling has just been approved, which means that TfL believes there will be no negative impact on traffic.
- Funding has come in phases from the Levelling Up Fund and from TfL’s Local Implementation Plan.
- Our next Mayor will need to see this project through to completion.
- This should go with upgrades to the existing Cycleway 2, as part of a bus priority scheme on Stratford High Street, which is still dangerous for pedestrians to cross and features 4 dangerous junctions (including one where a cyclist in his early 20s was killed in 2024). This will again be funded by TfL, possibly with contributions from developers.
Leyton to Silvertown (via Plaistow)
This north-south route would link the Olympic Park and Temple Mills to Maryland, Stratford town centre, Plaistow, Newham Sixth Form College, Newham Hospital, Brampton Manor Academy, Canning Town (east), Prince Regent, Custom House, and the Royal Docks.
This would also provide a safe alternative to the Greenway, previously Newham’s only safe north-south Cycleway—an important part of which Thames Water have now closed, likely for the rest of this decade.
Where we are already
- The first phase, from Leyton to Stratford Town Centre via Angel Lane, is being built. Our next Mayor will need to see this project through to completion.
- Design work is being accelerated on the southern section, in reaction to the long-term closure of the Greenway. This needs to extend from Stratford at least as far as Upper Road to rejoin the Greenway.
- TfL have indicated they are willing to fund a Greenway diversion via Plaistow New Road. It may also be possible to ask Thames Water for some additional funding, particularly if (as we expect) the closure is extended again.
- We strongly feel the Stratford to Upper Road section should be implemented within weeks, using temporary materials, to ameliorate the danger faced by ex-Greenway users; a more permanent scheme can come later.
Canning Town to Barking (via East Ham)
This east-west route would connect the hugely popular Cycleway 3 and the newly-completed Royal Docks Cycleway 54 to Plaistow, Green Street and East Ham, Langdon Academy, and then on to Barking, bridging the two north/south routes and providing safe, independent travel for thousands of children at the many schools on the route.
Where we are already
No part of this route has been built or had its design completed yet. However, the very western end—a direct cycle crossing of Canning Town Roundabout, which would eliminate the need to cycle on the pavement through Canning Town bus station—has been considered for inclusion in the Royal Docks Corridor, due to some clever value-engineering on that scheme.
Manor Park to North Woolwich (via East Ham)
This north-south route would branch off from the Stratford to Ilford route, connecting Wanstead Flats and Manor Park to East Ham, Beckton, Gallions Reach, the University of East London, and London City Airport.
This route would connect to the recently completed Beckton Corridor, and also to the Woolwich Ferry—one of the only ways across the Thames east of Tower Bridge—allowing for connections further into Woolwich and Plumstead.
What a safe, connected cycle network looks like
A safe, connected cycle network is coherent, direct, safe, comfortable, and attractive. There are a variety of methods to deliver on these attributes:
- Protected cycle tracks and junctions on main roads, separated by kerbs, verges, or bollards, meaning cyclists don’t have to compete for space with cars, buses, or lorries
- Quieter side streets upgraded for cycling, with measures to remove non-local motor traffic from streets that were never designed to carry large traffic volumes
The decisions on the right infrastructure and the exact routing of the 4 key cycle routes are best left to the Council officers and designers, who have the expertise and experience to know what’s best. But we do know that it is feasible, and achievable, to build these 4 cycle routes using a combination of the measures we have described above.
What NOT to build
It is best NOT to rely on:
- Off-road cycle routes through parks, canal towpaths, and permissive paths through private land. This makes the routes vulnerable to closure by private entities (e.g. Thames Water’s long term closure of the Greenway) and presents issues with social safety, particularly after dark and particularly for women.
- Cycling in bus lanes—because bus-bike conflicts are dangerous, and sharing space with buses is intimidating enough to prevent people from cycling.
- Hi-vis and helmets—rather than asking people to armour up to get some meagre protection from danger, they shouldn’t be exposed to danger in the first place.
How to fund a cycle network
A number of funding sources are available to build a safe, connected cycle network.
- TfL funds cycle routes through each borough’s Local Implementation Plan. Multiple funding streams are available—Council officers just need to bid for it. Sometimes money also becomes available for schemes within-year, outside bid cycles (for instance, due to underspends in other boroughs.)
- Developers can be made to contribute, through the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 head agreements at planning stage. This can prove an effective way of raising funds when an entire area is being redeveloped, for instance with the new housing in Silvertown.
- External funders, such as Mayoral development corporations, and the Greater London Authority.
- Newham Council’s capital budget can also be used to fund cycling infrastructure, particularly for high priority schemes such as the Greenway diversion on the Leyton to Silvertown route.
For the 2026 Newham elections,
we’re asking all candidates to pledge to
build a safe, connected cycle network.