Opinion: Cycle lanes blamed for urban congestion - here’s the reality

David Metz - Congestion may initially increase if road space is reduced but it soon reverts back to normal as drivers make alternative arrangements, says Professor David Metz (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering). The average driver in London spent 148 hours in traffic jams in 2021 - twice the national average, according to a new report by Inrix, a firm that analyses road traffic. These findings prompted a BBC story that attributed London's new status as the world's most congested city to an increase in cycle lanes, implemented throughout the capital to maintain socially distanced travel during the pandemic. This analysis would seem to overlook the fact that congestion during 2021 was about the same as it was in 2019, before the pandemic. To make sense of what is happening, we need to remember that the amount of time available to each of us constrains the amount we can travel. There are many things we need to fit into 24 hours, and on average, people spend just an hour on the move. This limits the build-up of congestion in cities.