Typical Costs of Cycling Interventions: Interim analysis of Cycle City Ambition schemes

‘Cycle superhighways’ and the remodelling of major junctions are two of the most expensive interventions to improve conditions for cyclists, according to this report which outlines the typical costs of introducing cycling interventions

The calculations are based on phase 1 of the Cycle City Ambition programme which provided grants to eight cities in England.

The types of scheme covered in the report include cycle superhighways, mixed strategic cycle routes, resurfaced cycle routes, cycle bridges, 20mph zones, remodelling major junctions and cycle crossings on major roads.

A cycle superhighway is an extended cycle route that ‘enables direct, rapid and safe cycle trips’ that are largely segregated from traffic along an arterial route.

Costs for these range from £1.15m to £1.45m per kilometre for a two-way physically segregated superhighway, to £740,000 per kilometre for a two-way lightly segregated superhighway.

Remodelling major junctions costs between £1.56m and £1.61m for cycling-specific schemes and £240,000 for ‘piggybacking’ cycling on measures for other traffic.

The costs in the DfT report are determined by the number and size of the roads forming the junction, the complexity of the junction layout, and the number of strategic cycle route trajectories across the junction that the junction remodelling caters for.

20mph zones are estimated to cost £10k-15k per km with traffic calming measures, and £2k-3k per kilometre without.