During the 2012 Games, an additional one million journeys a day are expected to be made on foot and bike in London and it is forecast that 300,000 spectators will cycle or walk to Olympic and Paralympic Games venues, with 7,000 bike parking spaces provided on the Olympic Park alone.

A total of 75 kilometres of East London's cycle routes have been enhanced by Transport for London (TfL) through the 2012 Games Walking and Cycling Routes project, which is a scheme funded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

The enhancements, which span 113 individual schemes serving eight routes around the Olympic Park and river venues, are linked to existing networks and part of a wider London Greenways network.

All eight routes are now structurally complete with the Hackney Parks route being the first to have new signage installed as part of a rolling programme.

"We are all hoping that London 2012 is providing the inspiration for people to get active before the Games begin," said Foster, who carried Britain's flag during the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. 

"I live in London and always use my bike to get around, and so I'm really impressed that the cycling and walking routes leading to the Olympic Park are in place well ahead of next summer for people to make use of now.

"These cycle routes will not only be able to be used by spectators travelling to the Games on bike and foot, but will provide a long-term legacy in east London."


Improvements, which include new cycle crossings, improved paving and lighting for safety and security, are aimed at helping spectators travelling to the Olympic Park in Stratford, as well as other London venues, while also leaving a legacy of better cycling and walking routes in the area with a variety of on and off-road routes.

"There has been a significant investment made by the ODA and its partners to ensure that London 2012 is truly a sustainable transport Games, with walking and cycling crucial to the overall strategy," said ODA director of transport Hugh Sumner.

"We have worked together to deliver major improvements across London's cycling and walking routes so that spectators can get to venues safely and on time.

"These enhancements will be left in place after the Games for the benefit of commuters and communities alike."

London 2012 and TfL have also launched the London 2012 Active Travel programme (ATP) to coincide with the 2012 Games Walking and Cycling Routes project in order to increase the numbers of people cycling and walking before, during and after the Games.

The map, which has now been published, covers the area surrounding the Olympic Park, showing how the new routes integrate within London's wider cycling network.

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