London Cycling Design Standards

Summary

The London Cycling Design Standards (LCDS) set out requirements and advice for cycle network planning and for the design of dedicated cycle infrastructure, cycle-friendly streets and cycle parking in London, United Kingdom. It is aimed at those who shape the environment through planning and street design as well as engineers designing cycle-specific infrastructure. The LCDS guidance is structured around achieving six basic attributes of well designed infrastructure for cycling:

• Safety,
• Comfort,
• Coherence,
• Directness,
• Attractiveness and
• Adaptability.

The document also highlights the need for designing with all users in mind. This includes people who use ‘non-standard’ cycles adapted for use by disabled people and people who could benefit from or be disadvantaged by changes made to streets to support cycling.

The first two chapters of LCDS cover general design requirements and techniques for planning and delivering high quality infrastructure. The procedures set out here should be applied in a way that is consistent and proportionate with the scale of interventions proposed. They are intended to help deliver the desired outcomes efficiently and to a high standard, rather than place unnecessary burdens on designers. Chapter three covers user requirements for any place, and how those needs may be balanced to create civilised streets and better places for everyone. The remaining five chapters of LCDS consist of detailed design guidance to support the requirements and principles set out in chapter one.