Harry is right that South London where I am has benefited far more, and our cycling facilities range from improved to really excellent. I'm not surprised that Central London conditions are quite bad in some ways, but those I know who cycle in from the South are not anything like as negative, so possibly the conditions on the trip in are a major influence in the view, which I can well understand. Although it's regrown a bit, I understand the total traffic volume in the congestion zone is still 16% down on pre-zone levels though.
I benefit from a complete new tram system, new bus routes and mostly brand new buses, and some amazingly good roofed over cycle parking facilities. Cycleways are very variable, ranging from lines at the edge of the road through joint use pedestrian/cyclist routes to completely separated dedicated cycleways, some well separated from motor vehicle traffic.
I don't know what happens in North London at the weekends, but on fine weekends in South London bike use is at very high levels for social and domestic purposes, so conditions must be far better than Harry describes or people wouldn't cycle. Two of my South London friends who don't cycle commute have nonetheless bought bikes for personal purposes in the last couple of years and use them all the time for getting around now.
I think most of the difference must be due to population density and lack of North London space, since we did have more space for facilities in many areas, but I'd be surprised if things were quite as gloomy in the outer North London boroughs where there have more space, but I stand to be corrected.
There have been many gains and I still feel they far outweigh the negatives, and I certainly wouldn't want things back as they were.
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