Construction of a new cycling route between Waltham Forest and Hackney is set to begin this autumn.

The cycleway, which will run from Lea Bridge to Dalston, will feature protected cycle lanes on Lea Bridge Road and Lea Bridge roundabout, as well as a new tree-lined boulevard for pedestrians and cyclists in Millfields Park.

Transport for London (TfL) received more than 2,200 responses from residents during a public consultation on the plans in 2019, with 65 per cent of respondents saying they believed the plans would enable more people to cycle.

The transport body hopes to complete the new project by spring 2022.

Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said that the new route would make it "much safer and easier" for Londoners to walk and cycle, which will help ensure a "cleaner and greener recovery from the pandemic".

The plans have been welcomed by Hackney Council cabinet member for energy, waste, transport and public realm Mete Coban, who said that Lea Bridge roundabout "has long been hard to cross on foot and hard to cycle around".

Following the announcement of the new cycleway, TfL also confirmed plans to begin work on new cycle routes in Tower Hamlets and Hounslow as well as additional routes in Hackney from the autumn.

Earlier this year, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to press ahead with "bold measures" to encourage walking and cycling in the capital following a court ruling on the Bishopsgate Streetspace scheme.

The Court of Appeal in June overturned an earlier High Court ruling that had judged the pop-up scheme to be "unlawful", giving TfL the green light to continue with plans to introduce more protected cycle lanes and restrictions on through traffic.

Throughout June and July, around 7,300 people per day were recorded cycling through Bishopsgate during the week, while 2,200 people per day cycled along the controversial Chiswick cycleway.

Since May 2020, more than 62 miles of cycle lanes have been built or are under construction in London, which TfL says has led to a seven per cent increase in the number of journeys taken by bike in inner London and a 22 per cent increase in outer London.