London’s Olympic organisers are improving cycle routes around Olympic venues in a bid to get London active. Improvements like enhanced paving and lighting have already been made on eight routes of the London Greenways cycle network, covering 75km of East London. New cycle crossings have been implemented and 7,000 bike parking spaces have been installed at the Olympic Park alone.

The measures are hoped to encourage more spectators to cycle or walk to Olympic Games venues during the Games next year and to promote healthier alternative transport methods to Londoners as part of the London 2012 Active Travel programme. It’s hoped that Londoners will take advantage of the Boris Bikes, London classifieds and shops offering cheap bicycles to avoid the tube crush, get some exercise and boost the local economy before and after the games.

The improvements have been made to the following routes so far:

* Lea Valley North through the Lee Valley Regional Park

* A brand new route north-east of the Olympic Park passing through Wanstead and Epping Forest

* Olympic Park to Beckton following the northern outfall sewer east

* Lower Lea/The Royal Docks, trailing south of the Olympic Park to the Isle of Dogs. Goes on to Maritime Greenwich and other area venues via the Thames Path

* From Limehouse Basin to the Olympic Park along the Limehouse Cut

* From the Olympic Park to Islington and Limehouse Basin along the Regent’s and Hertford Union Canals

* Routes from green spaces in Hackney from Finsbury Park to the Olympic Park

* Thames Path connecting Maritime Greenwich with the North Greenwich Peninsular and Woolwich