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Traffic lights should give cyclists priority says Lime boss

Fahad Redha

February 9, 2026
3 min read

Traffic lights should give cyclists priority says Lime boss

Lime’s policy director Hal Stevenson has called for London’s traffic lights to automatically turn green for cyclists and speed up their journeys. The majority of the capital’s traffic light systems have sensors to detect buses, turning green sooner or staying green for longer.

Stevenson said that if cyclists were given the same priority as buses, it could improve behaviour among riders, as well as encouraging more people to cycle. TfL says it takes cyclists into account when reviewing signal timings and hopes for all road users to be able to travel as “safely and efficiently as possible.”

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“Cyclists shouldn’t be left on red,” Stevenson wrote in an article for MyLondon. “These lights should also allow cyclists to pass through without waiting. Cycling now accounts for up to one in five trips in central London, with cycle traffic at peak times exceeding cars, he added. “Despite this, signal timings remain set around motor traffic speeds, which can lead to frequent stopping and less smooth journeys for people on bikes.”

TfL recently revealed plans to extend its current system for buses to give them priority at all of the 3,500 traffic lights they pass through on their routes by 2030. Stevenson has called for the lights to be re-timed to prioritise cyclists as well, as this work is underway.

“Rethinking how traffic lights are timed could be a natural next step in building on that success,” Stevenson said. “Other leading cycling cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam show what’s possible.”

These cities use “green wave” technology to prioritise cyclists by timing the sequences of traffic lights to allow for a continuous ride without having to stop. They also “reward cyclists travelling at a safe, consistent speed with a sequence of green lights,” Stevenson says, adding that they also improve rider behaviour and reduce journey times at a relatively low cost. He also says that it could mean fewer cyclists jumping red lights.

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