Badly-designed cycling infrastructure may be unsuitable for efficient cycling, but well-designed cycling infrastructure will accommodate faster speeds. There is no fundamental reason why cycling infrastructure should not allow people to cycle fast and efficiently.

More importantly, good cycling infrastructure will make journeys quicker overall. It allows easy passage through streets clogged with motor traffic, and by prioritising cycling at traffic lights, allowing ‘free’ unsignalled turns, and unravelling cycling routes from motor vehicle routes (meaning no traffic lights at all), journeys can be made quicker and more efficient than an equivalent trip on the road network.

Creating high-quality cycling infrastructure – with elements like bus-stop bypasses – not only makes cycling journeys more comfortable, with less stopping and starting, but also reduces conflict with people using other modes of transport.