Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it will restart work on paused schemes to make London’s roads safer and more attractive for those walking and cycling. Quadrant Transport looks at how this will help to encourage more people to take more sustainable transport options.
TfL was forced to pause some of its investment in walking and cycling schemes due to successive short-term agreements. Following negotiations, in August 2022 TfL reached an agreement with the UK Government on a funding settlement until 21 March 2024.
It can now resume spending on vital projects, with £80 million per year to be spent directly by TfL on walking and cycling schemes as part of its Healthy Street Programme.
Seeing More Londoners Choosing To Walk And Cycle Is Essential
These schemes are said to continue to support a green recovery from the pandemic and create opportunities for safe, active, and sustainable travel in London. It will support the Mayor’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from the transport network.
This includes the start of construction of safer junction schemes at Holloway Road/Drayton Park and Battersea Bridge (subject to consultation), and pedestrian and cycling improvements at Streatham High Road and Manor Circus.
In addition to this, TfL will continue lowering speed limits across London to reduce road danger, with plans to introduce a 20mph speed limit on a further 28km of roads in the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Haringey by March 2023.
London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “In the last two years we’ve seen more Londoners than ever choosing to walk and cycle around the capital, but successive short-term funding agreements from Government forced TfL and boroughs to pause spending on some permanent walking and cycling schemes.
“With the funding now agreed, I’m delighted that we can now restart work on these vital schemes - as well as beginning the design work for the next generation of new projects.”
The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, safer and more prosperous London for everyone and encouraging more people to pick up greener and more sustainable transport options is a vital part of that.
Investing In Infrastructure Will Make Roads Safer And More Convenient
As part of the Healthy Streets programme, TfL has said it will complete cycleways that are currently under construction and begin the construction of up to 14km of additional sections.
To deliver bus journey times improvements, £12.8 million will be provided to London’s boroughs as part of the LIP Bus Priority Programme. It will contribute to the target of building 25km of new bus lanes by March 2025.
Penny Rees, TfL’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment, said: “Walking and cycling are absolutely essential to a more sustainable future for London and we’re determined to make our roads safer and ensure people who walk and cycle in the capital are safe and have easy, convenient routes to use.
“Investment in high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure, as part of our Healthy Streets programme, will continue to be vital to a green, healthy and sustainable future for all Londoners.”
The £69m per year of direct borough funding will also support more localised investment in walking, bus priority and cycling schemes across the city.
In total, £69 million in annual funding has already been allocated to London’s boroughs to restart work on schemes to make the capital’s transport network safer, greener, and more sustainable. As part of this funding, a further £9.8 million in 2022/23 and £11 million in 2023/24 will be provided to the boroughs as part of the Cycle Network Development programme.
Visibility For HGV Drivers Will Be Improved
Construction includes the missing section of C4 on Lower Road, extending C2 from Stratford to Forest Gate, extending C6 from Kentish Town to Hampstead and protected cycle lanes on Loughborough Road.
Funding also includes the next phase of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) programme, which aims to develop these standards further to improve visibility for HGV drivers. This includes consultation with the freight industry on the proposed safe systems kit, that non-compliant HGVs would need to retrofit to their vehicles to obtain a Safety Permit from TfL and operate in London.