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Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new borough-level programme to help reduce road danger, encourage safe travel by public transport and increase the number of people walking and cycling across the capital.
A new team of 16 Healthy Streets Officers will work across London’s boroughs to reduce school-run traffic, discourage engine idling and enable people to walk, cycle and use public transport more often. They will tackle road danger by responding to local road safety concerns and will support boroughs with local initiatives to raise awareness of new cycleways. In addition, they will promote training to improve cycle safety, as well as encouraging people to use public transport.
The programme, managed by the charity Sustrans, will also support boroughs with London-wide events including World Car Free Day, Walk to Work Week and Road Safety Week. It is part of TfL’s wider programme, working with boroughs to reduce road danger and improve air quality by creating greener, cleaner and healthier places. The programme is being funded through TfL’s Healthy Streets budget and is on top of the Liveable Neighbourhoods grants of between £1 million and £10 million for boroughs to transform local neighbourhoods.
Alex Williams, director of city planning at TfL, said: “Partnering with the boroughs is absolutely vital if we are to reduce road danger and improve air quality and transform London into an active, healthy and green city. Our new team of Healthy Streets Officers will closely collaborate with the London borough teams to engage with schools, businesses and communities across the capital and encourage safe and sustainable ways to travel.”
Matt Winfield, Sustrans’ London director, said: “We are very excited to have been chosen by Transport for London to deliver this change programme and to be setting up a team of Healthy Streets Officers to work across all London boroughs. It is a wide-ranging programme that will make our capital a great place to walk and cycle.
“We look forward to working with partners old and new to make this project a success. Our work is based on evidence that we gather from robust academic research in behaviour change, community engagement and listening to residents. We have an extremely strong alliance with Lucy Saunders and Tiffany Lam and are ready to help put Healthy Streets front and centre of communities right across the capital.”
The programme will begin in Redbridge in the coming weeks, before being expanded out to the remaining boroughs and the City of London in the autumn. The initiative will help boroughs achieve the Mayor’s Transport Strategy goals, including the aim to have 80% of London’s journeys made by walking, cycling or public transport by 2041.
