total cost of installing and in due course dismantling all the temporary extensions made and planned to be made across the whole of London to meet the 2m social distancing guideline.
Request ID: FOI-0452-2021
Date published: 03 July 2020
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
Please provide the total cost of installing and in due course dismantling all the temporary extensions made and planned to be made across the whole of London to meet the 2m social distancing guideline.
We answered
TfL Ref: 0452-2021
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 20 June 2020 asking for information about the cost of extending pavements to meet social distancing limits.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked: Please provide the total cost of installing and in due course dismantling all the temporary extensions made and planned to be made across the whole of London to meet the 2m social distancing guideline.
Our Streetspace for London plan is creating more space on streets so people can walk or cycle while social distancing. This is necessary to enable safe social distancing on public transport in London as lockdown restrictions are eased, and will help support increased walking and cycling and improve the city’s air quality.
We are working to provide wider footways at locations where we have identified issues with social distancing, or where issues may arise or worsen as additional businesses reopen. At these locations we have begun to widen footways using temporary barriers, as we repurpose parking bays or traffic lanes.
We have completed 28 Streetspace schemes on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). This comprises 12,846 m² of extra pedestrian space and 5.3km of extra cycling space. An additional 7.6km of new or upgraded cycling space has been delivered to date on borough roads.
From 1st March to 21 June, c.£1.8m* has been spent by TfL and £2.6m has been issued to London Boroughs to provide additional space for pedestrians in over 230 locations across London. This funding has been allocated by the Department for Transport as part of the COVID-19 emergency funding to local authorities. At present, we do not have a cost for removing these measures but will continue to assess scheme requirements in line with latest Government guidance.
*please note this figures do not include TfL staff time as our team work on many different projects and we do not hold information on what proportion of their time has been spent on social distancing projects alone.
Some of the improvements we're making as part of Streetspace for London could become permanent additions to London's cycling and walking networks. We're monitoring their effects and will begin to consider which improvements could become permanent from late 2020 or early 2021.
Please note the Government has announced a series of measures to tackle the Coronavirus. It is essential for London, and in particular for all critical workers, that we continue to provide a safe transport network that enables them to make the journeys they need to.
In current circumstances, we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present.
Answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. In any event, please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
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