FOI request detail

Cycleway 4 & Rotherhithe Movement Plan

Request ID: FOI-1454-1920
Date published: 09 September 2019

You asked
Dear Transport for London, REQUEST a) Please can I have copies of all the traffic count data you hold for the Canada Water Opportunity Area? This to include Salter Road, Redriff Road, B205 because these roads are also shown on the video of a model used by LBS. Excel spreadsheets or similar is fine. b) A section of A200 Lower Road (southbound), adjacent to the Osprey Estate, was made a 'focus area' for pollution in 2017. However, traffic counts are also very high in Rotherhithe Old Road (A200 northbound) and the pollution is bad. Can you inform me why A200 Lower Road (southbound) was made a focus for pollution while Rotherhithe Old Road (A200 northbound) was not? Counts for Rotherhithe Old Road (A200 northbound) were higher. It is noted that Southwark Council now propose to increase traffic in Rotherhithe Old Road while significantly reducing traffic in A200 Lower Road (southbound). I note that there are about 187 air pollution 'focus areas' being targeted by Transport for London? IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST When anyone says "we have used data from TfL" it is in the public interest to know that is true. DFT publish their count data on their website and are very transparent. I understand from LBS that "TfL do not have a direct influence in the design of projects but as Lower Road including the one-way system are Strategic roles we do require their approval, before we can make any changes" Creating Cycleway 4 requires changes to nearby roads costing many millions of pounds. Some of the proposed changes produce disbenefits and increase traffic flipping 2014 proposals. "Cycleway 4 will create a continuous segregated cycle route between Tower Bridge and Greenwich" and you say it will "improve public spaces" and "facilities for people who are walking" - I do not doubt the new cycleway will be fantastic and I shall enjoy using it - HOWEVER proposals by Southwark Council that facilitate Cycleway 4 also create disbenefits and impacts on health including pollution and traffic noise along Rotherhithe Old Road. Removing zebra crossings, installing pedestrian islands and increasing crossing times is not necessarily "improvement" for pedestrians. https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/cycle-superhighway-4 webpage informs "Lower Road Southwark Council is currently consulting on detailed proposals for the Lower Road section of the route. This includes their proposals to make some roads in the area two-way. Find out how to have your say on Southwark Council's Lower Road consultation page [link https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/planning-and-regeneration/lower-road/] There is now a "Rotherhithe Movement Plan" consultation by Southwark Council traffic department. I have been informed verbally that data / information has been used by developers at Canada Water and Southwark Council to plan for development, CW4 and make proposals to make some roads in the area two-way however I cannot find the data on your website. Data including traffic counts and modelling. Information used to create Southwark's plans for the A200 / A2208 gyratory (including by Mouchel in 2013/14) and traffic assessment used by developers. When looking at the Southwark Council consultation documents I cannot find anything about pollution even though their proposals will increase traffic volume along Rotherhithe Old Road where homes are already covered in toxic traffic soot (brake dust, particulates etc). Proposals also show some major bus route journey times getting WORSE. A video - I understand in part built using data from TfL - shows congestion / traffic queues, more traffic lights (starts / stops / braking), and there are higher counts of traffic and longer journeys. Zebra crossing are to be removed too. I suspect A200 / A2208 pelican crossing times have been and will be increased further / made worse by additional crossings inserted which will increase crossing times for pedestrians and possible cyclists who use the crossing on a very busy main road. Recently I watched a baby in a pram stuck in the middle of the A200 crossing island near King George's Park in clouds of exhaust - at pram height. I could not find anything about increase / decrease in pollution caused by the planned road changes to implement CW4 although videos show congestion / traffic queues, more traffic lights (starts / stops / braking), and there are higher counts of traffic and longer journeys. Increase journey times for general traffic in some "sections"of the Rotherhithe Movement Plan including 9, 10, 11, & 13 which is the proposed route for all "through" traffic to be funnelled through. Southwark inform: "We used traffic modelling software to: Model the existing road network based on traffic flows in 2017 Model future trends and estimated traffic flow for 2021, based on committed developments in the area and around London...Use these to plan new road networks that work for all road users – as seen in the Rotherhithe Movement Plan... Model the impact of these proposed new networks on future traffic flows" Residents are extremely concerned and worried about Rotherhithe Movement Plan proposals.

We answered

Our ref: FOI-1454-1920/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 August 2019 asking for information about Cycleway 4 & Rotherhithe Movement Plan.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. Unfortunately we do not hold the information you require.

As I am sure you are aware, the roads listed in your request in respect of traffic counts and air pollution are all London Borough of Southwark highways and therefore we would expect them to hold this data.

TfL did jointly commission a strategic transport study for this area with Southwark and the major developers which we have provided to Southwark to publish. This does not contain the requested data but does consider highways and public transport at a strategic level.

The British Land application for the existing shopping and leisure centres, the Printworks and other smaller sites may have some of this information in respect of this site/development. This is all uploaded onto Southwark old Planning Application register under reference 18/AP/1604 and includes the Transport Assessment and a recent addendum thereto which you may find useful.

Whilst TfL did provide Southwark with our base traffic models for Cycleway 4 to ensure consistency across the route, these would have been updated to incorporate their design changes for Lower Road - it would be Southwark who hold the latest information that you are requesting, so they would be best placed to answer your request.

I am sorry that we are unable to assist you further on this occasion. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Graham Hurt

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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