FOI request detail

ULEZ

Request ID: FOI-2447-2223
Date published: 19 January 2023

You asked

What was the point of the consultation when the Mayor totally ignored the result. What was the cost of the pointless exercises and what was its carbon footprint. Has anyone carried out a study on the additional pollution due to cycle lanes, the added traffic and lose this causes the economy. What about the added carbon footprint due to the extra traffic etc

We answered

Our ref: FOI-2447-2223/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 21 December 2022 asking for information about ULEZ.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.

To date TfL has spent £753,543.45 on the ULEZ consultation. We do not currently capture data on our carbon footprint when we consult with the public and stakeholders.

Overall, the proposed expansion of the ULEZ would deliver a 0.4 per cent reduction in annual London-wide carbon emissions from road transport equivalent to 23,000 tonnes, including a 0.9 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from cars.

The proposed expansion of the ULEZ is expected to reduce London-wide car kilometres by around 0.5 per cent. It is expected to reduce air pollution. It is expected to reduce annual NOx vehicle emissions in outer London by 6.9 per cent (323 tonnes) taking into account all road transport emissions. There is expected to be a 1.5 per cent (7.8 tonnes) annual overall reduction in PM2.5 emissions from road transport in London.

Further detail is provided in section 5.1 and 5.2 of the Integrated Impact Assessment of the scheme proposals which can be accessed at https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/cleanair.

Cycling in London is a major form of travel in the capital with 1.2 million trips cycled each day.  Growing cycling, as a space efficient mode, alongside walking and public transport will be important to enabling London’s transport network to cope with a growing population. This is reflected in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and national Government strategies such as Gear Change.

The impact of the high quality cycling infrastructure recently delivered in London is positive, with significant increases in the number of people now cycling on these routes. In some cases, such as on Blackfriars road, new cycling infrastructure has increase road capacity, with an increase in the number of people using the road since the cycleway was built.

There are traffic impacts associated with cycleways but these are largely temporary and limited to the construction phase. In most cases, the delay experienced has declined following completion of construction. We are also taking steps to mitigate the impact of construction by coordinating road works to reduce road closures.

The dominance of motor traffic and lack of safe cycling infrastructure is the main barrier deterring people from taking up cycling. By addressing these barriers, we will encourage more people to switch from car travel to cycling for short journeys, reducing carbon emissions and congestion as well as improving public health. There are numerous economic benefits of active travel and the overall support among the business community is strong. For more information on the economic benefits of active travel, please visit our website - https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/economic-benefits-of-walking-and-cycling

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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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