"This £4m investment will go towards directly improving transport for people in Waltham Forest"

This £4m investment will go towards directly improving transport for people in Waltham Forest

The £4m funding includes £1,475,000 for local transport safety schemes in Waltham Forest, £452,000 for the London Cycle Network+ for more cycle lanes and better facilities for cyclists in Waltham Forest, £470,000 to resurface the carriageway and pavement on Leyton High Road and £360,000 for improvements to the road layout and traffic signals in Walthamstow Town Centre to provide better access to improve bus services and journey times.

The funding is part of the record-breaking five-year £792m programme for local transport schemes included in the Transport for London (TfL) £10bn Investment Programme.

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said: "This new £4m investment in local transport schemes will make the daily journeys of people in Waltham Forest, safer, greener and more accessible, whether they are travelling by public transport, by car, on foot or by bike.

"Thanks to extra investment in local transport schemes, cycling has increased by 83 per cent since 2000 and more than 1,600 school travel plans have been approved which encourage and enable more children and their parents to walk to school."

Improving local transport

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy said: "This £4m investment will go towards directly improving transport for people in Waltham Forest.

"Local people feel strongly about transport in their area and this funding will make a real difference to their experience each day.  

"The investment will fund both large and small projects that will improve bus journeys and access to public transport, reduce congestion, improve the environment and promote a healthier lifestyle. 

"This funding is an important part of our wider programme of spending in the boroughs to make improvements to local transport."

Projects funded in Waltham Forest for 2008/09 include:

  • £1,475,000 for road safety schemes to reduce collisions
  • £470,000 to resurface Leyton High Road's road and pavement. This is one of two road renewal programmes in Waltham Forest that has received funding this year
  • £452,000 for the London Cycle Network+
  • £370,000 to install traffic signals on the Whipps Cross Roundabout to improve safety, especially for pedestrians and cyclists
  • £360,000 for measures to improve bus services and journey times, including improvements to the road layout and traffic signals in Walthamstow Town Centre to provide better access to the bus stations
  • £50,000 for a Scootability scheme to enable disabled people usually dependent on Taxicard or Dial-a-Ride for door-to-door transport to instead use electric scooters and be more independent


Notes for editors

  • Each year the borough prepares a Local Implementation Plan to demonstrate how they propose to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally. While TfL awards funding for individual schemes, project delivery is the responsibility of the borough
  • Priorities for the Local Implementation Plans include:
    • Improving road safety
    • Improving bus journey times and reliability
    • Relieving traffic congestion and improving journey time reliability
    • Improving the working of parking and loading arrangements
    • Improving accessibility for all on the transport network
    • Encouraging walking and cycling
    • Bringing transport infrastructure into a good state of repair
  • Below is a list with a breakdown of Local Implementation Plan funding for Waltham Forest:
    LIP Programme 2008/09 
    Principal road renewals - £700,000
    Local safety schemes - £1,475,000
    Education, training and publicity - £8,000
    Walking - £115,000
    Cycling - £180,000
    London Cycle Network+ - £452,000
    Bus stop accessibility - £90,000
    Bus priority - £415,000
    Station access - £250,000
    School Travel Plans - £100,000
    Work travel plans - £15,000
    Travel awareness - £35,000
    Environment - £30,000
    Controlled parking zones - £35,000
    Local area accessibility - £95,000
    Total £3,995,000
  • A School Travel Plan is a package of measures, tailored to the needs of individual schools to deliver alternative transport methods for the school run. The aim of a school travel plan is to reduce single occupancy car journeys to school, reduce congestion and increase safety around schools
  • The London Cycle Network+ is funded by TfL. The London Cycle Network+ will provide 900km of safer, faster cycle routes through the Capital. It's due to be finished by 2010 and is one of our major investments