Funding and greater freedom over spending for Barking & Dagenham to cut road deaths, improve town centres and cycling facilities, tackle the school run and carry out essential main road maintenance.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today announced £2.9m of funding from Transport for London (TfL) for Barking & Dagenham to deliver local transport improvements during the financial year 2009/10. 

As well as increasing next year's local transport funding from TfL - up to £168.3m from £161m in 2008/09 - the Mayor also confirmed that London's boroughs will have greater freedom in choosing local transport projects.

TfL has included £100,000 for the borough council to spend locally on transport as it chooses.

The £2.9m package will allow the borough to finance several schemes to improve local transport for residents including:

  • £140,000 for the renewal of the carriageways and footways of Whalebone Lane which are currently in poor condition and which will be renewed to correct any uneven surface, potholes and cracks. Pedestrians and vehicles will benefit from smooth, defect-free roads resulting in safer journeys in the boroughs
  • £150,000 for the Dagenham Heathway walking scheme. The scheme will be entering phase 2 and will build on the success of phase 1 which was awarded 1st prize for the Best Walking Initiative in the STU awards 2008. The works will improve walking routes into the newly refurbished Heathway to encourage walking into the centre from the surrounding areas. In order to improve safety, street lighting will be improved and crossing facilities will be installed to make walking in the area easier and safer
  • £80,000 to enable the introduction of a southbound bus lane at Lodge Lane to benefit over 10 buses per hour including the services 62 and 368
  • £75,000 for a 20mph zone bounded by Oval Road north and south and Crosby Road. This will make the area much safer for pedestrians and other road users
  • £25,000 for borough-wide cycle parking improvements
  • £10,000 to help fund the installation of four Electrical Recharging Points in the borough. They will provide an alternative energy source which aims to improve local air quality for businesses, residents, visitors and fleet operators by assisting in reducing CO2 emissions

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: 'When I was elected I promised I would be different and give greater freedom to the Boroughs.

'This is why this year I have introduced a £100,000 award for Boroughs to spend as they choose.

'Boroughs are being given greater freedom to develop and deliver the schemes they want, which means more choice over a range of key local schemes to improve town centres and cycling facilities, tackle the school run and improve local roads.'
 
I am awarding Barking & Dagenham a budget of £2.9m next year for local schemes that will make travelling safer, more accessible and more environment-friendly, helping to improve the quality of life for people across the borough.'

Funding for local transport schemes is allocated each year by TfL in response to the applications from boroughs based on their Local Implementation [transport] Plans (LIPs).

Funding is currently available for a wide range of programmes including road safety, maintaining borough roads, tackling the school run, improving walking, cycling and the local environment, making transport more accessible and measures to improve bus journeys.

Notes to editors:

Below is a table with a breakdown of Local Implementation Plan funding for Barking and Dagenham:
 20mph zones  £370,000
 Bus Priority  £475,000
 Bus Stop Accessibility  £80,000
 Education, Training, Publicity  £25,000
 Environment  £10,000
 London Cycling Network+  £150,000
 Accessibility  £50,000
 Local Safety Schemes  £560,000
 Cycling  £185,000
 Principal road renewal  £340,000
 Regeneration  £150,000
 School Travel Plans  £193,000
 Travel Awareness  £5,000
 Walking  £150,000
 Trial funding  £100,000
 TOTAL:  £2,938,000
  • Each London borough has a LIP approved by the Mayor containing proposals to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally. While TfL allocates funding for individual schemes, LIP and individual project delivery is the responsibility of each borough
  • 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, aiming to reduce single occupancy car journeys to school, cut congestion and increase safety near schools
  • Priorities for Local Implementation Plans include:
    • Improving road safety 
    • Encouraging walking and cycling 
    • 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 
    • Bringing transport infrastructure into a state of good repair 
    • School travel planning
  • Electrical Charging points: £390,000 has been allocated to 12 Boroughs to install a further 70 points across London. The cost of a charging point is £7,000. The first on street vehicle charging point in London was implemented in August 2006 in Covent Garden followed by an individual 28 points in 8 Boroughs in 2007 /2008. Information on location of charging points can be found on http://www.newride.org/