Mayor confirms £3.7m for local transport improvements in Tower Hamlets and £252,000 to support Cycle Superhighways

The Mayor of London today confirmed £3.7m for Tower Hamlets to spend on local transport improvements during 2010/11, including £215,000 for essential road maintenance and £565,000 for major schemes.

Tower Hamlets has been developing proposals for a number of schemes that it will be financing with the funding package, including:

• £428,000 for improvements to the Bethnal Green Road, including reducing street clutter, improving crossing facilities, increasing cycle parking and a review of waiting and loading activity to reduce traffic delays between Bethnal Green and Shoreditch
• £150,000 for improvements to New Road with measures to smooth traffic flow, improve safety and increase active travel in this busy road running between the A11 Whitechapel Road and the A13 Commercial Road. Measures will include increased provision for cyclists, de-cluttering of the streetscape and speed tables to slow traffic and provide safer crossing conditions
• £420,000 to develop shared spaces in Manchester Road, Island Gardens and Stebondale used by cyclists, vehicles and Docklands Light Railway passengers through measures including the introduction of a 20mph zone, the pedestrianisation of a section of Saunderness Road and a cycle link to the foot tunnel
• £12,000 for continued parent and family cycle training to encourage more cycling to school and for leisure
• £400,000 for public realm improvements around St. Paul's Way including measures to increase safety and security and provide better pedestrian facilities

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'Even in these tough economic times I am committed to providing this funding to all of London's boroughs.

'The investment means that across the Capital, town centres and public spaces are being overhauled, cycling and walking facilities are being improved, and roads are being made safer.

'We have cut red tape to make it easier for borough councils to choose the local transport projects that benefit their residents the most, simplifying the funding system and working together to give local people the improvements they want.

Fairer funding formulas

'This time we're also giving an extra focus to cycling - helping to provide the training, cycle parking, and maintenance knowhow to support the introduction of the first two Cycle Superhighways next year.'

Funding for local schemes is allocated each year by Transport for London (TfL). 

The Mayor has simplified the system - reducing the number of funding streams from 23 to five, and introducing fairer funding formulas where needed. 

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: 'Tower Hamlets has identified a range of small and large scale projects that will make a real difference to local people by improving town centres and public spaces, reducing the number of collisions on our roads, improving the environment and promoting greener forms of travel. 

'Tower Hamlets also has the flexibility to move certain funding between projects if, during the course of the year, they find more or less funding is needed for individual schemes.'

Alongside Local Implementation Plan (LIP) allocations for cycling projects, the Mayor announced an additional £252,000 for Tower Hamlets as part of £1.49m funding for the eight boroughs benefiting from the two pilot Cycle Superhighways being delivered next year.

The money has been allocated to provide the appropriate cycle training, parking and maintenance to address the increase in demand from residents living near the new cycling infrastructure, part of the Mayor's cycling revolution in London.

The money allocated to Tower Hamlets is as follows:

Notes to editors:

• Each borough produces a LIP to demonstrate how they plan to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally. While TfL allocated funding for individual schemes, the LIP and delivery of individual projects is the responsibility of each borough
• In addition to the usual borough allocation, TfL has included £100,000 for each of the boroughs to spend locally on transport as they choose
• Below is a table with a breakdown of LIP funding for Tower Hamlets: