Mayor confirms £3.9m for local transport improvements in Southwark and £178,000 to support Cycle Superhighways

The Mayor of London today confirmed £3.9m for Southwark to spend on local transport improvements during 2010/11, including £387,000 for essential road maintenance and £200,000 for major schemes. 

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

• £170,000 to fund cycle training for people who live, work or study in the borough
• £240,000 for improvements to the East Dulwich corridor that runs along Grove Vale and Lordship Lane between Overhill Road and Barry Road with an enhanced streetscape and improved shared road use for local people and freight traffic
• £300,000 for improvements to Peckham Hill High Street, including better crossings for pedestrians, widened footways where possible and de-cluttering of street furniture
• £70,000 for improvements to Albany Road, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, with installation of speed cameras to make the road a 20mph zone, and the upgrading of existing zebra crossings
• £143,000 to deliver a number of activities to promote smarter travel choices and safe travel habits, including a cycle week, mobility week and a series of 'Dr Bike' cycle maintenance events
• £200,000 for completion of public realm works around Salisbury Row including improvements to accessibility and bus interchanges and the provision of better cycle 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.

'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. 

Promoting greener transport

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy said: 'Southwark 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. 

'Southwark 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 £178,500 for Southwark 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 Southwark is as follows:

• 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 Southwark: