Mayor confirms £4m for local transport improvements in Camden

The Mayor of London today confirmed £4m for Camden to spend on local transport improvements during 2010/11, including £472,000 for essential road maintenance and £750,000 for major schemes. 

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

• £800,000 to continue works already underway at Russell Square which will improve facilities for walking and cycling
• £130,000 to extend the existing Covent Garden pilot area for Legible London, providing better signage and making it easier to walk between Kings Cross and the Bloomsbury area (bordering Covent Garden)
• £31,000 to hold road safety dramas and screen films in schools as part of an  education programme to reduce the number of road traffic casualties
• £10,000 to encourage the use of bicycle trailers for local trips to schools and shops increasing active travel and reducing pollutants and CO2 emissions
• £5,000 to promote Camden's new eco-driving campaign which will work with a local driving school and businesses to educate drivers to improve their driving skills and reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and air-pollutants
• £750,000 for public realm improvements in the area around the British Museum including wider footways, improved cycle access, relocated parking bays and improved coach parking close to the Museum.

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.'

Fairer funding

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

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: 'Camden 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. 

'Camden 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.'

Notes to editors

• Each borough produces a Local Implementation Plan (LIP) to demonstrate how they plan to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally.  While Transport for London 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 Local Implementation Plan funding for Camden