Mayor announces over £2.2m for local transport improvements in Barking and Dagenham
Every London borough is receiving money that will directly benefit communities, making London an even better place to live and work.
The funding has been allocated by Transport for London (TfL) through the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) process and is awarded to the borough to spend on projects that support the Mayor's Transport Strategy, including safer roads, smoothing traffic flow, rejuvenating town centres and better facilities for cycling and walking.
The £2.2m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Barking and Dagenham, including:
- £460,000 to improve Merry Fiddlers Junction to give better access to the new leisure centre, improve the public realm and make road safety improvements
- £300,000 to undertake access improvement works at Chadwell Heath station, including measures to improve pedestrian crossing facilities/footways, security and signage
- £200,000 for ongoing improvements to the Robin Hood and Five Elms shopping parades on Longbridge Road. Works will include new street furniture, improved car parking, particularly for disabled users, new trees and renewed paving to improve the look and feel of the public realm outside the shops
- £120,000 to continue work with businesses and schools to develop/implement travel plans to promote safe and sustainable travel
- £60,000 to promote cycle training to cyclists of all ages. This will encourage people to consider cycling as a healthy and sustainable mode of travel
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: 'London is undergoing a neo-Victorian level of investment in its transport network.
'Every London borough is receiving money that will directly benefit communities, making London an even better place to live and work.
'We've also cut bureaucracy to make it easier for the boroughs to decide how they want to spend their funding.'
The LIP funds hundreds of large and small scale transport projects every year.
Last year in Barking and Dagenham it financed 290 on-street cycle parking spaces, cycle training for 2,350 children and 130 adults, the removal of 200 metres of guardrail, six new accessible bus stops, two new off-street electric vehicle charging points, 800 new street trees and for 27 schools to participate in walking events and 35 in cycling events.
Notable larger projects this year undertaken in Barking and Dagenham include Barking Station forecourt improvements which received £500,000 investment to provide better access and safety for all users.
Excellent work
London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: 'Year-on-year the boroughs continue to deliver innovative projects that support the Mayor's vision for transport in the Capital.
'This investment will build on the excellent work that has already been achieved and complement the huge programme of work we at TfL are undertaking to make his vision a reality through working in partnership with the boroughs.'
The funding was previously forecast to reduce year on year to reflect the reduced general grant TfL receives from the Department for Transport.
However, because of the importance of the boroughs in delivering the priorities of Mayor's Transport Strategy, the funding has been kept at a consistent level to 2013/14.
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 allocates funding for individual schemes, the LIP and delivery of individual projects is the responsibility of each borough
- A detailed breakdown of funding for bridge strengthening projects (£5.3m), which will be allocated to the bridges in most need of work will be announced in the New Year
- Total allocation by programme area:
| Programme | Allocation across London (£m) |
| Principal road maintenance | 493 |
| Local transport funding | 100 |
| Corridors, neighbourhoods and supporting measures | 1,670 |
| Total | 2,263 |