Mayor announces over £5.1m for local transport improvements in Redbridge
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 £5.1m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Redbridge, including:
- £221,000 to improve pedestrian routes to the station and town centre in Chadwell Heath, to encourage more people to walk to these locations
- £50,000 for the Ilford Eastern Gateway Regeneration. This will enable works to revamp the town centre's eastern approach, with changes to the High Road gyratory to improve pedestrian and cycle access
- £100,000 to improve walking and cycling routes and increase bus stop accessibility
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 Redbridge it financed 68 parking spaces, cycle training for 358 children and 78 adults, 20 improved pedestrian crossings, 27 accessible bus stops, 27 schools to participate in walking events, three new off-street electric vehicle charging points and 140 new street trees.
Working in partnership
Notable larger projects undertaken in Redbridge this year include the South Woodford Key Walking Route which received £1.9m LIP funding to make the area more pedestrian friendly, by providing new routes to and through the town centre.
This has encouraged more use of the town centre and local park as well as helping to reduce crime by 50 per cent.
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 LIP to demonstrate how they plan to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally. While TfL 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 | 549 |
| Local transport funding | 100 |
| Corridors, neighbourhoods and supporting measures | 2,463 |
| Major schemes | 2,000 |
| Total | 5,112 |