Mayor announces over £5.9m for local transport improvements in Westminster
Every London borough will receive money which will directly benefit communities, making London a 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 £5.9m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Westminster, including:
- £500,000 to extend the Legible London pedestrian signage in the City of Westminster
- £1.173m to implement public realm improvements to the West End. This includes improvements for the vital pedestrian link from Leicester Square to Covent Garden
- £1,000,000 to deliver Westminster's programme of urban realm improvements, including the implementation of the first phase of the important project at Queensway/Westbourne Grove
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: 'London is undergoing a neo-Victorian level of investment in its transport network.
'Every London borough will receive money which will directly benefit communities, making London a better place to live and work.
'Cutting bureaucracy has also made it easier for the boroughs to decide how they want to spend their funding.'
The Local Implementation Plan funds hundreds of large and small scale transport projects every year.
Last year in Westminster it financed 144 cycle parking spaces, cycle training for 655 children and 489 adults, five improved pedestrian crossings and the removal of 508 metres of guardrail.
Working in partnership
Notable larger projects undertaken in Westminster this year include the completion of urban realm improvements in Piccadilly and the surrounding areas as part of the Mayor of London's Great Outdoors programme.
£7m of the £14m project was awarded through the LIP which has reintroduced two-way working to St James's Street, Pall Mall and Piccadilly, de-cluttered the urban realm and widened footways.
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 (£million) |
|---|---|
| Principal Road Maintenance | 809 |
| Local Transport Funding | 100 |
| Corridors, Neighbourhoods and Supporting Measures | 3,903 |
| Major Schemes | 1,150 |
| Total | 5,962 |
About Mayor of London's Great Outdoors
'London's Great Outdoors - A Manifesto for Public Space' is supported by two practical guides, 'Better Streets' and 'Better Green and Water Spaces'.
Together they set out the Mayor of London's vision for improving public spaces in London.
This will ensure that our streets, squares, parks and green and water spaces are fit for a great world city, are enjoyed by everyone who visits them and most importantly, help improve the quality of life in the capital.
They are accompanied by an implementation plan that will see £355 million invested in over 80 public realm improvement projects between 2009 and 2012 Games, funding for which comes from Transport for London, The London Development Agency and London's boroughs as well as other sources.
The measures include redesigned streets, which can be shared by both the pedestrians and vehicles and reclaimed derelict green spaces and underused waterways.
The manifesto and guides have been written and produced by the Greater London Authority, London Development Agency, Design for London and Transport for London.
For further information please go to www.london.gov.uk/greatoutdoors.