Mayor and TfL confirms £148m to help transform transport across London
Transport services and town centres across London have been given a New Year boost, as the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) confirm £148 million in funding for the London boroughs in 2016/17.
The annual borough funding is provided by TfL to help the boroughs pay for local transport projects set out in their Local Implementation Plans (LIPs). LIPs are plans that show how the boroughs will support the Mayor's
Transport Strategy in their area. For 2016/17, TfL's financial support for the boroughs' LIPs has been maintained at £147.8 million and will fund improvements that benefit local communities.
The funding will support a range of different transport projects delivered by the boroughs across London. Local areas will see safer roads, better public spaces, improved walking facilities and cycling made safer and easier.
Funding includes:
- City of London - £1.4 million including £200,000 towards proposals to transform Bank Junction with widened footways, cycle routes and improved public space to make the busy junction safer
- Westminster - £6.4 million including £1 million to transform public spaces and create better cycling routes through the West End, including at Cambridge Circus and Villiers Street
- Kensington and Chelsea - £2.1 million including £150,000 for pedestrian improvements at the junction of Old Brompton Road / Pelham Street
- Camden - £4.9 million including £2 million towards the West End Project, which will transform the area around Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street and will deliver high quality public spaces and streets, including walking, cycling and bus reliability improvements
- Islington - £2 million including £350,000 for borough-wide road safety improvements, such as junction improvements, traffic calming measures and pedestrian crossings, will be targeted in areas in the borough where higher than average accident statistics have been recorded
- Southwark - £4.1 million including £820,000 to improve safety at Camberwell, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: `This latest round of funding will help to transform scores of locations in all four corners of our great city. It is specifically targeted to help make our roads, town centres and open spaces more attractive places with better facilities for walking and safer cycling. By helping the boroughs deliver on important local transport schemes, we can help to spur jobs and growth across London.'
London's Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, said: `Londoners will see real improvements to their local areas as a result of this funding. Working with London boroughs, hundreds of transport projects will be delivered that will benefit pedestrians and road users, through safer streets and improved public squares and shopping areas. These improvements will help transform communities and boost the local economy.'
In addition to funding for boroughs, TfL is working with them to help further improve the efficiency of the delivery of projects, ensuring value for money and keeping disruption to a minimum.
Last year, the boroughs used TfL funding to deliver a range of improvements for local communities, through safer junctions, reduced traffic speeds and better walking routes.
Significant projects awarded funding across London last year included:
- City of London - £279,000 to enhance public spaces and pedestrian routes. In 2015/16 the proposals are expected to include improvements to walking routes that by-pass Bank and improvements around Fishmongers' Hall Wharf, where people can enjoy views of the Thames
- Westminster - £320,000 towards developing and implementing cycle schemes over the next three years, including sections of the Central London Cycle Grid, free cycle training, cycle parking, and improved cycle access to the Royal Parks
- Lambeth - £285,000 for the second stage of the award-winning Vauxhall Walk, which creates an avenue of public realm, pedestrian and cycle improvements
- Wandsworth - £450,000 towards a programme of traffic, environmental and streetscape measures aimed at improving safety, access and 'sense of place' in local town centres and shopping streets, for example Southfields and Battersea High Street.
- 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.
- The overall 2016/17 LIPs budget of £147.8 million is allocated as follows:
- £74.25 million is allocated for Corridors, Neighbourhoods & Supporting Measures
- £28 million is allocated to Major Schemes
- £8.9 million is awarded for Bridge Strengthening (individual allocations to boroughs to be made in January 2016)
- £10.3 million is allocated for Traffic Signal Modernisation for sites across London
- £4.35 million is allocated for apprenticeships, staff training and support for partnership
- £21 million is allocated for Principal Road Maintenance based on condition surveys
- £1 million is held for Principal Road Maintenance emergency works and condition surveys