TfL hosts walking conference as new Walking Tube map extends

• International speakers include Dr Xand van Tulleken, and Bloomberg Associates' Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City's former Transportation Commissioner
• New version of Tube map released to show the time and number of steps between stations in Zone 3, including rail stations

TfL, working with the Mayor, Bloomberg and Living Streets today held their first ever major walking conference - following the publication of the Healthy Streets for London vision last month.

International experts, health professionals and representatives from London's boroughs all joined together at 'Healthy Streets for London - making a great city for walking' to discuss how London can be made a better city for pedestrians.

To mark the conference, TfL has launched two extended versions of the popular Walking Tube map to help those travelling outside of central London. The maps include Zone 3 stations for the first time with estimated walking time and steps between stations. They now also include National Rail stations - giving people even more opportunity to easily save time on everyday journeys on foot. The maps are available for download here: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/

Deputy Mayor for Transport, Val Shawcross, and Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, will both speak at the conference to outline the Mayor's commitment to encourage more Londoners to walk and cycle by making London's streets healthier, safer and more welcoming.

They will highlight the benefits that higher levels of walking can deliver for London, including reduced car use, better air quality and helping reduce rates of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

International expert speakers including, Bloomberg Associates' Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City's former Transportation Commissioner, Christophe Najdovski, Deputy Mayor for Transport in Paris and Dr Xand van Tulleken will also share their expertise and experience on the role high quality streets and public spaces can play in making cities more inclusive, liveable and prosperous.

Val Shawcross, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: "We are committed to improving the health and quality of life for all Londoners, and know that this can happen if we create a cleaner, better environment where people want to walk and cycle. By improving our streets to encourage active travel, we can reduce the impact of transport on our environment - leading to cleaner air and a greener, quieter and less traffic dominated city for all to enjoy."

Will Norman, Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: "For the good of our health and for the good of our environment, we urgently need to design physical activity back into our everyday lives. That's why we're investing record levels to improve our streets. Almost all journeys start with a walk, but by making streets right across the Capital easier and safer to walk further, we can help build stronger and healthier communities for the benefit of all."

Leon Daniels, Managing Director, Surface Transport at TfL, said: "We recognise the influence that travel choices have on how healthy people can be in London. If we do things differently, such as helping to reduce car use by providing nicer places to walk, live and work, we can help deliver amazing health benefits to Londoners. Our new Walking Tube map is designed to help people who want to get more active and try making more of their journey round on foot."

Bloomberg Associates' Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City's former Transportation Commissioner, said: "Walkable, more active streets are not just healthier, they make cities safer and economically stronger. London's investments in its streets are investments in the people who live, work and play in the city."

Tompion Platt, Head of Policy and Communications at Living Streets, said: "It's fantastic that the Mayor wants to make walking a priority. As the conference shows, cities around the world are starting to realise that if you can get more people walking and reduce car use, you can improve the health and happiness of everyone living and working there. We hope it's the start of a better London for everyone."

Annie O'Leary, Editor-in-Chief, Netmums, said: "Safety, noise and pollution are all key concerns for parents travelling with their children. I'm very pleased to hear health and transport professionals will be coming together to discuss these important issues, and establishing how to make London a better place for those on foot. Families will also welcome the additional information made available by the extended Walking Tube map, as planning and options are definitely a key part of stress-free journeys when travelling with babies and children."

Notes to editors:

'Healthy Streets for London' sets out an important new approach for the Mayor and TfL, working with its partners and stakeholders to make London's streets better for everyone. This approach will be embedded across the full range of Mayoral policy and strategy documents to ensure it is delivered effectively across the city. Read more on the Healthy Streets here https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/corporate-and-social-responsibility/transport-and-healthcare

• Some elements of a Healthy Street include; making our streets safer, reducing the dominance of motorised traffic, shade & shelter, places to stop & rest, clean air, and things to enjoy and see along the way
• New analysis shows that if every Londoner walked or cycled for 20 minutes a day, it would save the NHS £1.7bn in treatment costs over the next 25 years
• There are over 1,500 Legible London signs - the Capital's wayfinding system - across the city
• Already, 188,613 users have downloaded the current Walking Tube map and the Steps map has seen 44,058 downloads since it was launched in September 2016
• More information on Healthy Streets for London is available here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/corporate-and-social-responsibility/transport-and-healthcare

• A recent TfL study shows that Londoners make 3.6 million daily journeys by car, motorcycle, taxi or public transport that could be walked, at least in part

For a full report, visit http://content.tfl.gov.uk/analysis-of-walking-potential-2016.pdf