The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, published his draft transport strategy in June. You can read the strategy summary and full draft here.
The consultation closed on October 2nd and SRS submitted the following comments:
1) London faces a number of growing challenges to the sustainability of its transport system. To re-examine the way people move about
the city in the context of these challenges, it is important that they have been correctly identified.
We see the school run as having a huge impact on the morning and evening rush hours.
We feel that at present parents don't have enough options available to them on how to get their children to school safely and on to work.
Road traffic collisions remain the biggest cause of death for young people aged 11-18, with many of these deaths occurring during the evening rush hour, when
they are returning from school.
We believe safe walking and cycling routes to school should be a first step to tackling some of the issues around rush hour congestion as if parents feel they can
safely cycle with their children to school and then onto work, or even that their children can complete the same journey independently, they may choose to do so over the car or public
transport, easing the pressure on the network.
Steps to achieve this vision:
The public health issues around childhood obesity and air quality are a major concern and focus for our group. We support all measures that seek to improve
active travel options ( even if that is the walk to the bus stop or train station).
Furthermore, we support accessibility at stations as travelling with multiple children is another barrier to parents choosing public transport over the car. Investment
in public transport (including trams) improves the range of options available to parents and school children on how to complete their journeys.
Healthy Streets
We would like to see the healthy streets agenda being rolled forward with a particular focus being placed on healthy school streets. This is as we feel the impacts of both inactivity and air pollution on children's health is at crisis point and needs to be addressed immediately.
The Mayor’s draft plans to reduce road danger and improve personal safety and security
We very much support the 20's plenty campaign and would like to see TfL follow suit in reducing the speed limit on all of their roads too, as the authorities in New York have. We do not believe it to be fair that roads with faster speed limits (the arterials), given that nearly every road in the capital has some residential housing on it, where children may be living. The suggestion seems to be that only those who can afford to live on quieter streets can afford for their children to be safe when crossing the road, which to us is an injustice.
The Mayor’s draft plans to ensure that crime and the fear of crime remain low on London’s streets
and transport system
Research shows communities develop more readily on streets with less motor traffic . We believe blocking more roads to through traffic and reducing
traffic speeds would allow children to play more safely in their neighbourhood streets, creating links between local residents and families. Strong community ties
create safer communities.
The Mayor’s draft plans to prioritise space-efficient modes of transport to tackle congestion and
improve the efficiency of streets
Cycling and walking are the most efficient ways of using road space to transport people. However, children need segregated cycle tracks or traffic free routes if
they are to travel by bike.
We firmly support the creation of new protected cycle tracks, across the capital, so that all children are able to travel safely in the capital.
The Mayor’s proposed approach to road user charging
At present, there are few disbenefits to driving, especially outside the congestion charging zone. It can be cheaper than public transport for peak time journeys.
We support congestion charging, increased permit costs, limits on off-road parking and the removal of on street parking.
Parking is one of the key aspects that makes walking or cycling dangerous with younger children. Drivers can pull out of driveways without anticipating small
children in their path and parking limits the visibility and ease with which it is possible to cross the street, especially when one has a buggy.
Driving needs to be made less attractive if other transport methods are to be seen as beneficial.
The Mayor’s draft plans to protect the natural and built environment, to ensure transport
resilience to climate change, and to minimise transport-related noise and vibration
We very much welcome the creation of parklets and new open green spaces. Our children need to be active and inviting places in which to play are central to
encouraging this.
The Mayor’s draft plans to provide an attractive whole-journey experience that will encourage greater
use of public transport, walking and cycling.
Many parents have to drop children off or collect them at the start or end of a journey. Being able to combine modes makes it easier to complete these things
efficiently, without having to use a car.
The Mayor’s draft plans to improve rail services by improving journey times and tackling
crowding
Reliability is a key issue for our network, where many services are served by Southern and frequently, and severely, affected by the industrial action. We would
welcome efforts for the network to be brought under the Overground umbrella.
The Mayor’s proposed approach to responding to changing technology, including new
transport services, such as connected and autonomous vehicles.
It does seem autonomous vehicles could offer a means of reducing car ownership. We would wish to point out that this does not indicate a reduction in traffic
volumes and may do little to improve road safety for children and families.
Are there any other comments you would like to make on the draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy?
The aims are commendable. However, we would like to see real improvements to walking and cycling being made now in outer London in the near future, with
the creation of segregated cycle tracks and modal filtering being used more widely near schools.
We are deeply concerned that the health and well-being of our young people isn't valued highly enough to put some of these ambitious policies into action
immediately.
