Photo: J Bewley London Review 2017
Welcome Our 2017 London review is a great opportunity to reflect how far we have come, working with our partners across the capital. The year started with a stark reminder of why we want to make it easier for Londoners to walk and cycle. Brixton Road in Lambeth breached its annual limit for NO2 pollution within just five days of the new year. Then in October, the Mayor revealed how every corner of London breaches safe air quality levels. As the evidence increases, the need to reduce traffic becomes ever more urgent. We ve continued to make the case to London s leaders and policy-makers for Healthy Streets. Supporting the London Assembly s calls for a London-wide road pricing strategy, hosting Deputy Mayor, Val Shawcross and Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman at our StreetTalks and developing a set of recommendations for the new London Plan are just some examples. Streets that are better for walking and cycling are better for cities livability, safety and economies. For 40 years, Sustrans has been a leading voice in the urban revolution about how we get around, and today, the world is starting to catch up with them. Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates, former New York City Transport Commissioner Photo: J Bewley Reducing air pollution is just one reason why we work tirelessly to make it easier for everyone to walk and cycle. The physical inactivity crisis - so central to the Mayor s new Transport Strategy and Healthy Streets agenda - is having a profound impact on Londoners lives and our Health Service. Both challenges require a redoubling of efforts to tame our love affair with the car, reduce traffic and provide great alternatives for everyday active travel. I m proud of what our team have achieved this year, working with boroughs and Transport for London (TfL) and other partners to do just that. This review highlights just some of our achievements, including progress on delivering 50 km of new Quietways and laying the foundations for CS9 through industry leading design work and community engagement. Once built, this new Cycle Superhighway will transform cycling for thousands of people in West London. And our award-winning team have worked with communities across London to help streets work better for more people. From Marks Gate in Barking and Dagenham to Malden Manor in Kingston, we ve worked with communities and local authorities to bring about the changes needed to make streets healthier and neighbourhoods more liveable. Our work with the next generation of Londoners reached another level this year. Working with schools we have helped 66,244 pupils, 1,340 staff members and 2,640 parents to cycle, enabling more Londoners to live car-free lifestyles. And this year, we ve seen London Boroughs take the initiative and bring forward innovative projects to make walking and cycling easier. Camden and Hackney s Schools Streets programmes have shown parents and pupils what a street free of traffic can do for health and happiness. And Waltham Forest s ever impressive Enjoy programme has gained national recognition for transforming local streets. Whilst CityMapper through its provision of an actual bus route, and the arrival of dockless hire bikes are making our streets and transport more connected than ever before. TfL continue to transform London, with a focus on giving London healthier streets by pressing ahead with major projects including transforming Westminster Bridge Roundabout. We are delighted that our proposal for a new crossing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf went out to consultation at the end of 2017. Sustrans first conceived the idea of a bridge at this much needed location back in 2008. We ve worked hard to make this a reality, to unlock the huge potential in East London. None of this could be achieved without the Mayor s continued investment in vital infrastructure. When we look at London s sheer pace of growth, the challenges to our environmental sustainability and the inequality that overshadows our wealthy capital, it feels as though changing the way we travel is more central than ever before to secure a healthy, prosperous and vibrant future for London. Matt Winfield, Director London 1 2
Creating liveable neighbourhoods Developing London s first dutch-style cycle street Reducing dangerous traffic through collaborative design The entrance to Folkestone Gardens left a lot to be desired, a fast and busy road cut-off the local neighbourhood from their closest park. Residents made their feelings clear to the London Borough of Lewisham, who commissioned Sustrans to reimagine Rolt Street. We hosted a series of events to collect the community s insight. Then our urban designers, engineers and community facilitators used the insight to collaborate with local people and test out ideas. At a one-day trial we narrowed the street with hay bales and our facilitators were on hand to show how traffic speeds could be reduced. Residents were able to see immediate benefits as the average speeds had been reduced by 20 mph, making it an easier and safer street to cross. The resulting design for Rolt Street, inspired by the community, demonstrates all the elements needed for Healthy Streets. A public space extends from Folkestone Gardens providing a pleasant and safe place for people to walk, cycle, sit, stay and play. A one-way boulevard allows cars to pass at speeds set to 5mph by means of carefully positioned street furniture and landscaping. The design is also inspired by the maritime history of Deptford Dockyard. The corten steel used throughout reflects the local shipbuilding industry, the blue tones in the paving respond to the maritime surrounding, and the gateway features linking Folkestone Gardens to Rolt Street are subtly shaped in the form of a vessel. In December 2017, Lewisham successfully secured funding as part of the first round of the Liveable Neighbourhoods programme. This funding will build on the work around Folkstone Gardens to see a new traffic free route to encourage future generations to make healthier travel decisions and enjoy a life with less pollution and traffic. We were delighted that this scheme was shortlisted for Healthy Street Proposal of the year at the Healthy Streets Awards 2017. Nick Harvey, Cycling Programme Manager London Borough of Lewisham: The Rolt Street Community Design Project is a great example of Sustrans ability to provide multidisciplinary expertise in community engagement, scheme design, and client management. As a Council we are very pleased with how the project has been managed by Sustrans and equally as important so are the community. After photo: J Bewley Vauxhall Street, a residential road in Lambeth, seemed like the ideal location to develop London s first Cycle Street, or fierstraat. But to deliver it required some innovative thinking to come up with a simple yet cost-effective solution for an urban street which couldn t be segregated or closed. A Fierstraat is a Dutch street design technique that offers people cycling priority over motor vehicles. Motor vehicles are treated as guests on the road, with their speed reduced to cycling speed. It requires a high number of cyclists which Vauxhall Street had, but unlike Holland, it had a worrying history of collisions. A comprehensive rethink of the street was needed to transform it into London s first Cycle Street. The project posed many design challenges due to the narrow width of the road, the need to retain vehicle access to properties and the existing oneway system. Working with the London Borough of Lambeth and TfL, our team knew that to make a real difference to the speed of traffic, a genuinely creative engineering solution would need to be found. These constraints led us to the concept of the Cycle Street. After several public meetings, our team were armed with some useful insights from the community that guided our design. The cost-effective design now restricts vehicles to cycling speed and encourages people cycling to take a central position. In one direction, hollow humps - an innovative hump with a flat section in the middle to provide cyclists with a smooth ride, whilst forcing motorists to travel over the hump, ensures traffic speeds are kept low. In the other direction, a widened contra-flow cycle lane protects people cycling from oncoming traffic. There are narrow streets across London that could benefit from a cost-effective Cycle Street treatment, and we re excited to work with other boroughs to roll out this approach. Vauxhall Street, a London first, now offers walking and cycling safety and comfort through a simple yet innovative design. We hope it s the first of many. Danny Williams, local resident and Cyclists in the City blogger: Drivers used to get impatient that they couldn t get past people cycling. Sustrans new design has created a sense of equality on the street. Cars can now travel at the same speed as bikes. It s freed up the road to become a place where all road users can co-exist. Deptford Folk: The Rolt Street project could not have happened without the input and know-how from Sustrans. Before After 3 Creating liveable neighbourhoods - Sustrans London Review 2017 4
Improving road safety in Brent Creating healthy streets through community-led design Over the course of two years, we worked closely with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to deliver an innovative programme that boosted the communities health and happiness through community-led street design, behaviour change and other infrastructure improvements. Our street design workshops involved asking residents what the issues were in the area, and what they would like to see to overcome these problems. This led to cost-effective improvements including traffic-calming measures, place-making features, new cycle storage and parking, as well as alterations to school entrances to reduce traffic danger. Residents didn t just deliberate over designs, they helped deliver them: painting shop shutters, creating a subway mural and running community clean-ups. Alongside physical improvements, Sustrans ran targeted behaviour change initiatives to get the residents walking and cycling more. From establishing a Women s Bike Club, to cycling sessions at local schools and group walks, not only did we get residents walking and cycling, we also created opportunities to come together and socialise, tackling physical and mental wellbeing. In the London Borough of Brent, Carlton Vale s road infrastructure has changed, so it s now safer and easier to walk and cycle in this congested part of London. A busy through road, main bus route and collision hot spot, it was typical of roads in London that need an overall transformation. The programme has had a huge impact on the Marks Gate Estate: 79% of residents who responded to our survey have said that they now walk or cycle as a result. We re proud that 86% said they had met new local people due to the programme. The infrastructure improvements we delivered have made the local roads safer, on Padnall Road for example, all vehicles now travel below 20 mph. Brent Cyclists led a highly successful campaign for improvements and Brent Council responded with a concept design to help people to walk and cycle safely, in comfort and with confidence. The bold idea focused on reallocating road space from four lanes of traffic to two. But this scheme also straddled the London Borough of Westminster and was situated in an area with major challenges to overcome, from the busy gyratory system to multiple bus routes to a future HS2 shaft. Bringing the vision to life from the concept design stage was complex, so Brent commissioned Sustrans to carry out the detailed design, resolving problems arising from width constraints, level differences, expectations from different boroughs and stakeholders. People are walking and cycling with confidence, the community has been brought together and their streets are safer. Healthy Streets Awards 2017 jury member Brian Deegan: The judges feel that no organisation has done more to embody the spirit of Healthy Streets than Sustrans. Photo: J Bewley The Marks Gate Estate was not in a good state. Cars dominated the streets, restricting everyday physical activity and residents disproportionately suffered from poor mental and physical health. Our work changed Marks Gate. The improvements now in place along Carlton Vale include semi-segregated cycle lanes with four new bus stop bypasses, six raised tables to slow traffic and ten improved pedestrian crossings. These changes not only provide a safe cycle route but also help make the streets safer and healthier for everyone. And people using the schools, playground, mosque and busy street no longer have to cycle in heaving traffic or struggle to find somewhere to safely cross on foot. We re proud to have helped the London Borough of Brent make it safer and easier for people to walk and cycle in this bustling urban environment. Adam Smith, Traffic Engineer, Highways and Infrastructure Service, Brent Council: I am very pleased with the Carlton Vale scheme and Quietway 3. Hopefully it will set the standard for future cycle routes in the borough. I have been working with Sustrans on these schemes since 2015 and they have provided excellent support with the preliminary design, consultation and detailed design of both schemes as well as overall project management. They also have continuously demonstrated that they are willing to go the extra mile and have added value to both schemes at every stage of design process. 4 new bus stop bypasses 79% of respondents said they now walk or cycle 5 86% met new local people Creating liveable neighbourhoods - Sustrans London Review 2017 6 16% raised tables 10 drop in vehicle speeds on Rose Lane improved pedestrian crossings 6
Transforming the school run and commute Inspiring the next generation to ride Everything we do at Sustrans is to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. We want to help people of all ages make healthy travel choices. And a healthy start to life is vital. All the more so given that 1 in 5 children in reception are overweight or obese. By the time children leave primary school in year six this figure has doubled to 2 in 5. Prevention is critical and an active school run offers one of the best opportunities to do so. The majority of pupils live within walking distance of their school, but less than half walk their daily commute and only 2.6 per cent cycle. We want to turn this around, and that is exactly what our Bike It Plus programme does. Bike It Plus is a proven bespoke behaviour change programme for schools developed by Sustrans in partnership with TfL and London boroughs. The tailored programme normalises walking, cycling and scooting to school. Our approach goes further than just training. It brings pupils, staff, parents and the wider school community together to make active travel the norm. Running throughout the school year, it empowers pupils to make long lasting change in their travel behaviour. With the support of TfL and London boroughs, our Bike It Officers have worked with 66,244 pupils, 2,640 parents and 1,340 members of staff in 2017. In these schools we ve almost doubled the number of pupils regularly cycling to school increasing it by 78%. And when behaviour change meets infrastructure improvements, even bigger things happen. A great example is a group of parents from South London, who have been participating in our Bike It You Can Too programme along Quietway 5, where we have also done concept and detailed design in our role as Transport for London s delivery agent for Quietways. Bike It You Can Too is our programme for parents and carers which gives them the skills and confidence to take to two wheels. Combining both behaviour change and infrastructure improvements has resulted in parents now primed to pick up cycling for their everyday journey. Together they are helping change the travel behaviour of their children and unlocking the next generation of cyclists. Vanessa Bennett, Assistant Headteacher, Herbert Morrison Primary School, Lambeth: The parents course here has been a huge success. Parents talk about the positive impact learning to ride has had on their lives, as well as the benefits to their health and the environment. Tackling toxic air pollution There are few issues more pressing for London than dealing with the city s lethal and illegal air pollution. Every year, 9,500 Londoners die prematurely due to air pollution. Tens of thousands of children at schools, nurseries and colleges in the city are being exposed to illegal levels of air pollution, stunting children s lung development. Sustrans wants to stop so many children and young people suffering from toxic air that they didn t cause. That s why we re proud members of the Healthy Air Campaign - calling for strong action from Governments at all levels, and working tirelessly to raise awareness of the dangerous levels of air pollution near our schools. Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority invited Sustrans to help them transform Marylebone into a Low Emissions Neighbourhood. To make change the first thing you need to do is to raise awareness of the problem, so we needed to find a compelling way to show the people of Marylebone just how bad the air quality is. We designed a simple but highly effective solution to measure levels of air pollution. With the help of King s College London, we worked with several schools to accurately measure air pollution right outside their own school gates. Staff and pupils used nitrogen dioxide diffusion tubes and equipment to see for themselves how much worse pollution is when roads are busiest with cars. Throughout the project we worked with hundreds of pupils, helping each school design an action plan to tackle air pollution. We keep in close contact with the schools to make sure they continue to be supported in delivering their plan. Each of them regularly sends us short films updating the team on their progress and impact. At Sustrans we know that raising awareness is the vital first step to tackling poor air quality. But we also know this alone won t solve this problem. That s why we re supporting the T-Charge and working closely with our partners to call for a new Clean Air Act, a London wide ultra-low emission zone and an end to diesel vehicles in London. Our work with schools means that children as well as parents are learning how to limit their pollution exposure, whilst becoming increasingly aware of the impact that travel choices have on their health and environment. Teachers at St Vincent s Catholic Primary School: The children thoroughly enjoyed working with Sustrans and feel very proud of their efforts in trying to reduce air pollution - they re all extremely excited to continue the project. 66,244 school pupils worked with Bike It Officers 78% increase in pupils cycling to school 7 Transforming the school run and commute - Sustrans London Review 2017 8
Creating the world s first cycling airport Tackling through-traffic with community support Heathrow Airport has a vision to become the world s first cycling airport. At Sustrans we saw huge cycling potential: a workplace big enough to be a city needed cycling infrastructure. We want to empower the 16,500 people who work at the airport and live within 5km of it, a distance that many could manage on a cycle, to ride to work. Cycling around the airport can be an intimidating experience with fast moving, heavy traffic. There s only limited cycling infrastructure at the airport terminals for people who do cycle. Heathrow Airport Limited wanted to change this so that those who already cycle feel safer and those that don t ride feel encouraged to start. Working closely with the client, Transport for London and other key stakeholders we scoped, prioritised and recommended a network of routes that will connect where people live to the major areas of employment around Heathrow. Importantly, we are helping Heathrow draft their cycling strategy that will help set the agenda for aims and investment for the coming five to ten years. Engaging airport colleagues is key to changing travel behaviour, so we initiated and organised Bikefest, a week of events designed to encourage and inspire people to cycle for their commute. The event was a huge success that saw nearly 1,000 people involved across 26 events, a staggering 700% increase from our 2016 participation levels. And to help new or returning cyclists get back in the saddle we ran a series of tailored cycle skills sessions. For example, in just one month we trained 14 airport colleagues through a workplace challenge designed to get staff cycling to work. We are committed to helping Heathrow become the UK s first cycling airport, and we re excited to continue expanding their cycling strategy that will give large numbers of Londoners the opportunity to travel in a safe, inexpensive and enjoyable way. Theo Panayi, Sustainable Travel Manager, Future Heathrow: Our work with Sustrans is leading the way to Heathrow becoming the world s first cycling airport. Importantly, our partnership is removing barriers to healthier travel choices, by delivering a step change in cycling across the wider west London area. Photo: Alfie Purdue Photo: Phillipa Bannister Estreham Road is now a quiet residential street in Lambeth, but that wasn t always the case. Before Sustrans involvement, dangerous levels of through-traffic caused high levels of congestion. School children and other vulnerable road users were unnecessarily put at risk every time they used Estreham Road. Lambeth Council and TfL asked Sustrans to work with the residents of Estreham Road and the surrounding streets to help tackle the problem. Alongside our work helping to deliver Quietways in Lambeth, we also organised and delivered a series of surveys, drop-in sessions and public consultations, all designed to help develop a solution that worked for the whole community. Experience has taught us that unlocking a community s insights at the start of a project is the answer to gaining support and consent to reduce traffic in residential areas. So we listened to councillors and the residents of Estreham Road and developed three design proposals based on their feedback. The most popular option, a northbound restriction (part road closure) on Estreham Road was successfully trialled between October 2016 and April 2017. The trial was game changing for residents and their support for the scheme rose from 40% to 60% as a result. Air quality improved as the nitrogen dioxide levels on Estreham Road fell. The number of vehicles using the road decreased by over 75% (from over 1,600 vehicles a day to under 400). Now people enjoy a more healthy and liveable Estreham Road, which also forms a brilliant section of Quietway 5 that will span across South London from Lambeth to Norbury. With our tried and tested approach we can help more London boroughs tackle through-traffic, reducing the dominance of motor vehicles on residential streets. Our success in Lambeth is just the start. Kevin Potter, Managing Director Cavendish Lodge Nursery School: At first we thought the closure would be a nightmare, but I have to say, it s been just the opposite. The whole area is so much more peaceful, safe and pleasant. Our cars now stay at home and our children are getting fitter by cycling to school. Months down the line the Estreham Road closure is continuing to make the area a much nicer place to be. 60% of residents support the scheme, up from 40% 700% increase in participation in Bike fest 1,000 people involved over 26 events 1 cycling strategy in development 75% fewer vehicles on the roads 9 Transforming the school run and commute - Sustrans London Review 2017 10
Connecting people and places London s quiet revolution In 2017 a quiet revolution has been taking place in London. London s Quietways are a network of new cycle routes following quieter streets, parks and waterways opening across the capital. They are helping people who never thought they d ride in London to make the switch to pedal power. Sustrans is TfL s delivery agent for Quietways, project managing the programme and providing a range of flexible and efficient resources for TfL, local councils and other stakeholders. 2017 has been a breakthrough year for Quietways. Six new routes are now close to completion, with 28 out of the 39 planned routes currently in delivery. Working in conjunction with Transport for London, 18 London boroughs, the Royal Parks and Canal & River Trust, Sustrans has been involved in the delivery of over 50km of Quietway across the capital. Interventions are already benefiting people across London. In the London Borough of Newham, safety and security has been improved by installing lighting and CCTV along the Greenway. And new and improved ramp access schemes have been created to improve connections between the Greenway and local communities. They ll improve accessibility for people with buggies, wheelchair users, and everyone who cycles. The work has been complex, as it coincided with a major Thames Water project in the local area. Other Quietway highlights worth shouting about include a new bridge in Valentines Park in Redbridge, part of Quietway 6 stretching from Wanstead Flats to Barkingside. Sustrans worked in partnership with Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure and Redbridge Borough Council to design and build the new bridge in Valentines Park, funded by TfL. Councillor John Howard, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability: I m delighted that this section of Quietway 6 is now open for cyclists and pedestrians to use. It provides a greener and more modern transport network for Redbridge and will encourage more residents to cycle by providing a safer and easier route. Laying the foundations for Cycle Superhighway 9 The new generation of Cycle Superhighways is having a big impact on London. Cycle Superhighway 9 (CS9) will run from Kensington Olympia to Brentford town centre. The superhighway will provide a direct and safe route for cycling along busy roads, making roads easier to cross and reducing through traffic from residential streets. Developing high quality segregated routes such as this requires careful planning: balancing the needs of different road users whilst ensuring that local residents are supportive can be challenging, particularly when road space is reallocated away from motor vehicles. To accelerate delivery, Sustrans was appointed as project manager by TfL and the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Hounslow to work on the redesign of King Street East and Wellesley Road, both significant stretches of CS9. Wellesley Road is a great example of collaborative design that connects people and places. Through engaging with the community, our project team learned that 73% of residents felt there was too much non-residential traffic, with 55% of residents wanting restricted vehicle access to the South Circular. This led to a proposal to restrict vehicle access on Wellesley Road, designed to reduce through traffic at peak times to the South Circular. Our award-winning Collaborative Design team were heavily involved in the consultation process that led to the road closure proposal. Residents across boroughs will soon be able enjoy a skilfully designed cycle route that is pleasant and safe to use. We also wanted the design to reflect the requirements of all those involved in the project, but we were mindful of the numerous challenges this new section of CS9 would present to our engineers. King Street East is a typical high street: high traffic volumes, high pedestrian flows, poor space for cycling and lots of unwanted street clutter. After co-ordinating design requirements from the Boroughs and TfL, Sustrans engineers, together with Phil Jones Associates, worked on design options for King Street, carefully working to reallocate road space and develop different scenarios to see which may be most suitable. The resulting design that TfL consulted on in October 2017 is a result of much of this work, with key design elements such as a two way cycle track, relocated bus stop, altered loading bay arrangements and a relocated pedestrian crossing being included in the final option. We are delighted to have helped move this important new superhighway forward and cannot wait to see the wider benefits it brings to West London. 28 of 39 planned routes in delivery 50km of Quietway constructed 18 Boroughs and many other partners involved 11 Connecting people and places - Sustrans London Review 2017 12
Transforming neighbourhoods Putting healthy streets at the heart of new developments Transforming a neighbourhood takes time. To deliver long lasting change sometimes you first need to build social capital before you can start redesigning streets. One such example is Malden Manor, an estate in Kingston with significant traffic issues. For years its residents have suffered from rat-running, speeding and dangerous driving. Malden Manor Primary school was also suffering from illegal parking and traffic congestion, putting the lives of young children at risk. With the ambition to put an end to this, our first step is to build trust within the community, partnering with them to bring about the change they need. Working closely with the Royal Borough of Kingston, TfL and the People s Health Trust we were able to build an active and engaged community group through careful facilitation. With our support they identified local issues, prioritised, consulted and delivered a popular three-month seating trial using our Street Kit. Simple solutions such as group benches were thoroughly enjoyed, and residents were galvanised by seeing fast and tangible evidence of their impact. We also helped Malden Manor successfully apply for funding from Cycle Grants London to run a cycling club for beginners, inspiring the whole community to get involved. By the end of the sixmonth course even our most nervous beginners were showing off their new cycling skills to Mayor Sadiq Khan on a ride to Hampton Court. We know from experience that gaining the trust of the community is hugely important if real change is going to be made. Our work at Malden Manor built that trust with residents but it is only the beginning. We re now excited to start our neighbourhoodwide feasibility study which, in 2018/19, will help to improve access to green spaces and provide direct walking and cycling links. Our work here is just the first step to help transform Malden Manor for residents. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London: I was delighted to see how the local people project has been bringing the Kingston community together. It s a great example of the wider benefits of cycling and exactly the type of project TfL s Cycling Grants London scheme was set up to support. Photo: Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames Photo: Joseph Savage Barking Riverside is set to be one of the largest housing developments in the country, with a new railway line and over 10,000 homes being built over the next 15 years. A lack of transport options means residents are dependent on cars. As a result, people suffer from increased congestion and poor air quality. BeFirst, working on behalf of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, commissioned us to help. Their ambition was to empower local residents with pride in their community, enhance the public realm through Healthy Streets and Liveable Neighbourhood approaches and improve the health of their residents. Having worked with us on successful DIY streets projects in both Marks Gate and Becontree they knew we could be trusted to deliver their core ambitions; changing perceptions, delivering public realm improvements and generating more walking and cycling journeys within their communities. We achieve the most far-reaching results when we bring together community-based street design, major infrastructure changes, behaviour change programmes and active travel initiatives. Our first step was to discover what s suppressing walking and cycling and pull together the community, delivering collaborative design sessions and community events, gaining feedback structured to help deliver placemaking and Healthy Streets. We ve tied the co-design work we do with the community in with other planned improvements and activities in the area, including the Council s Local Implementation Plan schemes on Thames and River Road, the Healthy New Towns programme, and the ongoing Barking Riverside Limited development work. We ve facilitated over 80 active travel events including weekly adult cycle courses and introduced incentives for pupils/families to cycle to school. We re working with all sections of the community. Pupils at the local school will have their say in design workshops and competitions to contribute to placemaking for the nearby riverbank. And by teaming up with Barking Riverside Limited and local residents we ve co-created a mural for the community garden. Both re-activate underused green space and encourage socialising and walking in the area. Nick Davies, Principal Transport Officer, Be First: Sustrans is providing the engagement, advice, guidance, skills and confidence to local residents to enhance their lives through more healthy active modes of travel and leisure. Identifying the barriers, whilst enabling the community to take ownership of their locality, shaping the place they live to make walking, cycling, and public transport more attractive, accessible modes of travel for everyone. 13 Connecting people and places - Sustrans London Review 2017 14
The future of transport is happening now Supporting you to build a better London Dr Andy Cope - Director of Insight, Sustrans There are moments of radical change, new technology arrives and suddenly the status quo crumbles. Transport and the way we travel is experiencing just such a moment. We need to make sure this future works for everyone, and creates the healthy streets and city we so desperately need. Every day we read about progress in electrification, autonomous vehicles, and mobility as a service (MaaS). Unmanned delivery bots roam our city streets, developers talk about advances with drone deliveries and even the movement of people by drone, and Virgin has just invested in hyperloop technology a mobility solution that uses electric propulsion and magnetic levitation through a lowpressure tube. This is all happening. Enormously exciting ideas are taking shape that can change transport forever. But there are also challenges. There is strong evidence of inequality stemming from the cost of and access to transport options. The current crop of future transport solutions will be expensive at first, and have the potential to create inequalities in the way people are able to travel. Some brave observers are confidently predicting the death of public transport, and that MaaS will fill the space. It is hard to comprehend such a scenario in the context of London, and harder still to understand how we can design inclusivity in to this sort of scenario. Then there are huge questions around liabilities and responsibilities. Around the world city authorities are nervous. New mobility solutions are turning up on their streets, and authorities don t know how to respond. What governance arrangements are needed, what infrastructure requirements are there, what are the liability implications? We can reasonably anticipate that conflicts will arise between the interests of the technology promoters, those interested to defray the responsibility and costs of maintenance of public space, together with those technologicallyengaged parts of society, and on the other hand, city authorities that are concerned to retain ownership of their space, and those parts of community and society that are more concerned with sharing space. There are also huge challenges around congestion, air quality, and public health. Fleet electrification and autonomous vehicles are still metal boxes and the developing approach of MaaS is dependent upon its constituent parts. Throw in energy supply and demand dynamics, regulation, resilience and land ownership and we can see the risk of a chaotic landscape emerging. So, the extent to which these new technologies actually deal with the existing and future challenges of personal mobility and accessibility remain unclear. But, of course, we do have transport solutions that can tackle congestion, air quality, public health and social inclusion - walking and cycling. London is beginning to feel the benefit of a shift to these modes. We welcome innovation in transport but are not seduced by it. This is why Sustrans fully supports the Mayor s plans to make walking and cycling the primary means of access in the city and will continue to act as a critical friend to the technological advances that are transforming the future of transport. Photo: J Bewley A revolution is already underway in how people travel in London. In 2018 the Mayor s draft Transport Strategy, the Healthy Streets Approach and Transport for London s Strategic Cycling Analysis will mean boroughs need to step up efforts to help transform the capital. Dramatic change is needed in the design and use of London s streets if the ambitions in the Mayor s Transport Strategy are to happen, particularly outside of central London. But there are challenges in designing healthier streets, reducing traffic and delivering projects to transform spaces at pace and at scale. London Boroughs and Transport for London will continue to feel the bite of funding challenges while expectations from residents and businesses rise. Each project will have hurdles that won t be easy to handle, hurdles Sustrans is well versed in overcoming. Sustrans is perfectly placed to help partners deliver. In 2017 we celebrated our 40th anniversary and looked back with pride on what we ve achieved with partners across the UK. But people may not know that we ve been delivering Healthy Streets in London for over 20 years, and in the last three years have worked with all London Boroughs and hundreds of partners and stakeholder groups to build a better London. How do we help? By working together with you, we help deliver solutions that transform London for the better. Our experienced, professional and committed team provide a full range of services to help meet borough aspirations - from delivering a schools project to providing a seconded member of staff. Our range of professional services help you to develop, design and deliver schemes, increase public support and get more people cycling and walking. We: Develop, design and deliver infrastructure: Working in partnership with you to connect people and places, transform spaces, create healthy streets and deliver liveable neighbourhoods. From inception through consultation to construction, we partnered with the London Borough of Brent to resource and manage a 350k project on Carlton Vale. Increase trust, support and engagement in the community: Engaging residents and stakeholders to ensure designs meet the needs of local people and your objectives. Our thorough yet cost-effective approach delivers innovative solutions designed by the community for the community; ensuring good fit, good value, and long-term success of projects. Support for a part road closure in Lambeth rose from 40 to 60 per cent, through early and continuous engagement and a trial of the changes. Help more people to walk and cycle: Providing bespoke change programmes for schools and workplaces that break down barriers to walking and cycling and create long lasting change in the community. Our work with St Luke s School in Tower Hamlets began eight years ago; recent monitoring there demonstrated a lasting impact on travel behaviour. Through our expertise we can offer seamless delivery of projects to time and budget and achieve greater impact by combining infrastructure improvement with community engagement and behaviour change, whilst providing excellent value for money. Nick Davies, Principal Transport Officer, Be First: They ve been brilliant really, really enjoyed working with them. They ve made our lives quite easy in fact. They just get on with it. The value for money for us is exceptional. 15 The future of transport - Sustrans London Review 2017 16
A big thank you from all of us We re pleased to have worked with a huge number of people and partners again in 2017. Together, we are making it easier for people to walk and cycle. We re making Healthy Streets a reality across the capital, transforming neighbourhoods, improving air quality and helping make this great city more liveable. ADM Oil Ahmadiyya Muslim community UK Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust Almacantar Alpaca Communications Argent Arup BAM Nuttall Barking Riverside Limited Barnet Borough Sight Impaired Group Barnet Cyclists Berkeley Homes Bespoke Briggs Marine & Environmental Services British Heart Foundation British Land British Lung Foundation C40 Cities Campaign for Better Transport Canal & River Trust Centre for London Channel 4 News Child Graddon Lewis Architects & Designers City of London Clean Air in London ClientEarth Cycle Confident Cycling UK Department for Transport (UK) Department of Health (UK) Deptford Folk Environment Agency Environment Journal Friends of the Earth Friern Barnet and Whetstone Residents Association Greater London Authority Greenpeace Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park Groundwork Guy s and St Thomas Trust Hackney Play Association Haringey Cyclists Healthy Air Campaign Heathrow Airport Limited Hemingway Design High Speed Two (HS2) Limited HMRC HSBC HTA Design Inquilab Housing Association ITN JFG Communications Just Space King s College London Kingston Environment Trust L&Q Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Living Streets Local Transport Projects London Assembly London Borough of Barking and Dagenham London Borough of Barnet London Borough of Bexley London Borough of Brent London Borough of Bromley London Borough of Croydon London Borough of Ealing London Borough of Enfield London Borough of Hackney London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough of Haringey London Borough of Harrow London Borough of Havering London Borough of Hillingdon London Borough of Hounslow London Borough of Islington London Borough of Lambeth London Borough of Lewisham London Borough of Merton London Borough of Newham London Borough of Redbridge London Borough of Richmond upon Thames London Borough of Southwark London Borough of Sutton London Borough of Tower Hamlets London Borough of Waltham Forest London Borough of Wandsworth London Councils London Cycling Campaign London Legacy Development Corporation Malden Manor community group Malden Manor Parade businesses Middlesex University National Trust Network Rail New London Architecture (NLA) New Malden Baptist Church Ofo Old Malden Residents Association Old Royal Naval College Peabody People s Health Trust Phil Jones Associates Queen Mary Hostel Road Peace Royal Borough of Greenwich Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Royal Haskoning DHV Shelter Stanhope PLC Thames Water The Co-Operative Food Malden Manor The Hadley Wood Association The Ramblers The Royal Parks Transport for London University College London University of Westminster Urban Design London Vision RCL Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust Westminster City Council WeWork Wheels for Wellbeing ZCD Architects About Sustrans Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle. We connect people and places, create liveable neighbourhoods, transform the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. Join us on our journey. www.sustrans.org.uk 17 18
Get in touch Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle. If you d like to know more about our work, we d love to hear from you. Sustrans in London 70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ 0207 017 2350 london@sustrans.org.uk Follow us on Printed with 100% renewable energy using and alcoholfree process and using vegetable-based inks. www.sustrans.org.uk Sustrans December 2017 All photos Sustrans unless otherwise stated. Sustrans is a registered charity no. 326550 (England and Wales) SCO39263 (Scotland).