WIREDGOV

A new report, commissioned by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, calls for bold action to be taken to cut congestion and improve facilities for cyclists and pedestrians in the Capital.

Recommendations from the Mayor's Roads Task Force (RTF) report, unveiled yesterday, include building tunnels to free up space above ground for cycle lanes, green spaces and new developments, as well as revitalising high streets across the city.

Over the past year, the RTF has studied the challenges facing London's roads and the best examples of street management and urban design across the world.

Eighty per cent of journeys in the Capital, and 90 per cent of freight trips, are on roads.

Streets also account for 80 per of the Capital's public spaces.

And with London's population expected to rise by a further 1.7 million to around ten million by 2031, demand is set to grow.

The improvements put forward in the RTF report would ensure the Capital can cope with major population growth, support jobs and thousands of new homes, while remaining one of the most attractive and accessible cities in the world.

The estimated cost of putting all the recommendations into place would be at least £30bn over the next 20 years.

Main recommendations include: 

• Regenerating iconic locations, such as London Bridge, Oxford Street and King's Cross
• Roofing over arterial roads to create new surface space above ground. This could include the North and South Circular and the Hammersmith Flyover
• Changing the way goods and services are delivered, for example shifting Heavy Goods Vehicle and freight journeys to out of peak hours
• Encouraging more use of sustainable transport 
• Tackling junction 'pinch points' 
• Using more intelligent technology to reduce delays at traffic signals, smooth traffic flow and provide the best possible real-time information
• Building new river crossings
• Introducing more 20mph zones
• Creating village-style streets in new developments to encourage green transport

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'For this great city to retain its global pre-eminence, it is essential we continue to invest and have the courage and vision to develop and drive forward innovative solutions.

'This is a fantastic contribution and I look forward to working with partners, including those represented on the Roads Task Force, in taking many of these ideas forward.'

TfL welcomes roads report

Transport for London (TfL) has pledged to take forward the recommendations made by the Mayor's RTF to improve the Capital's roads and streets.

TfL has committed to maximise capacity of its road network, tackle congestion, support economic growth, improve safety and prioritise facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

It has also said it will work closely with the freight industry to ensure future proposals can best support the economy.

The RTF's proposals include retiming freight trips outside peak hours to cut congestion, as well as improving road safety and air quality.

They also include well-planned and managed access for freight and deliveries in central London, town centres and new developments to support businesses and local communities.

TfL's plans to improve the Capital's roads by:

• Tackling congestion, through better infrastructure, technology and customer information
• Improving London's public spaces and streets, through major schemes at Vauxhall, Waterloo, Elephant and Castle and Old Street
• Better managing the road network with smart cameras to monitor roadworks and trials of deliveries retimed outside peak hours
• Helping London grow with 19 road schemes supporting more than 300,000 jobs
• Supporting London boroughs' work to revitalise high streets and town centres
• Getting more from the existing road network through trials of flexible lane management
• Encouraging more travel out-of-peak hours to reduce demand at the busiest times and encourage more people to shift shorter car journeys to walking and cycling
• Making it easy to walk, cycle and take the bus

Find out more about the RTF at tfl.gov.uk/roadstaskforce