London’s Mayor has been urged to markedly increase the capital’s spending on cycling and walking, cancel roadbuilding projects and introduce a workplace parking levy in association with boroughs.

Sadiq Khan is encouraged by London Assembly Green Party member Caroline Russell to commit to invest £1.55Bn in walking and cycling in his first term, which represents 15% of the total expected investment in capital transport projects.

Caroline Russell’s calls come as part of her new five point plan ‘Prioritising People – How to deliver healthy streets’, launched last week.

The Green Party member warns that cycle funding could see a real terms cut, despite an assurance that the proportion of funds spent on cycling will increase, as the overall Transport for London pot is shrinking.

She also says that the Mayor’s new business plan should take forward a strategic network of fast, direct bicycle routes from the suburbs to the city centre.

Mayor Khan should, she adds, be prepared to enact provisions in the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that could make Transport for London the designated highways authority for roads where cycle superhighways are to be built, should councils threaten crucial schemes.

Caroline Russell adds that if the new Mayor wants to prioritise people on London’s streets he should remove journey time reliability as an objective in his forthcoming transport strategy.

“For so many Londoners our city’s streets are just not working,” she said. “The Mayor has committed to a ‘healthy streets’ approach but if he’s going to deliver a better city for all Londoners we need roads that enable walking and cycling.

“The Mayor must change the culture at TfL to make sure people are the priority when designing streets and allocate sufficient resources to make his healthy streets more than a pipe dream.”

Her report also hails the Waltham Forest ‘Mini Holland’ scheme as “a huge success” with much less traffic passing through the area. “This level of funding should be available for walking and cycling schemes for every borough,” she adds.

Arup associate director Susan Claris FCIHT, who was involved in a workshop that led to development of the document, said: “I welcome this five point plan which explains how to deliver healthy streets – by prioritising people.

“Walking and cycling should be the first choice for Londoners for short journeys, many of which are still undertaken by car.

“I hope that this report will lead to more trials to help bring about change on London’s streets to give people a chance to experience the real positives and negatives without getting bogged down in fears about what ‘might’ happen,” she added.

“And I look forward to a Walking and Cycling Commissioner to champion these changes.”

(Photo: Eltis)