Pedestrians on a south London street dominated by traffic will soon be given the upper hand following the installation of a ‘boardwalk boulevard’.

 

The new walkway on Lavington Street in Southwark will extend the width of an existing footpath and include plants and points of local historical interest in an effort to encourage more pedestrians to the area. Traffic will be restricted to travel in one direction.

 

Funding for the project has been set aside by Transport for London through its Future Streets initiative. Three other schemes to be trialled are an ‘intelligent street’ in the West End, a new noise absorbing barrier alongside the Blackwall Tunnel and a delivery consolidation initiative near Holborn. 

 

The intelligent street will see new technologies installed on Bird Street near Oxford Street, such as a device that looks to generate energy from the movement of people on a footpath.

 

Blackwall Tunnel’s noise absorbing barrier will feature new material to reduce disturbance for residents beside the A12 between Empson Street and Gillender Street on the approach to the tunnel from the north.

 

And the freight consolidation initiative will see electric vehicles or cargo bikes deliver everyday items like milk and bread to up to 320 local businesses around Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles, in an effort to reduce vehicle miles and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Transport for London’s managing director of planning Richard de Cani said: “Creative and innovative ideas we are funding as part of the Future Streets incubator capture the spirit of turning London’s streets into places for all to enjoy and work.”