Council policies to decarbonise London’s road transport

In response to public alarm over climate change, nearly two thirds of London councils had declared a climate emergency by October 2019. While it is relatively straightforward for a council to declare an emergency, it is far more challenging to commit to specific interventions that will deliver big cuts in carbon emissions.

To achieve these cuts, London councils must take bolder action on transport. In 2018 transport accounted for a third of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, with the large majority from road transport. And while UK CO2 emissions have fallen 39% since 1990, transport emissions are down 3.2%, making it the worst performing sector. In London, total vehicle miles have fallen by a mere 4% between 1993 and 2018.

London Living Streets has identified a range of key policies that local authorities can adopt right now to reduce carbon emissions. Note that these policies have either been adopted by another major global city, by local authorities in London or elsewhere in the UK.

While these policies focus on reducing CO2 emissions, they also have wider relevance and can address issues around public health (physical inactivity and obesity), air pollution, road casualties and social inequality.

Barriers to rapid rollout of measures include lack of funding, and inadequate support from local communities for radical change… and hence a lack of political will. But the impacts of climate change are rapidly becoming more evident and are manifested closer to home, so public support is swelling, enabling local authorities to take bigger and braver steps.

Policies to encourage low-carbon forms of travel

Remember that walking and cycling involve almost zero CO2 emissions and public transport causes lower per capita CO2 emissions than car journeys (European Environment Agency, C02 Emissions from Passenger Transport).

1. Divide the borough into low-traffic neighbourhoods such as being developed in Lewisham and across Waltham Forest. Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) remove through traffic from residential areas so walking, cycling, living and playing become easier, safer and more attractive. For more information visit our Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods page. Also watch our three-minute video.
2. Provide infrastructure that makes cycling a safer and more convenient way to travel. The priority must be protected cycle routes on borough main roads. Remember that 43% of all London’s fatal and serious cycling casualties occur on borough-managed main roads (TfL) but very few of these roads have any protection for people on bikes. (Check out your borough’s progress on cycling infrastructure on this Scorecard.) Seville developed a whole network in a matter of a few years. Storage infrastructure is also essential and includes secure, weather-proof cycle storage facilities in residential areas and estates; and bulk storage facilities at rail and tube stations.
3. Expand and prioritise bus travel: Londoners travel by bus more than any other form of public transport. This is also the most economical way of expanding London’s public transport system. Work with Transport for London (TfL) to provide new and innovative forms of bus provision in areas poorly served by public transport, especially in Outer London. Councils can also prioritise bus movement to reduce journey times by introducing more bus lanes and/or bus priority corridors.  
4. Enhance the infrastructure and public realm for pedestrians. Measures should include improved crossings (on ‘desire lines’, with shorter wait times for people walking and more time to cross); additional road crossings, particularly at bus stops; widened pavements outside stations, in local town centres, and wherever there are high numbers of pedestrians; more public seating, particularly for older residents and parents and carers with buggies; greening of local streets via tree planting and pocket parks.
5. Develop a network of walking routes that connect green spaces, town centres, stations, attractions and other amenities. Initial ideas have been proposed by Southwark Living Streets and by London Living Streets for Central London.
6. Roll out ‘school streets’ across the borough. School streets transform roads around schools so only people walking or cycling can use them at the start and end of the school day. Given school run traffic makes up 25% of all London’s morning traffic, school streets have huge impact on congestion, as well as on children’s health by reducing air pollution and encouraging children to walk and cycle to school. This idea was pioneered in Hackney and being replicated across London. Use Schools Streets as pilots for wider changes and a wider shift to walking and cycling.
7. In order to build community appetite for LTNs, councils can easily implement play streets so communities can close their streets to traffic for a couple of hours once a week to let children play.

It is time London thinks along the lines of Madrid where wide areas (including main roads) exclude all vehicles apart from those belonging to residents, zero-emissions delivery vehicles, zero-emission taxis, public transport and emergency vehicles. Boroughs could roll out such zones over time, starting with areas with high Public Transport Access Level (PTAL) ratings. 

These policies are absolutely vital and urgent if London is to play its part in heading off the worst effects of global warming.