Campaign coalition launches London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard

A coalition of transport campaigners has today published a scorecard showing discrepancies in London boroughs’ progress towards the Mayor’s ‘healthy streets’ targets.

London Living Streets, London Cycling Campaign, CPRE London, RoadPeace, Sustrans and Campaign for Better Transport London, have come together to produce the scorecard in the hope that the research will help boroughs identify areas for improvement.

Highlighting discrepancies across the capital, the scorecard reveals that while 93% of journeys are made by walking, cycling and public transport in some boroughs, this number can be as low as 41% in others, with the bulk of the remaining journeys made by car.

Similarly, in some boroughs over half of residents walk or cycle more than five times a week to keep active, but in others only just over a quarter manage it.

The scorecard also tracks some key changes to streets that boroughs can make easily, quickly and affordably. While one borough installed 84 ‘modal filters’ (barriers to cut out ‘rat running’) in just a few years, another has only installed two. There are boroughs where every streets is part of a ‘controlled parking zone’ but others have less than 10% of streets covered.

Dr Ashok Sinha, Chief Executive of London Cycling Campaign, said: “People’s access to streets that are safe enough to take the healthy option of cycling has long been a postcode lottery. But our data shows the gulf is widening further between the most progressive boroughs, such as Waltham Forest, the City and Camden, and the rest.

“Every London borough should study this scorecard and take action: the best can and should improve further still, and the rest can and should rise to the challenge of guaranteeing their residents cleaner air to breathe and safer streets in which to walk and cycle.”

In 2018, Sadiq Khan published a new Transport Strategy committing London to a future where car use and air pollution is lower and people walk and cycle more.

While some boroughs such as Tower hamlets, Camden and Waltham Forest are rapidly progressing schemes to cut car use and increase walking and cycling rates, others such as Kensington and Chelsea and Havering have yet to implement key measures that start to put people before cars.

Matt Winfield, Director for Sustrans in London, added: “We are inspired and excited by what some boroughs have already delivered and what other boroughs are currently planning, but three years into this Mayoral term more urgency is needed to make it easier for people to walk and cycle all across London.

“This baseline research is an important step in helping councils and residents identify local Healthy Streets priorities, and future updates will shine a light on the achievements of those working on this agenda right across London.”