Transport doesn’t only shape our daily lives and determine how we get around London – it can create new opportunities for Londoners and shape the character of our city. As Mayor, I’m working to deliver the affordable, reliable and safe service Londoners deserve and to unlock the power of transport to improve people’s lives. I’ve frozen TfL fares for four years. I’ve introduced the Hopper fare, which is saving money for millions of Londoners. And I’m planning new transport capacity and constantly looking for new ways to innovate, including accelerating the move towards zero emission vehicles. But we also need to look at how we can fundamentally change the way people choose to move around our city as the current trends are increasingly causing problems for London. Car dependency has contributed to an increase in poor public health across our city. Streets can often be polluted, congested and dangerous – unwelcoming places to walk or cycle.
Tube, rail and bus services can be overcrowded and sometimes unreliable and indirect, meaning there is no appealing alternative to car use for many. And some parts of London have been planned around car use for so long that there are no decent alternatives.
To begin to resolve these problems, London must become a city where walking, cycling and green public transport become the most appealing and practical choices for many more journeys. These active, efficient and sustainable transport choices not only support the health and wellbeing of Londoners, but also the city as a whole by reducing congestion and enabling the most efficient use of valuable street space.
With an ever-growing population set to put increasing pressure on our city’s infrastructure and public spaces in the coming years, it is important that we start to make these changes now. This strategy document details how we aim to change the transport mix across London, providing viable and attractive alternatives that will allow Londoners to reduce their dependence on cars. The aim is simple but ambitious, and has important implications for our streets, public places and future growth as a city.
Major cities around the world are grappling with the same challenges we face in London. This world-leading strategy sets out a bold approach to creating a more liveable city, which will focus London’s transport planning on the long-term needs of all Londoners. Doing this will be vital to making London a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city. A city that is not only home to more people, but a better place to live. A city where transport is affordable, reliable and accessible for all Londoners. And a city where the best, easiest and most convenient transport choice will increasingly be the active travel choice.
Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
Download the London Mayor's transport policy March 2018 on the IOC web here (Chapters 1-3 [6.91MB], Chapter 4 [8.35MB], Chapter 5 to end [7.61MB])
