London’s toxic air levels plunge by 94% — as walking and cycling up across capital, TfL report reveals

Low-emission bus zones and the ultra-low emission zone in central London have contributed to the change
BRITAIN
There has been a bike jump in the number of journeys by bike 
AFP via Getty Images
Ross Lydall @RossLydall14 December 2020

Huge reductions in toxic air in London were revealed today – alongside a big increase in the number of people walking and cycling since the start of the pandemic.

The number of Londoners living in areas where the amount of nitrogen dioxide exceeds legal limits has fallen by 94 per cent, from two million in 2016 to 119,000 in 2019/20, the annual Travel in London report reveals today.

This is said to be largely due to low-emission bus zones, which require cleaner vehicles to be used in pollution hotspots, and the launch of the ultra-low emission zone in central London in February last year.

Alex Williams, director of city planning at Transport for London, said: “The scale of change is quite phenomenal.

“I struggle to think of any public policy initiative that has delivered that scale of change in this amount of time.”

Today’s report says that the percentage of journeys being walked or cycled in London increased from 29 per cent between January and March this year to 46 per cent between April and June, and 37 per cent between July and September.

There was a fall in commuter cycling as Londoners worked from home, but the total number of bike journeys increased due to a big jump in leisure cycling, one of the few permitted forms of exercise at the start of the pandemic, and the good summer weather.

The proportion of journeys made by private transport also increased, from 38 per cent between January and March, to 45 per cent between March and June.

The impact of the first lockdown was seen most dramatically on the Underground, with passenger numbers falling to just three per cent of normal demand in the days following the first lockdown on March 23.

About 55 miles of new or upgraded cycle lanes have been built or are under construction, meaning that almost 18 per cent of Londoners now live within 400m of the London cycle network.

Under the terms of TfL’s second Covid bailout from the Government, TfL has to spend at least £75m on walking and cycling schemes across the capital over the next six months, with a further £20m from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund to be given to the boroughs via TfL.  

Helen Cansick, head of streetspace delivery at TfL, said: “This new data shows just how important walking and cycling have been in helping Londoners stay healthy and safe.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we continue to invest in our Streetspace programme to support walking and cycling, ensuring that the capital can recover from the pandemic as a healthier and more sustainable place for everyone.” 

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