If the Mayor is serious about his plans to see an extra million journeys made on foot in the capital every day, he needs to push for bigger, bolder pedestrianisation projects alongside smaller initiatives to get people walking, a new report by the London Assembly says today.
"Walk This Way", written by the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, urges the Mayor to back up his '2011 Year of Walking' by supporting at least one large-scale infrastructure project, as well as protecting smaller local intiatives, and introducing an incentive scheme that would give Londoners store-card type rewards for making their journeys on foot. It also urges TfL to change its online Journey Planner so walking options are prioritised for short trips.
The report found there are significant barriers to getting more people walking. Almost two-thirds of Londoners rate the quality of the street environment as the main reason for not walking more. To address this, the report recommends a number of ways the streetscape should be improved, including bringing all pedestrian crossings up to higher safety standards, providing better signage, and de-cluttering pavements.
You can read the full report here.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, who led the investigation on behalf of the Transport Committee, said:
“People don’t always think of walking as a form of transport, but it plays a big role in easing the pressure on the buses, Tubes and trains.
“The Mayor is right to aim for a real long-term increase in the number of journeys made on foot, but to get there he has to make walking a more attractive option for people.
“Showing his support for a big flagship pedestrianisation project would demonstrate the Mayor’s commitment to the Year of Walking, while our affordable but ambitious proposals for smaller initiatives to improve signage and the streetscape would help deliver the sustained growth he aspires to.
“We also need innovative solutions. A scheme that gives walkers points they can exchange for goods at certain stores may be just the incentive people need to choose walking over other modes of transport for shorter trips.”