Darren Johnson AM, who is hosting today’s meeting for anti road-bridge campaigners, has released a report highlighting the projected spend by Boris Johnson on road traffic schemes (the north of Bexley is one of the areas where traffic would increase the most ), and how that money could be better spent on walking, cycling and public transport. Full report downloadable here:
https://app.box.com/shared/static/7zjnddptroibw8cgfioz.pdf
Summary:
The Mayor of London is planning to spend £28 billion building and widening roads in London, new research by Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly reveals. His report, ‘Boris Johnson’s Roads to Nowhere’ reveals how the Mayor:
* Plans to spend just £1-2bn on cycling up to 2050 but plans to spend £28bn on road projects for the same period, many of which have no provision for cyclists
* Intends to build three new roads across the Thames at Silvertown, Gallions Reach and Belvedere that would cost £2.25bn – more than twice the capital’s cycling budget for the next decade
* Is planning for big increases in traffic on London’s roads after a decade when traffic fell despite the growth in population and the economy during that time.
* TfL are now warning that if we fail to cut current levels of car ownership, by 2050 we’ll have an extra million cars in the capital, requiring a further area the size of Richmond Park for parking. We have already seen a massive erosion of green space in Bexley thanks to paving over front gardens for multiple car parking, despite Bexley Council claiming in the Local Development Framework that it wants to protect the ‘suburban character’ of the Borough.
The report also shows that TfL has public transport, walking and cycling projects that could be prioritised for that £28 billion, which would do more to improve London’s prosperity and quality of life.
