Drivers of demand for travel in London

Transport for London has issued an interesting report on the factors driving changes in travel behaviour in London, in particular the substantial shift from private to public transport in recent years. Aspects discussed include supply influences (eg investment in public transport), demand influences such as changes in income, and structural changes in London’s economy and society.

The report is comprehensive in its approach, which is valuable, but it doesn’t attempt to rank factors in importance. My own view is that the key decisions were not to increase London’s road capacity to meet the growth in car ownership nationally, to invest instead in London’s rail system, and to control parking in central areas to keep essential traffic flowing.

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