A Roads Task Force (RTF) was set up by the Mayor of London in July 2012 to tackle the challenges facing London’s streets and roads.It has recently issued a substantial report which repays careful study. Street and roads are for movement, of course, but they are also places in their own right, where things happen and people interact. In fact, streets account for 80% of London’s public space. The aim is to improve the efficiency of movement, to encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport, and to provide better, safer places for all the activities that take place on street. These potentially conflicting aims are a real challenge, particularly given expected population growth.
The RTF has looked at what other cities around the world are doing. In successful cities, there is a clear trend towards reducing the impact of motor traffic to improve the quality of life and make them more attractive to live in and to do business. A conceptual framework involving nine street types is advocated, ranging from the arterial road to the city place, depending on the relative importance of movement versus non-movement activities.
One particularly interesting proposal is that consideration is given to shifting motorised traffic underground, in order to maintain capacity for vehicular movement while increasing surface capacity for sustainable modes and delivering transformed places. Examples are cited from Paris and Oslo where this has been successful.
Those with a particular interest in urban travel should look at the impressive set of technical analyses compiled by Transport for London (TfL) to support the RTF, which includes a set of international case studies.
The RTF report has been endorsed by the Mayor and by TfL.