In total, 21 Streetspace schemes have now been completed, including expanded footways outside busy commuter hubs such as London Bridge, Victoria and Waterloo stations and a new cycle lane on Park Lane. The speed limit on Park Lane has been reduced from 40mph to 20mph to reduce road danger further, and TfL plans to introduce 20mph speed limits on more main roads across the capital as part of the Streetspace plans.
Lower speed limits were introduced across the central London TfL road network in March and an urgent review is underway to identify how these limits can be expanded to further streets across central London - including next to cycle lanes - to offer further protection to vulnerable road users. This could include reducing speed limits to 20mph in areas where TfL is making temporary changes to road layouts, including on the A503 between Camden and Finsbury Park, and on the A3 between Elephant and Castle and Colliers Wood. In addition, from Sunday 14 June the speed limit on the elevated section of the A40 Westway will be lowered from 40 to 30mph, which will make the road safer.
Plans to boost walking and cycling are helping to ensure London can re-open carefully, safely and sustainably as more people return to work from 15 June. The Mayor of London and the Government are encouraging everyone who can to walk or cycle for all or part of their journeys as lockdown measures are eased. With more people across London choosing to walk and cycle, including young schoolchildren, drivers are reminded to slow down, to obey the rules of the road and to be extra vigilant for other road users.
TfL is taking firm action to tackle unsafe behaviour and speeding to make London's roads safe. TfL funds the Metropolitan Police Service's Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC), which is the largest police command in the UK. The RTPC is made up of more than 2,000 officers who are dedicated to policing London's streets, focusing on the most dangerous drivers and carrying out widespread high visibility roadside operations and patrols, with intensified patrols on roads with 20 and 30mph speed limits.
While the majority of Londoners are driving safely, there has been an increase in speeding, resulting in a number of road fatalities and injuries. Since 20 March when the lockdown began, 16 people have died on London's roads, despite an average reduction of 35 per cent in traffic levels. The latest statistics show that while eight fewer people have died during lockdown compared with the same period last year, the number of people riding motorcycles and cycling killed in road traffic collisions has risen. During this time, there have been ten motorcyclists killed on London's roads, with two people walking and two cycling.
Unsafe driving puts additional strain on the NHS at this time of national emergency. As part of their joint Vision Zero commitment to eliminate death and serious injury from London's roads, the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police continue to target speeding and other unsafe driving across London's roads every day. Police have recorded speeds of over 130mph during speed enforcement activity across the capital. Even a relatively small increase in speed, however, is known to raise risks to drivers and vulnerable road users such as people walking, cycling and riding motorcycles.
Source: TfL