Camden approves active travel transport strategy

Camden council has approved a new transport strategy that will look to put active travel at the heart of the borough.

The final Camden Transport Strategy, titled ‘Healthy Streets, Healthy Travel, Healthy Lives’, was approved at a full council meeting last night (Monday 8 April).

This comes after the draft strategy received strong support from a consultation with residents late last year.

The strategy looks to update the council’s transport priorities and schemes, marking a shift of focus by the council towards walking, cycling and public transport.

Cllr Adam Harrison, cabinet member at Camden council for improving Camden’s environment, said: ‘As Camden and London grow we need to radically change the way we move about to ensure that travel becomes healthier, safer, sustainable and more affordable than ever.

‘One of the calls to action of our Camden 2025 plan is that Camden should be a clean, vibrant and sustainable place, with walking, cycling and public transport the best way to get around the borough, and no one should experience poor health as a result of the air they breathe.’

Camden is targeting an increase in walking and cycling

The strategy looks to put health and sustainable travel at the heart of Camden’s transport plans, with an emphasis on increasing levels of walking, cycling and public transport use.

The council will now implement four action plans to support the strategy, focusing on walking and accessibility, road safety, electric vehicle charging points and cycling.

It is hoped that this ‘Healthy Streets’ approach will improve several issues affecting the borough including congestion, road danger, poor air quality and carbon emissions.

The strategy will also help the council meet numerous London-wide transport targets, such as for London’s entire transport system to be zero carbon by 2050.

Cllr Harrison added: ‘This ambitious plan builds on the excellent work already undertaken and currently under way.

‘Examples of this include the delivery of the transformational West End Project around Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street, and the recently completed installation of 70 new electric vehicle charging points across the borough.

‘These will enable residents and visitors to the borough to choose healthier forms of travel, or to move towards using less polluting vehicles.’

Camden recently secured £9.5m of funding from TfL to set up a Liveable Neighborhood project in Holborn, geared towards making the area more friendly for active travel.

The council’s decision comes after a road in Camden was found to be one of eight London areas in the top ten for air pollution in the country.

Recent Friends of the Earth data found that Euston Road in Camden reported an annual average of 93.45ug/m3 of NO2 — more than double the Air Quality Objective of 40ug/m3.

The figure meant that Euston Road had the seventh highest annual average of NO2 in the UK.