The latest London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard has been published, identifying which of London’s boroughs are doing most to meet the ambitions of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
Behind the scorecard, which was launched in 2019, is the Healthy Streets coalition, made up of a variety of campaign groups such as CPRE London, Possible, Sustrans and Future Transport London.
Mayor of Newham and cabinet members receiving the Most Improved Borough certificate
The four boroughs with particular cause for celebration are City of London (Overall Winner), Islington (Best Inner London Borough), Waltham Forest (Best Outer London Borough) and Newham (Most Improved).
The scores are based on six input indicators (what the council are doing) and four outcome indicators (the results of what the council have done)
The input indicators are
1. low traffic neighbourhood schemes
2. 20mph speed limits
3. Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs)
4. physically protected cycle track
5. school provision, including School Streets and STARS scheme
6. bus priority on all routes 24/7
The outcome indicators are:
1. the proportion of trips made by sustainable modes (walking, cycling, public transport)
2. active travel rate (the proportion of residents walking or cycling more than five times a week)
3. collisions resulting in serious or fatal injuries for active travellers, per million journey stages
4. car ownership rates, to ascertain the level of reliance on cars.
As the City of London, Islington and Waltham Forest regularly top their categories, Newham will possibly take the most from this year’s scorecard.
The borough climbed from 13th to 8th place on the Scorecard through a range of efforts, including more than doubling the number of school streets and increasing the number of streets covered by a 20mph speed limit from 41% to 99%.
Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham said: ‘I’m incredibly proud that Newham has been named the Most Improved London Borough. This is testament to the success of our Healthy School Streets programme – putting the health and safety of our children and communities first by cutting traffic, reducing pollution and transforming how we safely move through our neighbourhoods.
‘With traffic volumes down by an average of 64%, and up to 80% in some locations, we are seeing the real impact of our commitment to cleaner, greener, safer streets.’
This recognition comes just a month after Newham’s Climate Action team won the LGC (Local Government Chronicle) Net Zero Award for its UK-first Just Transition Plan.
Healthy Streets also offer pats on the back to Ealing, who rose from 18th place to 15th, and is now the second best outer borough, and Lambeth who jumped two places from eighth to sixth.
Overall, London saw 98 new traffic-free school streets established last year, while five boroughs increased coverage of 20mph speed limits and six increased streets with controlled parking.
A coalition spokesperson said: ‘Congratulations and thanks to our winners, but we really need all councils pulling their weight, urgently. The boroughs have dedicated Local Implementation Plan funding and need to move fast to deliver if any of the Mayor’s ‘healthy streets’ targets for London are to be met.
‘Now is the time for boroughs at bottom of table to start acting more like Newham and the scorecard leaders, to show their declarations of action on road danger, climate, health and air pollution are in any way meaningful. We really hope to see much stronger action from all boroughs in the coming year.”’
The full scorecard can be read here.
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