The star boroughs making London healthier & safer
London’s star boroughs making roads healthier and safer
CPRE London has led the coalition and the project for eight years, in recognition of the critical links between transport and planning. We also recognise the importance of transport to improving the streets we live, work in and travel on. Action to improve out streets is critical for is for human health, safety and wellbeing, and for London’s environment – everything from air quality, water quality, air temperature and noise management, and increasing nature habitat.
The star improver in 2026 is Waltham Forest which has leapt four places up the Scorecard. This year’s winners are Islington, Waltham Forest and City of London. “Our thanks to the winners and all the boroughs delivering improvements last year.”
- Bus Priority increased on 10km of route in both Lewisham and Hackney. Westminster, Barnet and Islington, and 6 other boroughs, added smaller amounts.
- Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were added by Lambeth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hackney, Camden and Islington.
- 20mph speed limit coverage increased in Greenwich and Haringey, plus 6 other boroughs.
- Lewisham’s school streets increased by 10, Ealing 9, Newham 8 and both Redbridge and Enfield 7, bringing London’s total to 829.
- Controlled Parking was expanded in Barking & Dagenham and Haringey plus smaller additions in 5 other boroughs.
- Protected Cycle Track was added in Newham, increasing by 6 km.
Postcode lottery
“Evidence shows most people want safer, quieter, less-polluted streets. And while some residents are reaping the benefits of action, it’s not good news everywhere. In Inner London, Lewisham and Kensington & Chelsea are scoring lower than others, and Westminster has dropped behind the leaders. In Outer London Bexley, Hillingdon and Havering score the least. Overall, compared to other major European Cities, action on London’s streets is slow and many of the Mayor’s targets for healthier, safer streets are behind schedule.”
New politics new ambition?
“London’s elections have changed the political shape of the city. It’s going to be a critical four years for action, but we don’t yet know how ambitious the many new administrations will be. Most newly elected councils should be able to make significant progress on all the key measures in the next four years. TfL funding is available and there’s a wealth of evidence as to the benefits they bring. It can take a long time to deliver change, so new councils really need to hit the ground running if they want to make a difference.”
Red routes – this year TfL gets a score too
This year the coalition also published a report on TfL-managed roads, London’s ‘Red Routes’. In the last year, there were increases in 20mph speed limits and bus lanes; but no increase in protected cycle track, no reduction in traffic levels, an alarming number of junctions with no ‘green man’ crossing, and a 2.4% increase in serious and fatal casualties.
“This is the first year we have published scores for the roads that TfL manages and we really hope it will encourage the Mayor to dramatically increase the pace of improvement on London’s arterial routes.”
