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Largest ever funding package and greater freedom over spending to help boroughs cut road deaths, improve town centres and cycling facilities, tackle the school run and carry out essential main road maintenance

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today announced £168.3m of funding for London’s boroughs to deliver local transport improvements during the financial year 2009/10. 

As well as increasing next year’s local borough transport plan funding from TfL - up from £161m in 2008/09 – the Mayor also confirmed that London’s boroughs will have greater freedom in delivering local transport projects.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:

‘When I was elected I promised I would be different and give greater freedom to the Boroughs. This is why this year I have introduced a £100,000 award for Boroughs to spend as they choose. Boroughs are being given greater freedom to develop and deliver the schemes they want, which means more choice over a range of key local schemes to improve town centres and cycling facilities, tackle the school run and improve local roads.

‘Next year’s will be the largest ever borough transport plan funding with £168.3m for local schemes to make travelling safer, more accessible and more environment-friendly, helping to improve the quality of life for people across London.’

Funding for local schemes is allocated each year by Transport for London (TfL) in response to applications from boroughs based on their Local Implementation Plans (LIPs) for transport. Funding is currently available for a wide range of programmes including road safety, maintaining borough roads, tackling the school run, improving walking, cycling and the local environment, making transport more accessible and measures to improve bus journeys. 

London’s Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy said: 

‘The London boroughs play a key role as strategic partners with TfL in delivering many local improvements to transport. This largest-ever funding announcement coupled with the greater flexibility in working together will ensure the boroughs continue their excellent delivery record of local schemes’.

‘Boroughs will have flexibility to shift LIPs funds between projects, receiving funding towards overall programmes rather than individual projects. In addition each borough will receive £100,000 funding to spend as they wish on transport related schemes’.

TfL funds hundreds of local schemes each year, with examples of major projects for 2009/10 to include:

·       Central London - the assessment and strengthening of the Albert Bridge, a listed structure currently closed to vehicles over two tons.

·    South London - improved pedestrian access to Clapham Junction station and better interchange with different modes of transport.

·       West London - £85,000 will help fund the installation of 22 Electrical Recharging Points in the London borough of Ealing. They will provide an alternative energy source which aims to improve local air quality for businesses, residents, visitors and fleet operators by assisting in reducing CO2 emissions.

·       North London – Camden Town Centre scheme will deliver widened footways, new crossing points, and better lighting to make the area safer, more accessible and easier to use for pedestrians. Cycle and motorcycle parking facilities will also be installed.

·       East London – Hornchurch town centre in the London borough of Havering will benefit from a range of improvements including better pedestrian crossings, parking and street design.

Notes to editors:

1.  Each London borough has a Local Implementation Plan (LIP) approved by the Mayor containing proposals to implement the Mayor’s Transport Strategy locally.  While Transport for London (TfL) allocates funding for individual schemes, the LIP and delivery of individual projects is the responsibility of each borough. 

2. In addition to the usual borough allocations, TfL has included £100,000 for each of the boroughs to spend locally on transport as they choose. This is being introduced on a trial basis.

3.  Total allocation by programme area:

Programme (£M)  Allocation 2009/10     
Road Renewal    17.1   
Bridge Strengthening & Assessment       6.3    
Bus Priority (incl. stop accessibility) 22.9   
Parallel Initiatives    0.7    
LCN+    10.0   
Cycling 6.2    
Walking 8.9    
Road Safety     29.8   
Area Based Schemes      19.3   
Environment & Accessibility     6.6    
School Travel Plans     8.5    
Other Smarter Travel    2.1    
Studies & Surveys       2.3    
Core Funding    0.6    
Traffic Signals (incl. modernisation)   11.1   
Sub-Total       152.4  
Leicester Square        2.3    
Olympics Cycling & Walking      7.0    
Bounds Green A406 Complementary 0.7    
Other (later) Smarter Travel    2.1    
Capacity Development / Training 0.5    
Local Transport Funding 3.3    
Totals  168.3  

4. Allocation by boroughs:

LIP Programme 2008/09   Allocation     
Barking and Dagenham    £2,938,000     
Barnet  £3,519,000     
Bexley  £2,960,000     
Brent   £5,261,000     
Bromley £3,939,000     
Camden  £6,549,000     
City of London  £3,921,000     
Croydon £5,797,000     
Ealing  £5,572,000     
Enfield £2,788,000     
Greenwich       £3,199,000     
Hackney £3,355,000     
Hammersmith and Fulham  £4,539,000     
Haringey        £3,848,000     
Harrow  £5,054,000     
Havering        £3,149,000     
Hillingdon      £3,635,000     
Hounslow        £3,419,000     
Islington       £4,143,000     
Kensington and Chelsea  £3,621,000     
Kingston        £3,914,000     
Lambeth £4,291,000     
Lewisham        £3,445,000     
Merton  £2,730,000     
Newham  £4,666,000     
Redbridge       £3,236,000     
Richmond        £5,296,000     
Southwark       £4,470,000     
Sutton  £5,275,000     
Tower Hamlets   £2,406,000     
Waltham Forest  £4,594,000     
Wandsworth      £2,841,000     
Westminster     £3,369,000     
Funds allocated to boroughs through partnerships        £10,535,000    
Studies & surveys       £2,320,000     

5. A School Travel Plan is a package of measures, tailored to the needs of individual schools to deliver alternative transport methods for the school run, aiming to reduce single occupancy car journeys to school, cut congestion and increase safety near schools.

6. Electrical Charging points:
£390k has been allocated to 12 Boroughs to install an additional 70 points across London. The cost of a charging point is £7k.

The first on street vehicle charging point in London was implemented in August 2006 in Covent Garden followed by an individual 28 points in 8 Boroughs in 2007 /2008. Information on location of charging points can be found on http://www.newride.org 

TfL Press Office       
Contact: 0845 604 4141