WIREDGOV

Transport for London (TfL) is asking people to have their say on making the extension of the pavement on Earls Court Road permanent.

Creating enough space for people to walk and cycle safely is vital to ensuring a sustainable and healthy recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for everybody who lives and works in London.

The need to create space on London's roads for walking and cycling has become even more important since the coronavirus pandemic began, with record numbers of Londoners walking and cycling to make regular journeys. TfL data* from earlier this year showed that 31 per cent of Londoners say they are walking to places where they used to travel by a different mode, and 57 per cent say they now go on more walks for exercise or walk for longer than they did before.

In May last year, TfL made some changes to Earls Court Road to provide more space for people walking and to allow them to properly social distance while travelling.

TfL is now proposing that two extensions to the pavement are made permanent on Earls Court Road around Earl's Court Tube station, to give people walking more space:

• Between Child's Street and Child's Place
• Between Earls Court Gardens and Barkston Gardens. A loading bay near to the junction with Barkston Gardens will be re-instated, with no stopping at any time except loading (max 20 mins)

The scheme will make the area much more welcoming to people walking and will also help buses to serve bus stops, making it easier for people to use public transport too.

TfL's consultation is now open at tfl.gov.uk/earls-court-road and runs until 24 September 2021.

Will Norman, London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner, said:

"More people are walking and cycling in London than ever before, and it's vital that we make changes to help ensure they can do so as safely as possible. Making the pavement extensions on Earls Court Road permanent will make a huge difference to those who walk around the area, and I urge Londoners to have their say and take part in the consultation."

Sam Monck, TfL's Head of Healthy Streets Investment, said:

“We want to make walking easier and safer across the capital and we really value people's opinions on how we can best achieve this. The proposal to make the changes to the scheme permanent will create a pleasant and safe environment for people walking. Ensuring that London's streets are attractive and people-friendly is vital to ensuring a sustainable recovery from the pandemic and I'd encourage those who live in, work in and travel through the area to get in touch with their feedback on these changes.”

From March 2020 onwards, TfL worked closely with boroughs across London to deliver extra space for pedestrians at over 180 locations. The pavements were widened, either using barriers or temporary pavement buildouts, to give people more space to walk and socially distance as part of TfL's emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. This has been kept under review, with schemes altered where appropriate.

Greater space on footways make it easier for walking, especially for disabled people. TfL research shows that on average people who regularly walk to the high street spend up to 29 per cent more than people who drive.

The Mayor and TfL remain committed to their vision of making London the world's most walkable city, as set out in their Walking Action Plan. Walking has a huge number of benefits for Londoners' health and the environment, particularly when people are empowered to swap car journeys for journeys on foot.

Notes to Editors

• *TfL's Travel in London Report 13, page 39  https://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-13.pdf
• People are invited to submit their feedback on the changes until 24 September 2021.
• Enabling more people to walk and cycle continues to be at the heart of the Mayor's vision to transform London's streets for the better and to create a healthier, cleaner, fairer and more sustainable city for everyone.
• The Mayor is determined to ensure that his work with TfL and the boroughs to make walking and cycling safer and easier continues to be at the forefront of London's recovery.