John's Labour blog: Christian Wolmar on London's zero emissions nirvana - can the new strategy really achieve that by 2050?

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Christian Wolmar on London's zero emissions nirvana - can the new strategy really achieve that by 2050?

In the week that the Mayor of London announced his new London Transport Strategy (out for consultation until the 2nd October – read more here), come join us for a discussion and debate with Transport expert Christian Wolmar to discuss the ambitious plans, whether it can really be achieved plus implications for the Silvertown Tunnel scheme .

City Hall say’s the new draft transport strategy is not anti-car but it certainly aims to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles in London. The Mayor's aim for 2041 is for 80% of all trips in London to be made on foot, by cycle or using public transport – a figure that stands at 64% today.

It is a strategy big on ideas and big on numbers with clear themes: it’s trying to respond to a growing population and increasing congestion at a time when London's population is predicted to grow from 8.7 million today to an estimated 10.5 million in 25 years time. So the mayor wants to shift emphasis from vehicles to walking, cycling and public transport, using a ‘Healthy Streets Approach’ and cutting car journeys by three million a day.

Promoting the idea that London’s streets should be for active travel and social interaction, the new transport strategy aims to address the health impact of inactivity to encourage people to move around, plus reduce the reliance on car driving as a space-inefficient mode of transport which has made London’s streets some of the most congested in the world.

Cars have a huge impacts on Londoners – causing pollution, making streets unpleasant places to be and delaying public transport journeys. Car traffic is also overwhelmingly responsible for the greatest environmental challenges facing London, responsible for half of the main air pollutants including some of the pollutants that are most harmful to human health.

So come join us for an interesting session that will explore the ambitious plans, plus look at how the transport strategy sits with existing plans to expand transport infrastructure such as the Silvertown tunnel which will connect the Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks in Newham, which campaigners say will increase traffic levels, worsen the capital’s poor air quality and lead to further congestion - so how can that be squared?

Sign in desk opens at 4.45pm and the event starts at 5.00pm prompt.

Please Register Here