Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly, has responded to the findings of a new traffic ‘scorecard’ by the transport agency Inrix that names London as the most congested city in Europe. London faces a future “blighted by congestion and pollution” according to Darren if the next Mayor sticks to his plans for more road building.
Darren Johnson AM recently produced an interactive map, based on TfL’s own traffic projections, exploring the implications of increased congestion for London: http://www.howcongestedismyroad.org.uk
Transport for London are predicting 8 per cent growth in traffic between 2012 and 2021 in the boroughs of Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Newham in the morning peak.
The key findings of the Inrix scorecard are:
· London is now the most congested city in Europe, having overtaken Brussels to claim the top spot in the congestion rankings for the first time
· The average London driver spent an average of 96 hours stuck in traffic jams in 2014, an increase of 14 hours on the year before
· Congestion is set to cost London’s economy £130 billion between 2013 and 2030
· The five most gridlocked roads in the UK are all located in the capital
Darren commented,
“London faces a future blighted by congestion and pollution if Mayor Boris Johnson carries on signing off trunk road schemes and scrapping vital limits to car parking in our city.”
“Between 2000 and 2011 traffic reduced across London whilst the population and economy grew steadily so we know that more vehicles taking to the roads is not inevitable as London grows.”
“It is within the Mayor’s power to change his policies and stop the tide of traffic that threatens to engulf London, bringing it to a standstill with terrible consequences for the environment and the economy. The traffic jams we are going to see in the years to come will have hugely negative impact on the city’s status as a good place to live and do business.”
“Expanding the bus network, making fares cheaper, keeping a lid on parking and providing better cycling facilities are just some of the measures he can and must take to stop this catastrophe.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Darren Johnson AM is available for comment
The scorecard published by Inrix can be accessed here: http://inrix.com/scorecard/
Read Darren's report on the Mayor's road building plans entitled 'Boris Johnson's Roads to Nowhere' here: /sites/default/files/Boris_Johnsons_Roads_to_nowhere.pdf