People's Question Time Online

When will the Mayor cancel the proposed new road tunnel under the Thames starting near Royal Docks (The cancellation is required to stop more road traffic developing, one of the Mayor's objectives)?

I would like to ask how the Mayor and Assembly are going to address the increased traffic congestion and pollution caused by the changes introduced by the Streetspace programme as a result of which my local high street is frequently gridlocked by traffic including buses croweded into one lane.  I would also like to ask about access for the elderly and less able as our bus stops are now in the middle of the road and we have to cross a 2-way cycle lane to get on and off the bus.

The Winstanley Housing Estate is being regenerated and  In the process of this, the majority of trees will be felled and green spaces will be removed, with no plans to create more.  How can this possibly fit in with the policy of planting and protecting the environment and can something be done to stop this wholesale destruction of the environment?

In response to the Community Member who thinks that car free cannot work for everyone, I agree. 

However, every scheme/system/policy and procedure must by law take into account any disadvantage group. People with mobility problems are usually exempt from travel restrictions placed upon those without mobility impairment.

As for the low waged.  If they can afford a car, fuel, insurance, running cost including taxes and parking fees, etc. then it is a fair assumption that they can afford to use public transport.  But, if they truly cannot then we need to design a scheme that will permit them to do so.  After all if we can have 'affordable housing' scheme, giving discounts to those that cannot afford 'normal' house prices, then you could have an 'affordable travel' scheme to offer similarly structured discounts on transport.

Those of most concern are the people who live in isolated places or whose locale is not served, or inadequately served, by public transport.

i am not suggesting that such a scheme would be easy or the complete answer but if you want grow a tree you have to plant a seed.

Why does this city not have car free days?  I am not referring to the (forgive me) laughable single day events (held on a Sunday when arguably there is less traffic anyway!) but a regular weekly prohibition on all non-commercially registered vehicles.  

I would suggest starting with 1 day per week for three months. Not just from 8 am to 6pm but to coincide with the operating hours of general (i.e. not all night) public transport   This period will allow time for potential problems to be identified and resolved and car owners to become accustomed to planning their journeys by public transport.  Then increase the number of days incrementally to a maximum of 3 days per week.
The increase in public transport journeys (covid19 permitting) will increase TfL revenue thereby helping to  address another of your problems.

If approval of each LA is required and being refused then I would suggest a overt campaign aimed directly at each resident requesting that they contact their local Councillor and ask why their LA does not support the national and international imperative plans for tackling air pollution and climate change.

Cycling and walking is a great initiative, however the deadly noxious fumes created by fossil fueled vehicles are killing walkers, cyclists and school children. There are solutions but you have refused to enter into dialogue apart from saying we all going electric!!!

How are we going to afford electric cars, how are we going to charge them, who is making batteries, they have no range etc etc. 

40,000 people die prematurely every year as a result of road based pollution emissions. 

Air pollution has been directly linked to the increased number of deaths and infection rate of COVID-19 sufferers.

There is a direct correlation between exposure to vehicle emissions and an increased mortality rate from COVID-19. There are also reports emerging that suggest vehicle pollutants are actively “carrying” the virus and therefore assisting in the spread of contamination.

Air pollution accounts for 20% of all newborn deaths worldwide

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a plan to ban sales of gasoline- and diesel-powered passenger cars in the U.K. beginning in 2035.

Question: Why wait until 2035, there are solutions available now but you are not using them?

Green building opportunities:

Companies such as Solar for Schools, Pavegen and Polysolar have fantastic solutions for making better use of urban spaces, schools, property development, car parks and glass buildings to create renewable energy. Should we not be encouraging highly profitable urban developers to create buildings that work towards carbon neutrality? They should not profit from creating a carbon footprint as it costs us our future.

Greener, safer road use:

I fully support the drive towards EV and ULEZ in London. What more can be done to encourage smaller, greener vehicles in London and remove single driver in huge engined, oversized vehicles from London's already crowded roads?

Can the Mayor look to standardise the signaling and laws for bicycles around London where bike lanes, specific lights and unsafe routes and junctions are highly confusing and unsafe?

Does the Mayor have a plan to reduce noise pollution from motorbikes and scooters? At all hours, in all areas of London their loud acceleration and exhaust noise is both shocking and disturbing for so many Londoners and it seems that there is no price being paid by the user for this externality.

Like many cities London is hanging its hat on Electric Vehicles and low emission zones to eliminate vehicle pollution. In reality the transition to EV is at minimum 15 years away and it is unlikely that this will happen even then, there isn't the infrastructure to support this. Thereafter EVs will still produce killer tyre and brake dust. Whilst we wait with baited breath for everyone to rush out and purchase an electric car (Which they cant afford or charge) how many people will die from fumes generated by fossil fueled vehicles. 

There are solutions to remove these fumes at the source but TFL, DfT and the GLA have ignored or refused to trial these, why?

Covid19 has highlighted the importance of parks and open spaces for everyone, so should parks be a statutory service with councils properly funded by central government to manage them?

Whar is the point of closing roads so that people who need to drive their cars in these areas, because they live in a Road with limited access, have to always drive a long way round - sometimes doubling the length of a short journey. Surely this causes additional pollution and expense, with no benefit for anybody and particularly none for the environment.

How are you going to address the increasing number of failed traffic reduction schemes that end up increasing traffic instead of reducing it. Two of such examples are doing away with the one way system in the Stratford E13 area and the works that have taken place on the Meryland round about near Meryland railway station E15 1SA, along with an increasing amount of new one way systems that simply force the traffic to a different location.

Just to add, I do not understand why more and more house building is being allowed in (poorer) areas that are already jammed pack with people - this contributes to the huge amount of fly-tipping and due to an increase in cars, a lack of decent air quality.   

How are the GLA going to address air pollution, keeping the streets clean and the immense amounts of fly tipping in the Thornton Heath and Croydon areas.  Fly tipping has become a nightmare, I cannot walk down the street without seeing a pile of rubbish or stepping in something nasty.  Also as the council is now charging three times the amount for taking away 3 bulky waste items (having stopped one free annual bulky waste collection), I can only see the fly-tipping getting worse.  Furthermore, the air quality is less than adequate with the enormous amount of traffic on the roads here, which also adds to global warming.  

Can the GLA please make clear what it intends to do about the levels of noise pollution within the city and surrounding areas. In particular, I am interested to hear the plan of action regarding noise regulation and enforcement based on the findings and conclusions of the recent Roadside vehicle noise measurement study. The long standing issue regarding excessive motorbike noise is just one of the many issues that needs to be addressed urgently.

With the pandemic and the resultant inequality that it creates, how do you plan to make sure that Londoners make the just transition to a new economy?

This is not just about emission or low traffic zones.  Our lifestyle is changing rapidly and it is becoming increasingly difficult to be aware of whether our actions contribute to a greener planet or not.

Masks and PPE have added to increased plastic pollution. The north London incinerator has been emitting toxic fumes for hours together every day.

These when combined with the restrictions means that the poorest of the poor cannot make the right choices for their lives.