Transport for London Unveils Ten-Year Plan
TfL and Boris Johnson unveil long-term plan to improve transit in the capital.
On November 6th, Mayor Boris Johnson outlined his plan to invest £2.4bn in London’s transit system over the next ten years. The key projects to be undertaken include Crossrail, extending overground and DLR networks, promoting cycling and walking as means of transportation and preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games. Other projects include getting new underground trains with air-conditioning, upgrading the tube and getting a new Routemaster bus with an open platform.
This announcement also came with the news that other projects that had been on the drawing board will now be delayed or abandoned, including Public Space Proposals, the Thames Gateway Bridge and the Cross River Tram.
For those commuting to and from Holborn, this announcement bears mixed news. Projects such as Crossrail, which have proposed stops at Tottenham Court Rd and Farringdon, will increase traffic to the area and offer travel alternatives to the current underground options. The Cross River Tram would have also been a convenient and beneficial addition to transport links in Holborn, and it is unfortunate that this project has been set aside for the next few years. TfL and the London Development Agency have said that they will now look at alternatives to the Cross River Tram such as improved bus operations, local regeneration and separating the Northern Line.
TfL has also recently announced that it will start introducing hybrid diesel-electric buses in January, 2009, which will save on fuel and reduce emissions. It will also start a campaign to make cycling safer and more attractive to Londoners through educational programmes targeted towards motorists, lorry drivers and especially cyclists.
All these changes to the way we commute are a part of ‘Way to Go’, the Mayor’s vision for London transit. ‘Way to Go’ focuses on improving the quality of life in the capital, and creating jobs and improving the infrastructure despite the economy.
To find out more about these and other changes to London transit, please visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/.
inHolborn wants to keep you informed of what's happening in the area.