The Mayor of London has published the Transport Strategy for London, which sets out the Mayor’s policies and proposals to reshape transport in London over the next two decades. The Strategy is firmly opposed to a 3rd Heathrow runway. Its section on Heathrow states: “The demand generated by the current airport combined with local traffic already place considerable strain on the roads and railways serving the airport and contribute to levels of NO2 that are well in exceedance of legal limits. The Mayor considers that, as a result of the additional flights and associated traffic, any expansion at Heathrow would significantly impair London’s ability to meet international air quality obligations in the shortest possible timescale and would contribute to an overall worsening of air quality relative to the situation without expansion. Heathrow already exposes more people to significant aircraft noise than its five main European rivals combined, and the proposed increase in flights cannot avoid many people being newly exposed to significant noise. Moreover, it would be unacceptable if the air quality gains secured by the Mayor and the potential noise improvements as a result of new technologies were not allowed to accrue to local communities to improve public health, but were instead used to enable expansion of Heathrow airport.”
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Policy 22
The Mayor will continue to oppose expansion of Heathrow airport unless it can be shown that no new noise or air quality harm would result and the benefits of future regulatory and technology improvements would be fairly shared with affected communities. Any such expansion must also demonstrate how the surface access networks will be invested in to accommodate the resultant additional demand alongside background growth.
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayors-transport-strategy-2018.pdf
Heathrow section P 137
This says:
The Government announced its preference for a new north west runway at Heathrow in October 2016. This would increase the airport’s current cap by more than 50 per cent, from 480,000 flights to 740,000 flights per year. The Mayor is engaging with the planning process around Heathrow expansion to ensure his fundamental concerns are raised and addressed.
The demand generated by the current airport combined with local traffic already place considerable strain on the roads and railways serving the airport and contribute to levels of NO2 that are well in exceedance of legal limits. The Mayor considers that, as a result of the additional flights and associated traffic, any expansion at Heathrow would significantly impair London’s ability to meet international air quality obligations in the shortest possible timescale and would contribute to an overall worsening of air quality relative to the situation without expansion.
Heathrow already exposes more people to significant aircraft noise than its five main European rivals combined, and the proposed increase in flights cannot avoid many people being newly exposed to significant noise. Moreover, it would be unacceptable if the air quality gains secured by the Mayor and the potential noise improvements as a result of new technologies were not allowed to accrue to local communities to improve public health, but were instead used to enable expansion of Heathrow airport.
Policy 22
The Mayor will continue to oppose expansion of Heathrow airport unless it can be shown that no new noise or air quality harm would result and the benefits of future regulatory and technology improvements would be fairly shared with affected communities. Any such expansion must also demonstrate how the surface access networks will be invested in to accommodate the resultant additional demand alongside background growth.
The forecast additional airport-related highway trips are an essential component of the air quality impacts and one that any expansion would have to address. Without significant rail investment, the airport’s aspiration for ‘no net increase in highway trips’ is not credible and would place further pressure on already congested streets, including through the increase in freight vehicles that would result from any expansion.
If the aspiration for no new highway trips is achieved, this would result in an increase in public transport trips of more than 250 per cent. But without significant new infrastructure, it will place severe strain on the public transport networks that serve the airport. Existing committed schemes such as the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line upgrade – designed to support London’s population growth – will not be able to accommodate this increase. Delivering the shift to public transport requires Government commitment to further schemes to provide sufficient additional capacity and connectivity, notably:
• A western rail link to Heathrow – direct services from the Thames Valley: Slough, Maidenhead and Reading
• A southern rail link to Heathrow – direct services via a route with sufficient spare capacity from central, south and south west London, as well as Surrey
Any proposals must ensure that they can deliver significant additional capacity and connectivity that are capable both of attracting sufficient passenger and staff trips that would otherwise be made in cars and taxis, and of accommodating the additional demand. This cannot be at the expense of non-airport trips and services, nor should it erode the ability of the transport network – including already planned schemes – to enable growth.
There is an important role for improvements to bus, cycling and walking infrastructure serving the airport, particularly for staff journeys. It is also essential that the access for disabled people to the airport is improved.
Proposal 101
The Mayor will:
a) Work with industry partners and stakeholders to assess options for surface access to Heathrow, and
b) Seek a commitment from Government to fund and deliver within an appropriate timescale the extensive transport measures required to support the expansion of Heathrow.
See full report at
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayors-transport-strategy-2018.pdf
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The Mayor’s Transport Strategy has now been published. The document sets out the Mayor’s policies and proposals to reshape transport in London over the next two decades.
The London Assembly considered the Transport Strategy after a detailed consultation by Transport for London (TfL), and amendment of the original draft published in 2017.
Transport has the potential to shape London, from the streets Londoners live, work and spend time on, to the Tube, rail and bus services they use every day.
By using the Healthy Streets Approach to prioritise human health and experience in planning the city, the Mayor wants to change London’s transport mix so the city works better for everyone.
Three key themes are at the heart of the strategy.
Creating streets and street networks that encourage walking, cycling and public transport use will reduce car dependency and the health problems it creates.
Public transport is the most efficient way for people to travel over distances that are too long to walk or cycle, and a shift from private car to public transport could dramatically reduce the number of vehicles on London’s streets.
More people than ever want to live and work in London. Planning the city around walking, cycling and public transport use will unlock growth in new areas and ensure that London grows in a way that benefits everyone.
Read the evidence behind the strategy on TfL’s Mayor’s Transport Strategy page.
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/our-vision-transport/mayors-transport-strategy-2018
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See earlier:
The Mayor of London has published his draft Transport strategy for consultation. It states: “A three-runway Heathrow, however, would have severe noise and air quality impacts and put undue strain on the local public transport and road networks, and alternative airport expansion options should be considered. London’s growth is important, and it must be made to work for all of the city’s current and future residents.” And Policy 20: “The Mayor will continue to oppose expansion of Heathrow airport unless it can be shown that no new noise or air quality harm would result and the benefits of future regulatory and technology improvements would be fairly shared with affected communities. Any such expansion must also demonstrate how the surface access networks will be invested in to accommodate the resultant additional demand alongside background growth.” Also Proposal 96″ “The Mayor will seek a commitment from Government to fund and deliver within an appropriate timescale the extensive transport measures required to support the expansion of Heathrow.” The consultation closes on 2nd October 2017. It can be found here. People responding do not have to answer every question, but can say if they agree or disagree, and whether the Mayor should consider other aspects.
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