14 Jul Transport in Lockdown… And Beyond
Emily Shovlar, Senior WestTrans Coordinator, has written for the West London Alliance about transport projects in the subregion during lockdown and the challenges, opportunities and issues arising as lockdown eases and people get back to work and enjoying their leisure time away from their home.
WestTrans is the transport arm of the WLA, and has been creating and managing transport projects for West London for over ten years. In a typical year we run projects on active travel (cycling and walking), public transport, improving air quality and congestion, and freight.
Of course, 2020 hasn’t been a typical year. London’s public transport was shut off to all but essential journeys in late March, and anyone who can avoid travelling is still advised to do so. Movement of people around the city largely halted. Tube use dropped by 95% and bus use by 85%. Meanwhile the government encouraged people to use their car if they needed to travel, due to the lower risk of viral transmission.
The sudden shift in how people travel – and if they travel at all – is already having a huge impact on London’s transport systems. But it remains to be seen whether lockdown will accelerate the transition to green, sustainable and healthy travel, or whether car use will increase anew, air pollution rise, and public transport struggle.
Some signs are positive, especially for active travel. London’s streets have long been a contested space; pedestrians and cyclists jostle for room to travel safely, among motorists frustrated at traffic jams and van drivers trying to make deliveries on time. Transport for London (TfL) and the boroughs are working hard to ensure that active and sustainable travel is prioritised, particularly while many people continue to avoid travelling. New cycle lanes are emerging all over the city, including many in West London. Road space is being reallocated to allow safe and socially-distanced passage for pedestrians. In many areas the suddenly empty streets were a release from years of car domination, and we’ve seen examples of communities reclaiming streets as play areas or safe cycling zones.
On the other hand, warning bells are ringing for public transport. TfL’s income from fares has almost disappeared, which will force difficult decisions about funding priorities. Deeper still, the pandemic has altered people’s views of travel. Increasing proportions, when surveyed, say they want to work from home more, commute less often, and spend less time travelling. The government is promising continued investment in infrastructure and “shovel-ready” projects to aid economic recovery, but it’s likely that patterns of movement will change significantly. Already car journeys in England have returned to 75% of pre-lockdown levels, and London could well see increases in car use, which would reverse recent improvements in air pollution and congestion.
What’s certain is that even if the cityscape alters dramatically, people will continue to need to move around – even if fewer of them and in different ways. The challenge for us is to adapt to these changes, and to ensure Londoners can continue to travel in convenient, healthy and sustainable modes.