London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has rolled out an ambitious new traffic plan using new technology to slash congestion across the capital.
Transport for London will introduce the first-ever “pan-city roadsworks plan” as part of the “London on the move” strategy.
The plans will see the launch of new technology, bus priority measures and the expansion of the Lane Rental programme.
TfL will expand the network of Vivacity cameras across London, which uses artificial intelligence to distinguish between different modes of travel, including walking, cycling, wheelchair use, taxis, and heavy goods vehicles.
The new Vivacity cameras will provide TfL with additional data to make smarter decisions about pedestrian crossing times to boost road safety for all users.
A data-sharing agreement between the transport authority and London boroughs will be secured soon to gain insights from more than 1,000 cameras.
Improvements will also be made to the FUSION traffic control system to generate more data and computing power, allowing traffic signals to react “faster and smarter”.
Estimates suggest that changes to the FUSION systems will reduce delays by up to 14 per cent, delivering £1billion in benefits through reduced journey times.
Sir Sadiq Khan is rolling out new traffic rules across the capital under new plans
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PA
Commenting on the new plans, Sir Khan emphasised that the changes would help London reach the Mayor’s goal of having 80 per cent of journeys be made by walking, cycling or public transport.
He added: “I’m committed to making London’s transport network as safe, efficient, and sustainable as possible.
“Congestion is annoying for everyone, and it costs our economy millions of pounds a year. This innovative new strategy will tackle the causes of congestion head-on.
“This bold new approach to managing the capital’s streets will ensure they work for everyone: harnessing cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to reduce congestion, keep Londoners safe, and speed up journey times on London’s bus network.”
London was recently ranked as the worst capital city for traffic across the world
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PABus priority measures will also be strengthened by TfL, with further plans to expand technology from 2,080 traffic signals to all 3,500 signals by the end of the decade.
Labour is in the process of devolving authority to Mayor Sadiq Khan to approve lane rental schemes, allowing TfL to charge utility companies a fee to dig up roads.
Four boroughs – Camden, Enfield, Lambeth and Merton – have already received approval for traffic schemes by the Department for Transport.
A further 22 boroughs across the capital are making progress towards applications, with hopes that the new plans will be rolled out in the coming months and years.
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s Director of Streets and Network Operations, said: “We’re determined to ensure London’s road network is amongst the best in the world and the new London on the move plan marks a major step forward in how we manage London’s streets.
“By harnessing data, technology and the benefits of new infrastructure, our 2030 vision will see a better, safer street network that is better suited to the needs of Londoners today and tomorrow.”
These measures will also help the city achieve goals outlined in the Vision Zero project and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
It states that London will strive to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from the capital’s transport network by 2041.