Transport for LondonMayor's Transport Strategy
It prepares for the Capital's predicted growth of 1.25 million more people and 0.75 million more jobs by 2031 and supports sustainable growth across London.
Key proposals include:
- Transforming the Tube
- Enhancing rail, including Crossrail, Thameslink and the London Overground
- Improving interchanges
- Smoothing traffic flow
- The cycling revolution
- Making walking count
- Improving London's buses
- Better information
- Better streets and environment, including additional phases to the Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
- Improved access to the transport system
- Making better use of the Thames
- Reducing CO2 emissions, including through the promotion of electric vehicles
- Supporting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- New river crossings
The MTS includes a proposal to remove the Western Extension of the Congestion Charging zone (Proposal 128) and a proposal to defer the extension of the LEZ to LGVs and minibuses (Proposal 95).
We will begin public and stakeholder consultations on Variation Orders relating to these proposals shortly.
The consultation process
A Draft MTS was consulted on between 12 October 2009 and 12 January 2010 in parallel with the London Plan and the Economic Development Strategy. Together, these documents create an overarching strategy for the Capital for the next 20 years.
More than 5,500 public and 151 stakeholder responses were received which helped to inform the development of the final MTS. Prior to the public consultation on the Draft MTS, a consultation took place on the Statement of Intent with the London Assembly and the GLA functional bodies in spring 2009.
We prepared a Report to the Mayor on the consultation process and the responses received, including its recommendations for changes to the public draft MTS. The new MTS replaces the 2001 Strategy.
Congestion Charging Western Extension
The MTS contains a proposal (Proposal 128) to remove the Western Extension of the central London Congestion Charging zone.
This reflects the Mayor's consideration of information about the impacts of removing the Western Extension, along with the responses submitted by stakeholders and the public on the proposal in the Draft MTS.
We will start the final part of the legal process, with a view to ending Congestion Charging in the Western Extension by the end of December 2010. This involves making a Variation Order, which will set out the precise details of removal, ie the exact line of the boundary with the remaining charging zone.
Both the public and stakeholders will be consulted on the proposals in the Variation Order.
The Mayor is then required by law to decide whether or not to confirm the Variation Order (with or without modification) taking into account submissions made by stakeholders and the public during the consultation.
If and when confirmed, the Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Order 2004 will be amended to remove the area of the Western Extension from the Congestion Charging zone.
The Low Emission Zone
The MTS contains a proposal (Proposal 95b) to defer the extension of the LEZ to include LGVs and minibuses from October 2010 to an appropriate point in 2012.
We will start the final part of the legal process, with a view to confirming a new start date for extending the LEZ to include LGVs and minibuses from October 2010 to January 2012.
The law requires that the public and stakeholders are consulted on the proposals contained in the Variation Order. The Mayor is then required by law to decide whether or not to confirm the Variation Order (with or without modification) taking into account submissions made by stakeholders and the public during the consultation.
If and when confirmed, the Greater London Low Emission Zone Charging Order 2006 will be amended and a new date set.
The Mayor's Transport Strategy, Report to the Mayor and other supporting documents are available at the Greater London Authority's website.
