Mayor confirms £3.6m for local transport improvements in Harrow

The Mayor of London today confirmed £3.6m for Harrow to spend on local transport improvements during 2010/11, including £490,000 for essential road maintenance and £1,100,000 for major schemes.

Harrow has been developing proposals for a number of schemes that it will be financing with the funding package, including:

• £50,000 over three years to provide cycle training to adults who live or work in the borough
• £35,000 to improve access for disabled people in the borough, including the provision of dropped kerbs and more disabled bays
• Funding to improve safety awareness and school travel planning
• £41,000 to encourage greener transport, including the installation of electric vehicle charging points
• £1m towards the implementation of the Harrow town centre works started in 2009/10. The borough's proposals incorporate measures for two-way bus operation in Station Road as well as public realm improvements with improved crossings, better lighting, paving and measures to improve safety and security

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'Even in these tough economic times I am committed to providing this funding to all of London's boroughs.

'The investment means that across the Capital, town centres and public spaces are being overhauled, cycling and walking facilities are being improved, and roads are being made safer.

'We have cut red tape to make it easier for borough councils to choose the local transport projects that benefit their residents the most, simplifying the funding system and working together to give local people the improvements they want.

Fairer funding formulas

'This time we're also giving an extra focus to cycling - helping to provide the training, cycle parking, and maintenance knowhow to support the introduction of the first two Cycle Superhighways next year.'

Funding for local schemes is allocated each year by Transport for London (TfL).

The Mayor has simplified the system - reducing the number of funding streams from 23 to five, and introducing fairer funding formulas where needed. 

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: 'Harrow has identified a range of small and large scale projects that will make a real difference to local people by improving town centres and public spaces, reducing the number of collisions on our roads, improving the environment and promoting greener forms of travel. 

'Harrow also has the flexibility to move certain funding between projects if, during the course of the year, they find more or less funding is needed for individual schemes.'

Notes to editors:

• Each borough produces a LIP to demonstrate how they plan to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally
• While TfL allocated funding for individual schemes, the LIP and delivery of individual projects is the responsibility of each borough
• In addition to the usual borough allocation, TfL has included £100,000 for each of the boroughs to spend locally on transport as they choose
• Below is a table with a breakdown of LIP funding for Harrow: