London
Streetsblog Basics
Street Safety Benefits of Congestion Charging Are Bigger Than We Thought
Evidence keeps mounting that congestion pricing can catalyze major reductions in traffic crashes. A year ago I reported on research that vehicle crashes in central London fell as much as 40 percent since the 2003 startup of London’s congestion charge. The same researchers are now expressing the safety dividend in terms of falling per-mile crash rates, and the figures are even more impressive.
March 9, 2016
Central London Streets Transformed: A Walking Tour With Iain Simmons
While filming an exciting Streetfilms update about the progress of the "20's Plenty" campaign in the UK, I got to interview Iain Simmons, assistant director of city transportation for the City Of London. What was originally supposed to be a few short clips for that piece turned into an unexpectedly generous two-hour walking tour of central London! I seized the opportunity and kept the camera rolling. The result is this "bonus" Streetfilm.
September 16, 2015
After Another Cyclist Dies, David Cameron Considers Truck Ban in UK Cities
Following the death of 26-year-old cyclist Ying Tao, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would look into a truck ban for city centers throughout the UK.
July 21, 2015
The Case for Baking Bike Infrastructure Into Vision Zero Projects
London is surging ahead with big plans for protected bikeways that span the city. By comparison, New York's bike plans, while moving forward incrementally, feel piecemeal. Has safe cycling infrastructure become an afterthought in the city's Vision Zero program?
May 21, 2015
Just in From London: Congestion Charging’s Street Safety Bonus
Add street safety to the list of benefits from congestion pricing. That’s the takeaway from a new “working paper” analyzing traffic crash rates in and around the London congestion charging zone by three economists associated with the Management School at Lancaster University.
March 11, 2015
Outer London’s Huge Bike Plan Could Break the Cycle of Bad Suburban Transit
Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets.
February 25, 2015
Boris Johnson Commits to a Protected “Cycle Superhighway” Crossing London
London Mayor Boris Johnson is showing cities what it looks like to commit real resources to repurposing car lanes for high-quality bike infrastructure.
January 28, 2015
Removing Center Lines Reduced Speeding on London Streets
On some streets, getting drivers to stop speeding might be as easy as eliminating a few stripes. That's the finding from a new study from Transport for London [PDF].
August 15, 2014
Citi Bike Carries More Riders on Fewer Bikes Than London Bike-Share
Five months after its launch, Citi Bike is already moving more people than its larger, more established sister program in London, according to an analysis by University College of London researcher Oliver O'Brien.
November 7, 2013
The Heart of London Adopts 20 MPH Speed Limit
The City of London, the square mile in the heart of Greater London that is home to the city's finance sector, is resetting the speed limit to 20 miles per hour on all streets.
September 13, 2013