Category Archives: Transport

New ‘bus network plan’ for SE16 to be drawn up this summer

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Transport for London is to draw up a bus network plan for Rotherhithe by the summer of this year, Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said.

Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon recently tabled this question to the mayor:

The population in Rotherhithe is increasing rapidly, with Surrey Docks ward projected to increase by 40% in the next four years alone. What plans do you have to improve bus services for the residents of Rotherhithe to meet the growing transport needs of the area?

The Mayor of London replied:

LB Southwark and TfL officers have held discussions on how best to meet the needs of this expanding area. TfL has agreed to develop a bus network plan for the area for the next few years by summer 2016. This will include necessary infrastructure provision, routeing of services to better serve the retail area and adequate service provision to serve Canada Water Station. As part of the plan, TfL will also consider other large scale developments in the area, including Convoys Wharf and Surrey Canal Road to ensure there is sufficient transport provision within the Rotherhithe area.

TfL is aware of the need to monitor existing provision in the area to ensure capacity and reliability for the existing bus services is adequate in the short term.

Transport in Rotherhithe – councillors unanimously back motion

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This motion was unanimously agreed by Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors in Southwark on Tuesday night:

Transport in Rotherhithe

  1. Council assembly recognises that there are significant traffic problems on the Rotherhithe peninsula, with the high demand for river crossings making the Rotherhithe area particularly susceptible to congestion from tunnel related traffic, which is detrimental to the local environment, particularly air quality, and can make local trips difficult.
  2. Council assembly further recognises that the significant growth planned in the Canada Water area, including an increase in new homes and job opportunities, will require a significant investment in transport infrastructure.
  3. Council assembly therefore calls on Transport for London and the Mayor of London to:
    • Upgrade the existing public transport network, including increasing capacity on the overground, tube and buses
    • Take action to tackle congestion on Jamaica Road
    • Enhance pedestrian and cycle links and bring forward plans for a pedestrian and cycling bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf to alleviate congestion
    • Extend the cycle hire scheme to Rotherhithe
    • Explore means of integrating river transport into the network to make sure that residents in Rotherhithe get the full benefit from the river as a mode of transport
    • Address in a full and proper manner the concerns and recommendations raised by the council in relation to the proposals for the new Silvertown Tunnel, which will impact negatively on the quality of life of a vast number of people who live and work in the borough.

BT fined for Jamaica Road works

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BT has been fined £2,620 and ordered to pay costs of £3,500 for a number of offences including carrying out roadworks in Jamaica Road without obtaining a permit from Transport for London.

News of the fine comes in a report to the TfL board from London transport commissioner Mike Brown.

Mr Brown writes:

On 20 January 2016, we successfully prosecuted British Telecom (BT) for streetworks offences committed at four separate locations on the TLRN between June and July 2015.

The offences are working without a permit in Devonshire Road, Lewisham and Jamaica Road, Southwark; working in breach of permit conditions in Bath Road, Hillingdon and failing to serve a statutory works notice in the course of executing works in Colnbrook Bypass, Hillingdon. BT also failed to pay the Fixed Penalty Notices initially issued by TfL in response to these offences.

BT pleaded guilty to all four offences at court and was fined £2,620 and ordered to pay TfL’s costs of £3,500.

TfL has prosecuted BT for 28 previous offences since 2010 and issued over 650 Fixed Penalty Notices of which 82 were issued in 2015.

 

Bermondsey tube: should it be given zone 1 / 2 boundary status?

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The question of whether Bermondsey Underground Station should be in zone 2, zone 1 (or both) comes up from time to time.

The controversy has been revived by Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon who has tabled this question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Given the locations of the recent East London stations to be rezoned as zone 2/3 stations, will you look again at rezoning Bermondsey as a zone 1/2 station? It can not be right that Bermondsey is in the same zone as Stratford.

The Mayor’s response is due to be published on Monday night.

We’ll let you know what he says.

Last time the question was asked, he said that the change would result in “significant costs“

Brunel Bridge – update from Boris Johnson

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Labour London Assembly member (and directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets) John Biggs tabled a formal question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson seeking an update on the proposed ‘Brunel Bridge’ for pedestrians and cyclists which could be built to link Rotherhithe with Canary Wharf.

Boris Johnson’s reply was published on Monday evening:

TfL is providing financial and other support to the work being undertaken by Sustrans to develop plans for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe.

The work suggests that there is a positive case for better crossings in this area. It has found that a bridge would deliver benefits by encouraging walking and cycling trips, and provide an alternative to the busy Jubilee line between Canada Water and Canary Wharf.

There are some significant challenges that a bridge here would need to overcome, including meeting the needs of shipping and connecting into the existing walking and cycling networks on either side. Further work will be required to investigate these issues.

TfL expects to receive the outputs of this work shortly. Next steps will be considered with key stakeholders, including the opportunities that exist for funding, construction and ongoing maintenance.

£7.80 return ferry fare from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf ‘not unduly high’ says Boris

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Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said that the recent increase in the return fare on the ferry between Nelson Dock and Canary Wharf from £5.94 to £7.80 – a hike of 31 per cent – is “not unduly high”.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon tabled this question to the Mayor:

Last month I asked about the Oyster pricing of the Hilton Ferry crossing. Your answer did not address the main point of the question – that the introduction of zoning has resulted in the price of a return on the ferry increasing by 31% and now stands at £7.80. Do you agree that this is a very high price for a short ferry crossing?

Boris Johnson replied:

The RB4 river crossing between Doubletree Docklands and Canary Wharf is operated on a commercial basis by MBNA Thames Clippers, on behalf of the Doubletree London Docklands Hotel.

The move to a zone-based fare structure by MBNA Thames Clippers has led to some fares increasing. The fares changes have standardised fares and made all trips compatible with the Oyster readers that are now available for use at all River Bus piers, a significant improvement for customers.

The return crossing between Doubletree Docklands and Canary Wharf has seen the biggest of these increases. The change brings the fare for this crossing into line with other River Bus crossings in the area, such as the short trip from Greenwich Pier to Masthouse Terrace Pier.

The return ticket has been removed for this trip; it was anomalous within the old fare structure and would be even more so under the new standardised zone system. The majority of passengers use this crossing not for a return journey, but for a one-way trip. A single fare has increased by only 12 pence under the new structure. For those passengers that do wish to make this trip regularly in both directions, season tickets are available that will reduce their average daily return fare to as little as £3.00.

Many fares have been reduced under the new system, particularly in the eastern zone, where some single fares have fallen by almost 40 per cent. Within this context, I do not feel that the specific fare increase you mention is unduly high, and I am confident that the overall fare structure changes will provide a net benefit to River Bus passengers.

Shine Night Walk organisers warn of crowds in Southwark Park area

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Cancer Research UK is advising local residents that the area around Southwark Park will be busy on Saturday evening 26 September as thousands of people converge on Southwark Park for the start of the charity’s Shine Night Walk .

The inside lane of Jamaica Road will be closed from Southwark Park to the junction with St James’s Road from 7pm until midnight.  This will affect access to Southwark Park Road, Drummond Road, Keeton’s Road and St James’s Road.

Jamaica Road, Tower Bridge Road, Tooley Street and Lower Road are likely to be congested until 11.30pm.

Bus stops on Jamaica Road will also be affected.

Traffic management stewards will be supervising the area on the night and clear signage will be displayed prior to the event.

Shine Night Walk, in partnership with Scottish Power, brings a unique glow to the capital as participants illuminate themselves with lights, flashing headbands and sparkling outfits to form a human road of light as they walk through the capital.

The moving parade of light symbolises the hope the charity’s research scientists bring to the dark days of cancer and celebrates the progress that has been made so far.

Organisers hope this year 17,000 men, women and children will paint the town neon and help raise almost £5 million to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. Since it began in 2010, Shine Night Walk has raised  £18 million to help fund Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work.

Date set for C10 bus frequency boost

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Bus route C10 between Canada Water and Victoria will run more frequently from Saturday 10 October, Transport for London has announced.

The frequency will be increased increased during the Monday to Friday morning peak from every 10 minutes to every 7-8 minutes.

On Monday to Friday daytimes and during the afternoon peak the frequency will be boosted from every 10-12 minutes to every 8 minutes.

During Sunday shopping hours and every evening of the week the frequency will change from every 20 minutes to every 12 minutes.

Boris “very interested” in Brunel Bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf

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Question to the Mayor from Caroline Pidgeon AM

I am pleased to see that planning for a pedestrian/cycle bridge between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf is progressing with support from TfL. Will you include proposals for further development and planning work for the bridge in TfL’s upcoming business plan to ensure that the next Mayor follows through on this important project?

Answer from Boris Johnson

I am very interested in this idea and TfL is in the early stages of a feasibility assessment to look into the project.

The feasibility work, including the preparation of a business case, will be completed by the autumn.

Should the scheme prove viable and have a strong business case, then full consideration will be given to how best to go about implementing the project, including possible funding options.

This first phase of work is being funded through a partnership between TfL, Sustrans and the private sector and I would expect funding for any future stages to follow a similar approach.