London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard Coalition on the 2020 Scorecard
Since we launched the first year’s Scorecard in July 2019, the coronavirus crisis has impacted just about every aspect of Londoners’ lives, including the way we get around. The overall number of journeys being made has plummeted and, with social distancing needed, trips made by public transport have reduced dramatically which has had a huge impact on TfL budgets. People are now making more journeys by walking and cycling.
“The results of our second scorecard, for the first time showing year on year progress, display only marginal shifts in even the most progressive boroughs so far.”
In the aftermath of the crisis, with social distancing requirements still in place and public transport operating at a fraction of its former capacity, there is real potential that, as we ease out of lockdown, more Londoners will use cars to get around. Hence the need for the Mayor’s Streetspace for London plan and indeed for boroughs to take emergency action to facilitate walking and cycling. The Mayor, TfL and many of our boroughs have been racing to introduce wider pavements, pop-up protected cycle lanes and “low-traffic neighbourhoods” (residential areas free from rat-run traffic) and this is ongoing as we write.
“We very much hope the next twelve months show a dramatic shift in the health of our streets – essential if we are to eliminate air pollution, poor health outcomes, tragic road collision casualties and devastating climate-changing emissions.”
It is no coincidence that the actions TfL and the boroughs are taking in the wake of the crisis are ones we have been collectively advocating for a long time. This second Scorecard report comes as we start to emerge from the early 2020 lockdown. Action on the indicators we were already tracking, which show the London Boroughs’ progress in making our streets healthier, now feel even more urgent. Boroughs need now to take the strong actions we are collectively advocating, and fast.
But the results of our second scorecard, for the first time showing year on year progress, display only marginal shifts in even the most progressive boroughs so far. There has been almost no progress at all in most boroughs. We very much hope the next twelve months show a dramatic shift in the health of our streets – essential if we are to eliminate air pollution, poor health outcomes, tragic road collision casualties and devastating climate-changing emissions.
It is recognised that not everything is under boroughs’ control, most notably public transport, and that boroughs face financial constraints. It is also recognised that residents are often concerned that the proposed measures might make their lives harder rather than easier. So part of our job in supporting councils is to demonstrate more clearly to the public why they will be healthier and better off with the five measures in place.
To see this year’s detailed scores and commentary, visit the 2020 Results, Results for outcome indicators and Results for input indicators pages or your borough’s page.
Find your borough’s results homepage:
Review detailed results for the four outcome indicators:
Review detailed results for the five input indicators:
