TfL 'Healthy Street Officers' to promote sustainable travel

Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new programme that will see 'Healthy Streets Officers' work across London’s boroughs to encourage greater walking, cycling and public transport use to improve air quality and road safety.

The new team will support boroughs with local initiatives to raise awareness of new Cycleways and discourage engine idling, as well as tackle road danger by responding to local road safety concerns. Additionally, the programme will promote and support cycle training to improve cycle safety, as well as encouraging people to use public transport in safe and considerate ways.

The programme, managed by Sustrans, is part of the Mayor’ of London’s plans to increase the number of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80 per cent.

The officers are being funded through TfL’s Healthy Streets budget and are on top of the Liveable Neighbourhoods grants of between £1m and £10m for boroughs to transform local neighbourhoods.

The programme will begin in Redbridge in the coming weeks, before being expanded out to the remaining boroughs and the City of London in the autumn.

Alex Williams, Director of City Planning at TfL, said: “Partnering with the boroughs is absolutely vital if we are to reduce road danger and improve air quality, and transform London into an active, healthy and green city. Our new team of Healthy Streets Officers will closely collaborate with the London borough teams to engage with schools, businesses and communities across the capital and encourage safe and sustainable ways to travel.”

Matt Winfield, Sustrans’ London Director, said: “We are very excited to have been chosen by Transport for London to deliver this change programme and to be setting up a team of Healthy Streets Officers to work across all London boroughs. It is a wide-ranging programme that will make our capital a great place to walk and cycle.

“We look forward to working with partners old and new to make this project a success. Our work is based on evidence that we gather from robust academic research in behaviour change, community engagement and listening to residents. We have an extremely strong alliance with Lucy Saunders and Tiffany Lam and are ready to help put Healthy Streets front and centre of communities right across the capital.”