Transport Committee

Yesterday saw the Transport Committee reconvene at City Hall after a summer which has seriously tested the city's transport network.

THE  GAMES

Peter Hendy updated us on performance during the Games. Many records for passenger numbers had been broken. On 7th August the Tube carried a record 4.57 million passengers. On 3rd August the DLR carried over 500,000 passengers for the first time. The Cable Car has now lifted more than a million people across the river, providing stunning views of London on the way.

In contrast, road traffic was down by 15% during the Games. 23,000 warning notices were issued to motorists who strayed into the Olympic Route Network lanes but they weren't fined, however fines were issued where direction signs and parking restrictions were deliberately flouted and there were 6,473 such cases.

3,000 IPADs had been issued to staff on station platforms to give them real time information when dealing with questions from passengers. At 16 stations portable ramps were in use to enable wheelchair access and these would be retained subject to the availability of staff to operate them.

Committee members congratulated Peter Hendy on TfL's gold medal performance.


AIRPORT  CAPACITY

With the expansion of Heathrow back on the table, the chair announced an Assembly led review of airport capacity which would be run by the transport committee with input from the environment and economy committees. Along with government and mayoral investigations, reviews are landing thick and fast...


CYCLING

The committee continued its investigation into cycling in London, taking some interesting evidence from Dutch and Swedish experts. Cycling rates are much higher in their cities and we are looking at solutions which can transfer easily to London's busier and narrower streets. The Freight Transport Association gave us their take on measures to improve HGV safety standards, including mirrors, detection devices and training for drivers.

Ben Plowden from TfL updated us on their latest ideas and I was pleased when he promised that Cycle Superhighway 2 would be extended from Stratford to Ilford in the coming 12 months, thus bringing safer cycle commuting to Ilford. Newham Council had opposed the extension because of interference with the Games, but with the Olympics out of the way their opposition will be dropped and nothing will stand in the way of CS2.

UPDATE - Ben Plowden has been in touch to say that CS2 will only be extended as far as Stratford this year. Looks like Redbridge will have to continue to wait...