Mayor announces over £4m for local transport improvements in Southwark

The funding has been allocated by Transport for London (TfL) through the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) process and is awarded to the borough to spend on projects that support the Mayor's Transport Strategy, including safer roads, smoothing traffic flow, rejuvenating town centres and better facilities for cycling and walking.

The £4m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Southwark, including:

• £400,000 to improve walking routes on Forest Hill Road, connecting communities and providing a link to local shops and schools
• £342,000 for widespread improvements in East Walworth supporting 'Pocket Parks'. These will include improved walking and cycling routes between green spaces to encourage more walking and cycling trips
• £150,000 for improved walking and cycling facilities in Camberwell to get more people walking and cycling for shorter journeys. Funds will also facilitate environmental improvements to link green spaces and the town centre

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'London is undergoing a neo-Victorian level of investment in its transport network. 

'Every London borough is receiving money that will directly benefit communities, making London an even better place to live and work.

'We've also cut bureaucracy to make it easier for the boroughs to decide how they want to spend their funding.'

The LIP funds hundreds of large and small scale transport projects every year. 

Last year in Southwark it financed 40 new cycle parking spaces, cycle training for 624 children and 592 adults, 12 improved pedestrian crossings, the removal of 673 metres of guardrail, 159 road safety education and training events, 38 schools to participate in walking events and 99 new street trees.

Working in partnership

Notable larger projects already undertaken in Southwark using LIP support include urban realm improvements to Salisbury Row in Walworth, which has created a community space that is safe, where people meet and dwell and actively participate in the public realm. 

This project received £1.8m LIP funding.

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: 'Year on year the boroughs continue to deliver innovative projects that support the Mayor's vision for transport in the Capital.

'This investment will build on the excellent work that has already been achieved and complement the huge programme of work we at TfL are undertaking to make his vision a reality through working in partnership with the boroughs.'

The funding was previously forecast to reduce year on year to reflect the reduced general grant TfL receives from the Department for Transport. 

However, because of the importance of the boroughs in delivering the priorities of Mayor's Transport Strategy, the funding has been kept at a consistent level to 2013/14.

• Each borough produces a LIP to demonstrate how they plan to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy locally. While TfL allocates funding for individual schemes, the LIP and delivery of individual projects is the responsibility of each borough
• A detailed breakdown of funding for bridge strengthening projects (£5.3m), which will be allocated to the bridges in most need of work will be announced in the New Year
• Total allocation by programme area: