Active Travel: Safer streets for all

Professor Nick Tyler

Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering
University College London (UCL)

Benjamin O’Connor

Director
New London Architecture

Matt Griffiths-Rimmer

Director of Communications and Partnerships
Hadley Property Group

Alexander Tallon

Senior Safety Strategy Manager
Transport for London

Tiffany Lam

Strategy Lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Sustrans

Katie Mulkowsky

Senior Consultant
Momentum Transport Consultancy

Prisca Thielmann

Associate Director
Maccreanor Lavington

Tim Martin

Transport Planning Manager
London Borough of Brent

Isabelle Clement MBE

Director
Wheels for Wellbeing

Cllr Louise Krupski

Deputy Mayor
London Borough of Lewisham

Active travel is crucial for reducing pollution, promoting sustainability, and creating healthier streets. According to TfL’s Travel in London 2023 Annual Overview, daily cycle journeys increased by 20% between 2019 and 2023, highlighting a growing trend of Londoners embracing active travel.

As we develop active travel infrastructure and embrace different modes of micromobility, it is important to ensure that streets are safe and accessible to all Londoners. In 2023, TfL reported 95 fatalities and 2,981 serious injuries on London roads, with 80% involving pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. According to the Sight Loss Councils, unregulated e-scooters and e-bikes have negatively impacted the confidence of blind and partially sighted people in navigating streets safely.

As the capital transitions to facilitate more active journeys, how can the built environment industry work to ensure all Londoners experience safe and inclusive access to our streets? Now the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) spans across all London boroughs, what steps are being taken to increase connectivity and access to commutes by walk, wheel, or cycle between boroughs and between inner and outer London?

This half-day conference brought together voices from across the built environment and active travel community to explore the challenges and opportunities of widening access to safe journeys by walking and micro-mobility.