Last week, BusinessLDN was pleased to convene the latest meeting of our Roads Forum, kindly hosted by NRP. Members were joined by Carl Eddleston, Transport for London’s Director of Streets and Network Operations, for a timely discussion on TfL’s “London on the move” vision and the future of the capital’s road network.
The focus was on a core challenge for London’s growth and competitiveness: how to improve the performance, reliability, and safety of a road network under growing pressure from congestion, planned works, and changing travel patterns.
Carl set out the scale of the challenge facing London’s streets. Average bus speeds have fallen to around 9.3mph, with clear impacts on journey reliability, passenger demand, and overall network efficiency. Slower bus speeds also increase operational costs, requiring more buses to maintain service levels and placing greater pressure on public subsidy.
At the same time, while there has been important progress on the capital’s road safety – with a 24 per cent reduction in those killed or seriously injured in recent years – there are still, on average, 102 fatalities each year. Against this backdrop, TfL’s strategy aims to balance keeping London moving with progress towards the Mayor’s Vision Zero ambitions.
TfL’s response, set out in London on the move and published in January, centres on a set of measures to improve network performance and safety – including closer collaboration with boroughs to better manage disruption and upgrading traffic management technology to optimise movement in real time. Together, the measures point to a more joined-up and data-driven approach to managing London’s streets.
A major focus is on improving how roadworks are planned and coordinated. London sees around 400,000 roadworks annually, and TfL has outlined plans to expand lane rental schemes across borough roads, building on the existing programme on the red route network, which carries around 70 per cent of London’s traffic.
Lane rental applies charges to roadworks taking place on the busiest roads at the busiest times, incentivising faster and less disruptive delivery. TfL estimates a London-wide approach could improve journey times by around 7 per cent. The discussion also highlighted the importance of partnership working with boroughs, which manage 95 per cent of London’s roads. Camden, Enfield, Lambeth, and Merton have already secured Department for Transport approval for lane rental schemes, with a further 22 boroughs progressing applications.
Alongside reducing disruption, surplus revenues from the lane rental schemes can be reinvested into highway maintenance and further measures to minimise the impact of roadworks. The Government’s Cities and Devolution Act should also help accelerate a more consistent London-wide approach by devolving approval powers to the Mayor.
Another strand of TfL’s strategy is the expansion of Bus Sense partnerships, which bring TfL and boroughs together to better plan and sequence works, and reduce disruption on key bus corridors. TfL expects all boroughs to be participating by the autumn, with measures expected to improve journey times by 3 to 5 per cent.
Technology is also becoming an increasingly important part of how the network is managed. Carl outlined plans for a significant upgrade to London’s FUSION traffic control system, enabling traffic signals to respond more dynamically to real-time conditions using broader datasets and increased computing power. Over time, the system will also be capable of integrating AI-enabled technologies to optimise traffic flow further. TfL estimates the changes could reduce delays by up to 14 per cent while delivering substantial wider economic benefits through shorter, more reliable journeys.
The conversation also explored how the strategy will need to evolve, including in response to freight, autonomous vehicles, orbital connectivity, and stronger integration with the wider South East transport network and National Highways.
Taken together, the session reinforced the importance of a coordinated, long-term approach to managing London’s streets. Improving bus reliability, reducing congestion, and making roads safer will all be critical to supporting growth across the capital in the years ahead.
Many thanks to Carl for joining the discussion, and to Matthew Kennedy, Alex Stebbings, and colleagues at NRP for hosting.
You can read the London on the move strategy here.