Traffic volumes of all vehicular modes have decreased over the last two decades by at least one-third, says a new report from the City of London. Except walking and cycling, which increased. The report suggests that the drop in motor vehicle use, but huge uplift in bike use, was kick-started by the introduction of the congestion charge in 2003.
Space
One of the key takeaways from the London report is that motor vehicles may get the lion’s share of road space in London and fundingbut it’s actually non-motorised forms of transport which keep London moving.
Pavements – which often make up less than 25 percent of total street space – move the majority of people travelling on City streets. Motor vehicles, excluding buses, use 53 percent of the road space to move under 25 percent of the people making journeys in London’s Square Mile. Buses carry a similar number of people, but use just 9 percent of the road space.
Freight
Also, urban freight was reduced in the last two decades with 37 percent (light commercial vehicles) and 50 percent (heavy goods vehicles).
Source: City of London