Congestion in central London: the context

1. The London Congestion ChargePast, present and future…Lauren Sager WeinsteinChief of Staff, Finance and PlanningTransport for London

2. Congestion in central London:the context • Greater London population 7 million • Central London employment 1 million - all day congestion - vehicles spending 50% of time in queues - temporary gridlock - poor journey time reliability - 85%+ of travel to central London by public transportation

3. Enabling measures • Business crying out for something to be done • Movement towards devolution • Enabling legislation enacted in 1999 & 2000 • ROCOL Study – a Government plan for charging in Central London offered to Mayoral candidates • Overt political strategy • Ken Livingston running as independent candidate on platform of charging

4. Key Goal: Implement in the Mayor’s First Term Choices: • Area based • Camera-based enforcement • Proven technology

5. How Does Congestion Charging Work?

7. Camera Locations 688 fixed cameras

8. What has it achieved? • Unprecedented beneficial effect on traffic conditions in Central London • Fewer four-wheeled vehicles entering charging zone during charging hours - 18% with £5 charge - 22% with £8 charge (provisional) • Congestion initially reduced by 30%;Autumn 2005 estimate 22%

9. Vehicles entering the charging zone

10. Congestion inside the zone

11. Longer-term trends in network speeds

12. Key findings Public Transportation • 50% of car occupants who ceased driving into Central London switched to public transportation • Bus services benefited from significant improvements in reliability and journey time • Underground, rail and expanded bus services able to accommodate increased demands at £5 and £8 • £122 million net revenue invested back into transportation- mainly bus services

13. Not just about traffic congestion… • Growth of London economy overall remains positive • Businesses performance in charging zone significantly better than in the rest of London • Public discussion about impact on retail • Road traffic accidents continue to reduce • Between 40 and 70 fewer accidents per year • Air quality has improved • Nitrogen oxides (NOx) dropped by 13% and Particulate matter (PM10) dropped by 15% • Pedal Cycling activity increased by 40%

14. Why it worked • Relatively simple technology • Highly integrated transportation network • Devolved Government: • Mayor took the risk

15. The Mayor is keen to maintain the momentum…. • July 2005 – Charge increased to £8 • June 2006 – Pay next day introduced • February 2007 – Western Extension to be introduced

17. Encourage the use of cleaner vehicles and reduce emissions Now we have the opportunity to address one of the key issues for 21st Century – climate change

18. Plans underway for new technologies • Tag and beacon technology for use in sensitive urban areas for more flexible charging e.g. charging by direction or time of day could be developed in short term (by 2009) • Differential pricing can reflect diverse conditions across London • Complexity is a concern • Opportunity to move to broad scale revenue raising systems that change behaviour • Potential reduction in other taxes

19. Singapore Borough High Street • Tag & beacon within “mini-zone” of 20 charging points • GPS On-board units for distance-based charging

20. London leads the way • UK Government drawing from experience of London • National system of road pricing has been placed on the Government’s transportation agenda • With a national charging scheme likely to be some years away, we are keen to develop our thinking on a transition plan to London-wide charging • London’s innovation now national mainstream policy Journey fees could replace road tax 4 May 2005

21. Goal: Pricing Policy for Efficient use of Transport • Our Vision: Drivers pay for the impacts of the transport they consume • Congestion tackled • Emissions mitigated

22. Transport for London www.tfl.gov.uk