Streets for People - London Bridge Area

We’re working with the community in the London Bridge area to make our streets cleaner, greener and safer. 

Through Streets for People we will transform our streets, enabling safer, cleaner, healthier and more sustainable journeys, creating space for communities to connect and socialise and support a thriving local economy.

Over 60% of Southwark households do not own a car and 45% of respondents to our Streets for People consultation told us they would walk more if the streets were quieter or less polluted.

Road transport is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions and the largest single source of air pollution in Southwark. Air pollution can cause premature death, respiratory issues and worsen heart and lung disease.

Until now, we have put cars first – we need to change that. This means moving away from an approach that favours cars, to one that frees up space for walking, cycling and public transport.

Along with clean air, building safer walking and cycling routes encourages people to be more active in their daily lives, with increased physical activity reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes and depression.

Creating active and more sustainable travel options across the borough is a vital step towards cleaning our air and improving the health of everyone who lives here.

Key definitions

Continuous footways

Continuous footways are raised sections of the pavement that continue across junctions. They are used to give people crossing the street priority over motor vehicles and improve accessibility for people walking and wheeling.

Contraflow cycling

Contraflow cycling lets cyclists ride in both directions on a one-way street, even against the traffic flow. This means people can cycle on more streets and have access to more / direct routes.

Modal filter

Some traffic in this area is from non-local drivers using our neighbourhood streets as shortcuts. Residential streets aren’t designed for high volumes of fast-moving traffic. Modal filters stop vehicles from cutting-through residential streets, making streets quieter and safer for walking, wheeling, and cycling while ensuring that people living and working here can still access their homes and businesses. They can be created in different ways, such as with bollards or cameras. Exemptions are made for emergency services and can be made for other road users if required.

Traffic calming

Traffic calming measures slow down motor vehicles to stop them speeding. They can include buildouts, narrowing roads, or speed hump.