London ban on parking spaces to encourage cycling and public transport
Posted on in Cycles News
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has put forward his plan to reduce air pollution and encourage more sustainable transport in London by reducing the number of car parking spaces.
The plan, which will be subject to a public consultation, proposes the doubling of cycling parking spaces outside shops and a bike space for every student in London Universities.
In areas where car parks are permitted facilities for charging electric cars must be provided and in car-free developments only disabled spaces will be allowed.
This is the latest in a series of measures to clean up London's air, which currently contributes towards the premature death of an estimated 9,500 people a year.
The mayor has pledged to make London a zero carbon city by 2050.
The mayor specifically noted that his plan will put a significant emphasis on cycling, with the aim to ensure that 70% of people live within 400 metres of a segregated cycle route by 2041.
Mr Khan said London needed to be "bolder in encouraging people to reduce their reliance on cars".
"It's essential for dealing with congestion as London's population grows, and crucial for reducing our toxic air pollution emissions."
The report states that "Housing developments in the parts of London that are best connected by public transport will now be expected to be car free, with no parking provided, other than for disabled people,"
"Residential car parking will no longer be differentiated by unit size, meaning that the amount of parking allowed will not increase as unit sizes increase."
The aim of Mr Khan's plan is to increase the number of journeys made by foot, bike or public transport by a quarter over the next 25 years, reducing the number of car journeys in London by 3 million each day.
Matt Winfield, London director for Sustrans said: "Cycle parking in new buildings has been woefully inadequate in meeting today's demand. I welcome news that the new plan will start to address this."