Cleaner air and safe, healthy streets for every resident

Safer, healthier streets

Imagine if Hackney’s roads were designed for people, not cars – with cleaner air and safe, healthy streets for every single resident. That’s my vision for our borough. In my first term as Green Mayor, I will aim to fairly reduce traffic miles in Hackney by 40%, bring forward the council’s active travel and net zero targets by 10 years, and let Hackney lead the way as London’s first low-traffic borough.

As Mayor, I will:

make Hackney 100% walkable, with a borough-wide push to repair, declutter, green and widen pavements and install benches and resting places.
fix Hackney’s cycle storage crisis, by doubling the current number of secure bike parking spaces, clearing the waiting list for council bike hangars, and making sure it never costs more to store a bike than a car.
increase the road priority of buses by introducing new lanes and priority signals.
reduce the speed limit to 20mph on every street in Hackney, and push for powers to step up enforcement.
make parking more costly for those who can afford the largest and most polluting private cars, and charge a corporate parking levy. Income from parking fees will remain ring-fenced for improving walking, cycling and public transport.
tighten Hackney’s air quality targets in line with the latest World Health Organisation research, and do everything possible to meet the new targets on every street in the borough.
ensure there is a named council cabinet member with responsibility for Climate and Clean Air.
create more low-traffic neighbourhoods in suitable areas of the borough, alongside a comprehensive plan to predict, monitor and quickly mitigate any negative effects on nearby roads.

Hackney residents take fewer car journeys than any other Londoners, and most of us don’t own a vehicle. But I know from speaking to residents that traffic levels on our roads are unacceptably high.

Vehicle traffic is a major contributor to the climate emergency. Almost a third of Hackney’s carbon emissions come from road transport, and for London to achieve net zero carbon by 2030, citywide traffic must be reduced by at least 27%. Furthermore, right now every single street in Hackney has toxic air quality, exceeding the latest guidelines from the World Health Organisation. Children, older people and people with long term conditions are particularly at risk. On top of this, our borough is a major blackspot for vehicle accidents, with far too many people killed or injured on our roads.

I recognise that some car and van journeys will always remain essential. But I want to make it easier and more convenient for Hackney residents to choose to travel in a way that’s healthier for themselves, our community and the whole planet.

Recent measures taken by the council have cut traffic on some streets while doing little or nothing to improve conditions for others. As Hackney’s first Green Mayor, I will push for every street in the borough to be safer, healthier, less congested and more inclusive.

Walking and wheeling

Getting out on foot or with the help of a mobility aid is the most common way for people to get around Hackney, with huge health and social benefits. But our streets are not always welcoming to those who don’t or can’t drive.

I will:

make Hackney 100% walkable, with a borough-wide push to repair, declutter, green and widen pavements and install benches and resting places.
make it easier and more convenient for pedestrians (including those with disabilities) to safely cross streets, by upgrading existing pedestrian crossings, creating new raised ones, and making sure pedestrians never have to wait too long to cross.
create a new network of safe, low-pollution, pedestrian-friendly ‘Green Routes’ throughout the borough.
change planning rules to help give all Hackney residents easy access to green spaces and local facilities within walking distance of home.
help all walkers and wheelers feel safe and secure at all times of the day with street lighting, fewer vacant units and a borough-wide education programme aimed at preventing sexual offences.

Safe and easy cycling

Hackney is already relatively cycle-friendly compared to some places, but there’s still so much that could be done to make more people feel confident and able to travel on two wheels. I will:

fix Hackney’s cycle storage crisis, by doubling the current number of secure bike parking spaces, clearing the waiting list for council bike hangars, and making sure it never costs more to store a bike than a car.
create more protected, accessible cycle lanes throughout the borough, aiming to improve on current provision on every one of Hackney’s main roads.
work with TfL to extend its cycle hire scheme northwards to Dalston Junction, Hackney Central, Homerton and beyond, and roll out ‘dockless’ cycle hire schemes borough-wide in a way that does not block pavements or cause danger.

Boosting public bus services

Hackney residents tell me that they need good, quick and affordable bus links. But rising traffic on our main roads is slowing down these vital bus connections.

I will:

increase the road priority of buses by introducing new lanes and priority signals.
lobby TfL to reinstate bus routes recently cut due to the pandemic, and fight any further attempts to cut bus routes or frequency here in Hackney, including night bus routes.
work with TfL to trial its new electric buses on local routes, cutting air pollution.

Tackling traffic

I’ve heard from many residents who have told me there is too much traffic on our streets, causing road danger, toxic air and stress. We would all benefit from less congested main roads, including those who really need to use a car or van.

I will:

reduce the speed limit to 20mph on every street in Hackney, and push for powers to step up enforcement.
create traffic-free school streets at all primary and secondary schools where possible, and introduce them at colleges.
support City Hall plans for smart, fair road user charging to reduce traffic, and offer to run a trial here in Hackney.
run a borough-wide awareness campaign on the social and environmental costs of car use, and the many benefits of more sustainable methods of transport.
support the expansion of affordable car-sharing schemes, to help those who still need to drive at times.
help businesses make the shift to quick and sustainable delivery methods such as electric vans and cargo bikes.
make parking more costly for those who can afford the largest and most polluting private cars, and charge a corporate parking levy. Income from parking fees will remain ring-fenced for improving walking, cycling and public transport.
consult on removing up to 50% of Hackney’s on-street resident parking spaces, and ask residents what they would like to do with the space instead – from cycle storage to green spaces and bays for shared vehicles.
protect disabled parking, and visitor parking and loading bays that support local businesses.

Improving air quality

Air pollution is one of the biggest health risks facing Hackney’s communities, causing lung and heart problems that can be fatal. It poses even greater danger for children, the elderly and those with long-term health issues. Low-income and African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic groups are disproportionately affected. There are many causes of air pollution here in Hackney, but road traffic is among the biggest.

I will:

tighten Hackney’s air quality targets in line with the latest World Health Organisation research, and do everything possible to meet the new targets on every street in the borough.
create car-free and zero-emission zones in areas with lots of pedestrians, like high streets.
take action on vehicle idling, with more enforcement and a public awareness campaign.
introduce a diesel surcharge for visitor parking, and work towards phasing out diesel cars entirely in the borough.
raise awareness of the harms of wood and coal burning, with the goal of phasing out open fires and woodburners wherever they aren’t an essential source of heating.
ensure there is a named council cabinet member with responsibility for Climate and Clean Air.

Low-traffic neighbourhoods

The council introduced several ‘low-traffic neighbourhood’ (LTN) schemes in 2020, and since then I have spoken to so many residents about their effects. Many people of all backgrounds have said how much they have enjoyed having cleaner air and safer streets as a result of the LTNs. But some, especially residents on main roads, have told me that they’ve seen heavier traffic since LTNs were introduced nearby, causing increased stress and health problems. I want to work with residents to urgently find a solution to these issues, and cut traffic on all Hackney streets – not just some.

I will:

create more low-traffic neighbourhoods in suitable areas of the borough, alongside a comprehensive plan to predict, monitor and quickly mitigate any negative effects on nearby roads.
introduce a small number of new exemptions for low-traffic neighbourhoods, allowing all Blue Badge holders and their carers plus health and social care staff to pass through traffic filters. I will listen to the needs of those residents and businesses who may have no choice other than to drive, and remain open to further exemptions for essential vehicles in future.
ensure transparency, two-way communication and fairness on all future traffic schemes, with clear objectives, regularly updated scorecards, ongoing in-person consultations with a representative range of residents, and better equality impact assessments.

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