News from Darren Johnson (past staff): London named world's most congested city

Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly, has responded to the findings of a new traffic ‘scorecard’ by the transport agency INRIX that names London as the most congested city in the World. London faces a future “blighted by congestion and pollution” according to Darren.

INRIX carried out a survey of traffic conditions in more than one hundred cities.

Drivers spent an average of 101 hours in gridlock in London last year - making it the first city to surpass the 100-hour mark.

Darren Johnson AM recently produced an interactive map, based on TfL’s own traffic projections, exploring the implications of increased congestion for London: http://www.howcongestedismyroad.org.uk Transport for London are predicting an approximately 8 per cent growth in vehicle kilometres travelled between 2012 and 2021 in the boroughs of Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Newham in the morning peak.

The key findings of the INRIX scorecard are:

• London is now the most congested city in the World.
• The average London driver spent over 101 hours stuck in traffic jams in 2014, an increase of 14 hours on the year before
• Congestion is set to cost London’s economy £130 billion between 2013 and 2030
• The five most gridlocked roads in the UK are all located in the capital

Darren commented,

“London faces a future blighted by congestion and pollution if Mayor Boris Johnson carries on signing off trunk road schemes and scrapping vital limits to car parking in our city.”

"The traffic jams we are going to see in the years to come will have hugely negative impact on the city’s status as a good place to live and do business.”

“Expanding the bus network, making fares cheaper, keeping a lid on parking and providing better cycling facilities are just some of the measures he can and must take to stop this catastrophe.”