Key information
Petition presented by: The Lord Bailey of Paddington
Date petition submitted: Thursday 21 December 2017
Petition presented at: London Assembly Plenary
Summary of petition
“We the undersigned call on Transport for London to propose a new bus route to operate between North Greenwich and Kidbrooke Village in order to increase bus capacity in the Blackheath area and reduce overcrowding on existing routes such as the 132, 108 and 422.
Bus routes from North Greenwich to the south of the Royal Borough of Greenwich are already full to capacity at rush hour, with many people having to wait for a second bus at North Greenwich. A new bus route is desperately needed just to cope with current demand.
The Kidbrooke Village development will lead to a huge population increase to the south of Blackheath. Some parts of the development are now complete with residents moving in and more homes being proposed. As a result, demand on local public transport, such as the 132 and rail services from Kidbrooke Station, will only increase on these already full services.
Cities are built on their transport networks and it is paramount the Kidbrooke Village has proper bus connection to Woolwich for Crossrail and North Greenwich for the Jubilee line, this will not only improve the lives of commuters in Kidbrooke Village and help reduce demand on the already under strain Kidbrooke and Blackheath stations”
Response information
Response title: Response
Name of person responding: Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Response date: Thursday 8 March 2018
Thank you for the petition presented to the London Assembly (Plenary) Meeting on 21 December 2017 by Shaun Bailey AM about a new bus route to operate between North Greenwich and Kidbrooke Village. I am sorry for the delay in responding.
Transport plays a vital role in enabling development and serving London’s new and growing communities. I work closely with Transport for London (TfL) to achieve this and to ensure that transport both responds to and enables growth.
TfL has held discussions with the Royal Borough of Greenwich about introducing a new bus route between North Greenwich and Kidbrooke Village, which would be funded by Section 106 money from the development of the site. However, the release of money allowing TfL to introduce the new service is linked to the pace of development, and current projections show that the development is not expected to reach the required number of units until 2022. For TfL to afford the earlier introduction of a new route, an early release of section 106 money or alternative third party funding, would need to be found. Any new route would also be subject to consultation.
However, in the shorter term, I am pleased to advise that TfL is in the process of confirming plans to reroute route 178 to serve Kidbrooke Village, following last year’s consultation. This change would improve connectivity in the area, and TfL will confirm timeframes soon.
Please be assured that TfL monitors demand on existing services and adjusts service frequencies and routes as required to best serve London’s communities. Although data and observations show that capacity currently matches demand on the routes you mention, TfL is aware that buses can feel very busy at times, particularly when the service is not running as well. TfL is therefore doing all it can to maintain bus performance, manage congestion, and ensure bus travel remains an attractive option. For example:
• TfL is exploring bus priority measures for all the bus routes you mention. These could include measures such as signal changes, road layout changes, bus lane extensions and line markings. Bus priority plays an important role in maintaining reliability. I have asked TfL to keep you updated as its plans develop.
• TfL is also working to review the operation of the traffic signals at the junction of Kidbrooke Park Road and the A20. This review is to make sure that all road users, buses, pedestrians and freight traffic have the best possible journeys through this busy area.
• TfL will also carry out a full traffic signal timing review of all of the traffic signals to the north of the Kidbrooke Village development up to the A2 Kidbrooke Interchange, once the new junctions by the development draw to completion. It will use cutting-edge technology to link signals together, adapt timings based on demand, and provide specific bus priority through the signals to improve reliability on routes 178 and B16. The work on the new signals is due to be completed in June 2018, and TfL expects to finish its review within 2 months of the completion date.
I hope that this explains TfL’s position and offers some encouragement to those who signed the petition.
Yours sincerely,
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London