Agenda item

This report and the accompanying presentation provides a summary of the many workstreams that are being delivered in the borough to improve active travel. It also considers active travel in the context of the Net Zero Transport Strategy currently being developed and the importance of increasing active travel to address the many transport challenges facing the Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F). 

Ben Kennedy (Senior Service Manager – Climate Change and Transport) gave a presentation on the Council’s Net Zero Transport Strategy and Active Travel.  He showed slides that highlighted the following key aspects:

 

• Net Zero Transport Strategy (SWOT analysis, vision, objectives, challenges, issues, priorities)

• That a separate Active Travel Strategy would be developed as a subsidiary document to the Transport Strategy. This would look at walking, cycling and wheeling.
• The Council would continue engagement with the Inclusive Environment Disabled Residents Team.
• The role active travel played in addressing the many transport challenges facing the H&F.
• The context for active travel in the borough and how we compared to the rest of London and neighbouring boroughs. Including active travel initiatives and schemes Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F) was currently delivering.

 

The Chair thanked officers for their presentation and asked what actions were being taken to improve pedestrian safety. Ben Kennedy explained that officers were developing a road danger reduction plan, which would involve a detailed analysis of accident data, to understand where, to who and why incidents were occurring. Allowing targeted interventions to address key safety issues.

 

Councillor Laura Janes asked a follow up question, requesting more information on the main causes of fatalities and the affected groups. In response Ben Kennedy noted that many pedestrian deaths involved older individuals, often occurring at crossings, and were mainly caused by cars and larger vehicles. He added that further investigation was needed to understand the underlying factors. Councillor Laura Janes emphasised that this was an important priority for the Council to better understand the causes and explore ways to protect older residents.

 

Councillor Stala Antoniades, in response to concerns raised about safety, requested further clarification regarding injuries associated with the use of electric bikes. Ben Kennedy noted that one of the main challenges relating to e-bikes was their classification as e-scooters or other vehicle types, which made it more difficult to gather specific data. As part of the danger reduction plan, officers would investigate this further to obtain accurate information.

 

He added that anecdotal evidence suggested that accidents involving e-bikes were occurring. Furthermore, officers had secured funding from Transport for London (TfL) to implement a behaviour change campaign aimed at raising awareness of the safety challenges and addressing related issues.

 

The Chair raised a query, regarding floating bus stops and cycle lanes, asking whether there had been an increase in accidents as a result if these measures, or if such reports were anecdotal. In response Ben Kennedy responded that it was difficult to determine the impact due to the delay in the data received from the Police, which was 18 months out of date. He noted that there were specific junctions, such as River Court and King Street, where issues had been identified, and interventions had been implemented. These measures had improved the situation and led to a reduction in collision. However, he acknowledged that further work was needed to investigate this matter in more detail.

Action: Ben Kennedy

 

Councillor Jose Afonso raised a series of questions. He began by expressing his support for the Council’s focus on cycle safety. However, he noted concerns that the Cycleway 9 lane on King Street appeared to be more dangerous than the previous cycle infrastructure it replaced. He also highlighted safety concerns regarding the parklets installed on Wandsworth Bridge Road, which posed as a hazard to cyclists according to the Council’s safety auditors. He queried why the Council continued to implement such schemes despite these concerns. In response John Galsworthy (Director of Climate Change and Transport) explained that the increase in cycling incidents was largely due to a rise in the overall number of cycling trips. He noted that when safety audits were conducted, officers assed whether the proposed design offered an improvement over the existing infrastructure. The key consideration was whether the new scheme provided a safer environment than what was previously in place.

 

Councillor Jose Afonso referring to the Holland Park Roundabout, asked what engagement had taken place at officer or Cabinet level with the Royal Borough of Kensinghton and Chelsea (RBKC), given that the scheme extended into their junction. Ben Kennedy responded that the scheme was led, sponsored and funded by TfL, who were responsible for carrying out consultation and engagement. He noted that officers would encourage TfL to engage directly with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea as part of their process.

 

Councillor Jose Afonso raised a question regarding the Clean Air Neighbourhoods scheme, specifically asking why a high number of fines were being cancelled, John Galsworthy explained that the system automatically issued fines when a vehicle was detected by the cameras. However, residents and registered visitors were entitled to exemptions. Once their exemption status was verified, the Council cancelled the fine accordingly. He added that this was a normal part of how the system operated.

 

Councillor Jose Afonso noted that according to TfL statistics, car ownership in the borough had increased by 10% over the past eight years, in contrast to a 2% decrease across the London average. He questioned how this trend aligned with the Council’s Climate Policy. Ben Kennedy responded that the increase in car ownership could partly be attributed to population growth and the development of new dwellings within the borough. He acknowledged the need for further analysis in this area and noted that officers would explore these issues in more detail as part of the development of the new Transport Strategy, with the aim of addressing them through future schemes.

 

 

Douglas Leroy (OurBike), gave a short presentation on the OurBike cargo bike sharing scheme and highlighted the following key aspects:

• This was the largest electric cargos bike sharing scheme, offering a socially sensitive, cheap and sustainable alternative to car trips.
• 64% of the users replaced car trips with OurBike.
• Where to find the scheme and how it worked.
• This was a back-back model which meant the bike must always be returned to the location it was collected from.
• Hammersmith and Fulham ourBike statistics:

o   +1,300 kilometres ridden with the OurBike fleet in the past year

o   +600 hours of bookings in the past year

o   46% of users were women

 

The Chair asked how the Council could support the expansion of electric cargo bikes, particularly in the North of the borough. Casey Abaraonye (Chair, Hammersmith and Fulham Cycling) outlined the benefits of electric cargo bikes, highlighting the convenience they offered. He expressed willingness to help support the schemes expansion in the North of the borough. Douglas Leroy added that there was already a strong community of OurBike users and several enthusiastic potential hosts. It was noted that both residents and businesses were eligible to apply to become hosts, and that further attention would be given to expanding the scheme in the Northern area of the borough.

 

James Taylor (Zipcar) gave a short presentation on Zipcar, a scheme designed to promote car clubs within the borough. It was noted that Zipcar was the UK’s largest car club with +600,000 members (approx. 22,5000 members were from the borough). He showed slides that outlined the benefits of car sharing. This included less car usage, reduced congestion, changed behaviour and improved air quality. Furthermore, Zipcar enabled trips that couldn’t have happened without a car and made access to electric vehicles easier and affordable for all. An overview was also provided on ways that the Council could support car club growth.

 

Councillor Stala Antoniades asked about the level of uptake among local businesses using Zipcar. In response James Taylor noted that Zipcar currently served around 13000 businesses in London, many of which were sole traders or start-ups. Supporting these types of businesses was a core part of Zipcar’s mission. He added that Zipcar was keen to work with local authorities to identify businesses already engaged with the Council, where the service could offer additional support.

 

Councillor Laura Janes asked whether Zipcar had any clients from local or public authorities. James Taylor responded that some of their larger clients included Croydon and Brent Councils. He added that Zipcar was keen to work with local authorities, as their direct use of the service helped demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting car sharing initiatives.

 

Councillor Jose Afonso requested further clarification on the distribution of Zipcar membership across Hammersmith and Fulham specifically, whether it was concentrated in certain areas or more evenly spread. James Taylor noted that while he did not have the exact figures at hand, membership appeared to be well distributed across the borough. He added that there was a clear opportunity for growth in the Northern area.

 

Sam Bailey (YoGo), gave a presentation on the insights from the Hammersmith and Fulham Yo-Go scheme and highlighted the following key aspects:

• Yo-Go’s mission was to make cities quieter, safer and friendlier for everyone.
• Buggies had been in operation in the borough since 2024, with over 1500 trips completed successfully.
• A generational shift away from private cars in urban areas had been complemented since 2020 by explosive growth in shared mobility.
• Residents of cities desired alternatives given the ‘hassle’ of car ownership, worsening congestion and negative environment.
• Mini mobility could support this shift and enable a wide variety of use cases for local residents.
• Yo-Go had developed an in-house app for residents to access buggies and pay for rides.
• Yo-Go had achieved a new reduction in carbon emissions of 74% from modal shift.

 

Councillor Stala Antoniades noted that this was an excellent idea and enquired about the ease of booking a Yo-Go buggy. In response Sam Bailey noted that there were currently 10 vehicles available with plans to increase the number to between 70-80 across the borough within the next 6 to 9 months. He explained that achieving greater vehicle density was essential, as the service currently received around 400 app searches per day, far exceeding the available supply.

 

Casey Abaraonye (Chair, Hammersmith and Fulham Cycling) gave a verbal presentation on transforming the school run. He emphasised the significant responsibility we held in safeguarding the younger generation, as it was their futures being shaped. Drawing on recent reports, he highlighted a notable trend: while car sales overall were rising, private car ownership particularly among younger people was declining. This generational shift presented an opportunity to reshape long standing travel habits. He highlighted the importance of school streets and the way children travelled to school and advocated for limiting vehicle access in this area to encourage active travel methods such as walking and cycling. Embedding these habits early in life, he argued could help establish long term behaviour changes, leading to reduced reliance on cars in the future.

 

 

Resident questions

 

A resident expressed appreciation for the discussions around street safety, but voiced concerns about the lack of detailed investigation into safety data, specifically who was causing harm, where incidents were occurring and who was being affected. She emphasised the importance of including disabled people in conversations around active travel, noting that their needs were often overlooked. Highlighting the need to examine collision data more closely, she urged the Council to act more swiftly in delivering safter infrastructure.

Additionally, she called for improved street safety for all users and asked whether there was a plan to ensure that proposed cycleways would be properly segregated and safe for everyone.

 

Ben Kennedy acknowledged the resident’s concerns regarding data collection and agreed that more comprehensive data needed to be gathered. He explained that officers were in the early stages of analysing a substantial volume of data but explained that the work was progressing as quickly as possible. It was noted that accidents and collisions would be prioritised and that efforts to address these issues would be fast tracked. Additionally, he added that as part of the Council’s Transport Strategy officers would be establishing key principles and outcomes and identifying priority routes. Public consultation was scheduled to take place in autumn, with final plans expected to be published in 2026, depending on the feedback received. The Chair requested that officers to return to present an update on the Transport Strategy to the Committee in April 2026.

Action: Ben Kennedy

 

A resident enquired about how the Council intended to address the increasing number of SUVs in the borough, highlighting the environmental and social impacts associated with them. In response Ben Kennedy noted that the Council currently operated an emissions-based parking charge system. He added that while only a few local authorities were beginning to explore policies targeting vehicle size and specific impact of SUV’s, this was an area that could be reviewed as part of the ongoing Transport Strategy work.

 

A resident asked what could be done to improve cyclist safety on Kings Road. In response Ben Kennedy explained that as part of the ongoing review of the Transport Strategy, officers would be examining key corridors and areas of high cycling demand to identify the most appropriate interventions for each route.

 

The resident then asked a follow up question related to the ‘transforming the school run presentation’. She emphasised that children were our future, and that the Council should focus on increasing street awareness and knowledge among young people. She suggested it would be valuable for children to learn the Highway Code by the end of primary school to become safe pedestrians and cyclists. She asked how the Council could encourage this across schools.

 

Philippa Robb (Senior Smarter Transport Officer) explained that the Council currently delivered Bikeability training in primary schools, with many of its outcomes aligned with the Highway Code. The programme was designed to equip children with the skills to cycle safely and independently on quiet roads. She also highlighted that this borough was the only one in London that consistently delivered Bikeability training in secondary schools across the borough throughout the academic year.

 

The resident asked what percentage of each year group participated in the training. Philippa Robb responded that in primary schools where the programme was delivered it typically reached 100% of either year 5 or year 6 pupils. In secondary schools due to the larger cohort sizes the training was delivered to approximately 50 pupils per year group.

 

 

 

A resident raised concerns about safety, particularly regarding exposure to nitrous oxide, air pollution, and other environmental pollutants. He noted that a key piece of missing data was the estimated reduction in life expectancy and years of healthy life lost due to prolonged exposure to pollutants, as well as the potential years gained through active travel. He asked whether this information was currently available and if it could be incorporated into future discussions. In response John Galsworthy explained that the Council collaborated with the NHS Trust and Imperial College on this issue. While the data in this area was limited due to the complexity of the subject, officers were actively working to explore and improve understanding.

 

Ben Kennedy added that the Transport Strategy, Active Travel and Air Quality Teams were now being brought together under the same service. This integration was enabling closer collaboration, and a stronger focus on health impacts. He confirmed that efforts were being made to ensure data on the health implications of air quality and active travel was captured and embedded in the strategy moving forward.

Action: Ben Kennedy

 

A resident requested further clarification regarding the maintenance of cycle infrastructure in the borough, highlighting concerns about the condition of the Uxbridge Road cycle lane. The resident noted that the lane was in a poor and potentially unsafe state, with at least 20 protective wands missing. This had allowed vehicles to park in the cycle lane, creating significant safety risks for cyclists. Councillor Wesley Harcourt (Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Ecology) responded by acknowledging the concerns raised about the condition of the Uxbridge Road cycle lane, noting that he regularly visited the area. He recognised the importance of maintaining the infrastructure and emphasised the significant effort initially invested by the Council to ensure proper segregation between cyclists and general traffic. He also noted that maintenance was a key priority, but highlighted those delays had been partly due to funding challenges and disagreements over design plans.

 

John Galsworthy added that the Uxbridge Road cycle lanes were currently under consideration for future investments by TfL. However, this funding may not be allocated to the Council until 2027/28. In the meantime, any enhancements would be limited to interim measures. Officers noted that they would explore options to replace the missing protective wands as part of these short-term improvements.

Action: John Galsworthy

 

A resident asked for further clarification to be provided on the Council’s vision for active travel at a political level, including more detail on the strategic objectives. He expressed concern that the current strategy did not convey a strong sense of urgency and asked for information on the Council’s timeline and key milestones for delivery. In response Councillor Wesley Harcourt acknowledged that active travel was a significant and wide-ranging topic. He offered to attend a meeting of the Climate Action Group to discuss the matter in more detail. He outlined the Council’s commitment to becoming Net Carbon Zero by 2030, stating that all actions were guided by this vision. This ambition was closely aligned with broader Council priorities, including public health, climate action, and improving air quality. It was noted that the motion to become net zero was passed in 2019, and the Council was now approximately halfway through the delivery timeline. At this stage he emphasised that the focus must shift from strategy development to implementation at pace.

 

Casey Abaraonye (Chair, Hammersmith and Fulham Cycling) asked what could be done to accelerate progress towards the Council’s new zero goals. Councillor Wesley Harcourt agreed that the pace of delivery needed to increase if the Council was to meet its 2030 new zero target. He acknowledged the urgency of the situation but also highlighted several challenges currently facing the Council. These included funding, supply chain disruption affecting availability of materials and difficulties in securing tenders for certain projects. He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to progressing this work as effectively and efficiently as possible.

 

Ben Kennedy added that one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress was to involve the community as much as possible. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that residents were engaged and on board with the Councils plans. By adopting a co-production approach and actively seeking input and support from the community the Council could build greater consensus and streamline delivery.

 

A resident noted that she frequently travelled between Hammersmith and neighbouring boroughs and requested further clarification on how the Council was addressing accessibility within its active travel plans to ensure the needs of all residents. She emphasised the importance of designing infrastructure that benefitted everyone including those with differing mobility needs. In addition, she asked how the Council would ensure that meaningful representation of people with mobility challenges would be part of the Active Travel Working Group.

 

Ben Kennedy noted that the Active Travel Action Group was one of several stakeholder engagement groups the Council utilised. He explained that the Council was actively engaging and would continue to engage with disabled residents to ensure that accessibility was embedded in its transport planning. Regarding public transport accessibility, he clarified that this fell under the remit of TfL. However, Council officers worked closely with TFL to secure funding to improve accessibility on key services within the borough.

 

Councillor Sharon Holder added that the Council worked closely with co-production groups that included both disabled and non-disabled residents. These groups were responsible for reviewing and providing input on new services and policies, helping to ensure they were inclusive by design. She encouraged any disabled residents who were interested in getting involved to join these co-production groups.

 

The Chair concluded the meeting by summarising key actions and next steps:

• Officers to report back on the wider Transport strategy at a future meeting
• Officers to explore interim options for improving the condition and usability of the Uxbridge Road cycle lanes
• Encouragement for disabled residents to join co-production groups, ensuring that their voices were represented in the development of local services and infrastructure.

 

The Chair thanked all attended for their valuable contributions and emphasised the importance of active travel initiatives within the borough. The Chair also encouraged attendees to sign up to the Climate Connect newsletter to stay informed about the Council’s ongoing work on climate action.

 

RESOLVED:

That the committee noted and commented on the report and presentations