Member Article

Innovative tech firms receive TfL grants to transform London's streets

Four schemes that aim to transform London’s streets have been awarded grants by Transport for London (TfL) as part of their Future Streets Incubator Fund.

New West End Company, Poplar Housing, Better Bankside and Inmidtown BID have been awarded money from the fund, which is part of the Mayor of London’s £4bn Road Modernisation Plan, for their innovative solutions that address the problems of congestion, overcrowding, air quality and noise pollution in the capital.

The four successful schemes include:

• Creating an ‘intelligent street’ in the West End as part of a traffic-free space off Oxford Street. New West End Company will utilise a range of technologies designed to generate energy from the sun and pavement movement, and potentially improve air quality.

• A flexible boardwalk at Lavington Street in Southwark that will widen the path as one-way traffic is trialled on the traffic-dominated rat run. The boardwalk is to be delivered by Better Bankside.

• A noise-absorbing barrier to protect residents near the A12 Blackwall Tunnel that incorporates a green wall with integrated watering system. This project will be delivered by the Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association and London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

• Consolidating deliveries to businesses within Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles through a central platform for ordering everyday items such as milk and newspapers. Delivered by Inmidtown BID, the scheme will utilise electric vehicles and cargo bikes.

Following the new awards, Isabel Dedring, Deputy Mayor for Transport, commented: “Given the growing pressures on our road network to move people and goods, and tackle air pollution, we need to be ever more inventive in how we use our limited road space.

“These worthy winners are just a few examples of how we are trailing new approaches that could bring big benefits to roads across the city”

Richard De Cani, TfL’s Managing Director of Planning, added: “The fabulously creative and innovative ideas we are funding as part of the Incubator Fund capture the spirit of turning London’s streets into places for all to enjoy and work to deliver the vision of the Mayor’s Roads Task Force.

“By trialling new ideas we are able to look to the future at how we can make our roads and public spaces work better for everyone.”