World Car Free Day: Motorists to be blocked from nearly 50 roads across London on 'car free' day

Katy Clifton18 September 2018

Motorists across the capital are being urged to ditch their vehicles for a day and reclaim the streets from traffic when nearly 50 roads close for World Car Free Day.

Greenwich Town Centre and Bermondsey Street are among 49 streets across London set to be car-free on Saturday in a bid to tackle poor air quality and encourage stronger communities.

By supporting London Play, a charity working to give children the freedom to play by shutting roads to traffic, the Mayor and Transport for London hope to open up the spaces to the community.

The charity has been working to transform streets into safe places for children since 2008 with ‘play streets’, where roads are regularly shut to traffic for a few hours each week or month.

Fiona Sutherland, deputy director at London Play, said the initiative aims to allow Londoners to “temporarily reclaim” their street and “build friendships and stronger communities”.

The Mayor and TfL are encouraging residents to re-imagine their streets without cars
TfL

She added: “Streets make up 80 per cent of London’s public space, a valuable community resource which has largely been given up for the sole use of cars, parked or moving.

“We hope Car Free Day will inspire more people to start regular play sessions on their streets.”

Support for the car-free initiative comes as the Mayor and TfL continue with efforts to make the capital’s communities greener, healthier and more attractive places.

Poor air quality is estimated to contribute to more than 40,000 premature deaths across the country annually and emissions from cars and vans is estimated to cost £6 billion each year.

Nearly 50 streets will be car-free this Saturday
TfL

“I’m delighted that Londoners will be able to enjoy more than 40 streets without traffic noise and exhaust fumes on World Car Free Day,” Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport said.

“Our support for London Play will transform neighbourhoods for families and offer a valuable opportunity to inspire long-term change, helping to build on our work to reduce reliance on cars and clean up the capital’s dangerously polluted air.”

Greenwich is one of seven boroughs to share funding from the Mayor’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, supporting boroughs to improve environments and enable walking and cycling.

As part of a commitment to encouraging alternative forms of transport, the town centre will host street performers and live music on Saturday, as well as electric bike trials and cycle checks.

Which roads will close for World Car Free Day?

Around 50 streets across London, from Hackney to Ealing, will be traffic free on September 22 to help encourage people to ditch their cars for the day.

Barnet

  • Woodfield Drive

Camden

  • Islip Street, Kentish Town School

Ealing

  • Dordrecht Road
  • Boileau Road
  • Brentham Way
  • Winscombe Crescent
  • St Mark’s Road
  • Bradley Gardens
  • Salisbury Road

Enfield

  • Amberley Road
  • Riverside Gardens
  • Granville Road
  • Lovell Road
  • Ollerton Road
  • Burlingron Road

Greenwich

  • Greenwich Town Centre

Hackney

  • Albion Drive
  • Forest Grove
  • Oldfield Road
  • Coopersale Road
  • Woodberrry Down Estate
  • Middleton Road
  • Harcombe Road
  • Lewis Place
  • Sharon Gardens
  • Navarino Mansions
  • Winston Road
  • Foulden Road
  • Pembury Estate
  • Daubeney Road
  • Roding Road
  • Herbert Butler Estate
Getty Images

Haringey

  • Mount Pleasant Road
  • Perth Road

Islington

  • Giesbach Road

Kingston Upon Thames

  • Mill Street

Lambeth

  • Priory Grove
  • Barnwell Road

Newham

  • Tylney Road
  • Cecil Road
  • Mafeking Road
  • Dyson Road
  • Sidney Road

Richmond

  • Crown Road
  • Whittaker Avenue

Southwark

  • Upland Road
  • Melbourne Grove
  • Bermondsey Street

Waltham Forest

  • Pevensey Road

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