Routeing of Bus Route 100 at Ludgate Circus Via Queen Victoria Street

Consultation on proposed re- routeing of bus route 100 at Ludgate Circus via Queen Victoria Street

Consultation Report April 2015

Contents

1 Introduction ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2 The consultation ...... 2 3 Responses from members of the public ...... 4 4 Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders ...... 7

Appendices Appendix A – Copy of the flyer/poster ...... Appendix B – Copy of email to customers ...... Appendix C – Email to stakeholders ...... Appendix D – List of stakeholders ......

1 Introduction

Transport for London (TfL) recently consulted on a proposal to reroute the 100 at Ludgate Circus in the City of London.

Route 100 operates between Elephant & Castle in the south and Shadwell in the east via Liverpool Street station and the City in central London. The proposed change would mean the 100 would be re-routed via Queen Victoria Street which runs parallel to its current route but avoids a busy junction that is being made safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

The consultation ran from 9 January to 15 February 2015.

The route would use Queen Victoria Street instead and no longer serve New Bridge Street, Ludgate Hill nor St Paul’s Churchyard stops. These stops are served by other frequent services and the new stops are nearby. After Queen Victoria Street the route would continue along Friday Street to its current route on New Change.

There will be no change to the frequency of buses which is 7.5 buses per hour (bph) Monday to Friday daytimes, 6 bph Saturdays and 5 bph Sundays and all evenings.

There will also be no change to the type of buses used which are 55-capacity single- deckers.

We are proposing to make this change to improve current reliability of the service and journey time.

In addition the new North-South Cycle Superhighway will introduce a two-way segregated cycle lane between Elephant & Castle and Farringdon on the western side of Blackfriars Road, New Bridge Street and Farringdon Street. This will mean that the Ludgate Circus junction will be reduced in size and vehicles will no longer be able to turn right onto Ludgate Hill.

This report explains the background to the proposal, the consultation and summarises the responses. It will contribute to the decision on whether to go ahead with the proposed change or not.

2 The consultation

The consultation was designed to enable TfL to understand local opinion about the proposed changes to route 100.

The potential outcomes of the consultation are:  We decide the consultation raises no issues that should prevent us from proceeding with the scheme as originally planned  We modify the scheme in response to issues raised in consultation  We abandon the scheme as a result of issues raised in the consultation.

The objectives of the consultation were:  To give stakeholders and the public easily-understandable information about the proposals and allow them to respond

 To understand the level of support or opposition for the change  To understand any issues that might affect the proposal of which we were not previously aware  To understand concerns and objections  To allow respondents to make suggestions.

The public consultation intended to seek the views of people who live near to the proposed route, current users of the service and other potential users. We also consulted stakeholders including the affected Councils, traffic police, London TravelWatch, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members and local interest groups.

Who we consulted

TfL contacted registered Oyster users of the service via email and sent 131,615 emails at the start of the consultation and another 131,614 emails two weeks into the consultation. TfL also contacted the local councillors, local resident and business groups, London TravelWatch, the City of London, Lambeth and Southwark Councils, Assembly Members and the MP direct.

Consultation material, distribution and publicity

The consultation was published online at consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/100-ludgate-circus. The webpage explained the background to the proposal. We invited people to respond by answering a number of questions and leaving comments.

Posters were displayed along the current route at Blackfriars Road, New Bridge Street, Ludgate Hill and St Paul’s stops. And a flyer was hand-delivered to frontages along the affected section. The proposal was also mentioned in public and key stakeholder meetings for the post-consultation on the North-South Cycle Superhighway from the end of 2014 to the end of the route 100 consultation.

People were invited to respond to the consultation using a variety of methods. They could respond via our freepost address (FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS), by emailing [email protected] or by accessing the online consultation where they could let us know their views.

A copy of the consultation material is shown in the Appendices.

3 Responses from members of the public

Overview of responses

There were 519 responses to the consultation. 87.48% responded after receiving the email. Others had seen the bus stop posters or heard about it from a public or stakeholder meeting.

73% of people who replied said they were in favour of the proposal. 27% opposed it. 20% of people who replied didn’t currently use the service but would consider using it in future.

To help us understand more about who replied and their thoughts on the route and proposal we asked a number of questions:

1. If responding on behalf of an organisation, business or campaign group please provide us with the name. 2. How did you hear about this consultation? 3. Do you currently use the service? 5. Do you have any objections to this rerouting? 6. Do you have any other comments about the route? 7. Do you or would you use any other routes in the area?

How people heard about the consultation  Email from TfL 454, 87.48%  TfL website 27, 5.202%  Other (public/stakeholder meetings etc) 16, 3.083%  At a bus stop (a poster) 6, 1.156%  Via social media (Twitter, Facebook etc) 6, 1.156%

How people heard about the consultation 90

0 Email TfL Social Other Poster Total from TfL website media Number of replies 454 27 16 6 6 509 % of total 88 5 3 1 1 98

People who currently use the service  Yes 413, 79.58%  No 100, 19.27%  Not Answered 6, 1.15%

Who currently use the service 90

0 Yes No Not answered Total Number of replies 413 100 6 519 % of total 80 19 1 100 People who had objections to the proposed rerouting  Yes 142, 27.36%  No 377, 72.64%  Not Answered 0, 0% Who had objections to the proposed rerouting 90

0 Yes No Not answered Total Number of replies 142 377 0 519 % of total 27 73 0 100

People who had other comments about the route

There were 277 responses to this question. The themes were extending the route, having direct links, using bigger buses and increasing the frequency.

People who use other routes

281 people responded to this question.

Summary of responses by issues raised/theme

Below shows the number of times an issue or theme was raised.

Number of Issue raised/theme times raised

Will improve journey time reliability/reduce delays 170

Will make connections difficult including City Thameslink customers and 68 getting to the West End

Will increase commute to/from work 51

Increase the capacity of the buses on the route (eg with a double- 21 decker)

Have more direct links to other destinations/places where people want to 20 go

Increase the frequency 18

Reduce delays elsewhere on the route 10

Concern about the mobility impaired and access to stops 10

Extend the route north/south 5

Comments about other parts of the route including where to put new 5 stops, bus shelters and electronic information boards

Comments relating to just doing this to facilitate the North-South Cycle 4 Superhighway/for cyclists

Concern about safety for passengers at night on Queen Victoria Street 3

Concern about rerouting away from London Wall 1

Concern about loss of taxi ranking spaces 1

4 Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders

Three key stakeholders responded to this consultation including the local authority. London TravelWatch did not submit a response to the consultation although it did question if we were consulting prematurely because a decision on the North-South Cycle Superhighway had not been made at the time. A business on New Bridge Street gave relevant comments in the consultation on the North-South Cycle Superhighway.

City of London Corporation It said that given the Cycle Superhighway changes at Ludgate Circus it will help reduce the excessive number of buses on Ludgate Hill. And that the new route will probably be quicker and more reliable than the congested route via Ludgate Hill. It added that most passengers currently using the un-served stops will have an alternative within reasonable distance.

Licensed Taxi Drivers Association It was concerned about loss of taxi ranking spaces next to the current bus stops/stands in Queen Victoria Street. TfL confirmed direct that the 100 bus will use the existing stop there and so there will be no loss of taxi rank spaces.

Museum of London It was concerned that the 100 bus was being re-routed away from London Wall. TfL confirmed direct that the re-routing is only between Blackfriars Junction and St Paul’s, and that there is no change at London Wall and so the route will continue to serve the Museum of London.

100 New Bridge Street A large business with hundreds of staff using the front entrance and regular deliveries and taxi drop-offs on New Bridge Street had raised a concern in the consultation on the North- South Cycle Superhighway that there would be more pedestrian congestion on the east footway of New Bridge Street with the relocation of the southbound bus stop slightly further up New Bridge Street because of the North-South Cycle Superhighway. This proposal for the route 100 will increase capacity at the stop by a third by removing the 100 bus from using the stop (the 45 and 63 are the other two services using the stop).

Appendix A – Copy of the flyer/poster

Appendix B – Copy of email to customers

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Home Plan journey Status update Bus information

Dear test email recipient,

I am writing to let you know that we would like your views on proposed changes to bus route 100, which runs from Elephant & Castle to Shadwell.

The proposed changes would mean route 100 would be re-routed via Queen Victoria Street, in the St Paul’s area.

The route would no longer serve New Bridge Street, Ludgate Hill or St Paul’s Churchyard.

For full details and to share your views, please click here

This consultation will run until Sunday 15 February.

Yours sincerely

Peter Bradley Head of Consultation

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Copyright in the contents of this email and its attachments belongs to Transport for London. Any unauthorised usage will infringe that copyright. © Transport for London

Appendix C – Email to stakeholders

From: TfL Consultations Sent: 09 January 2015 13:58 Subject: Have your say on proposed changes to route 100 in the St Paul’s area

Dear Stakeholder,

Transport for London would like your views on a change to route 100, which runs from Elephant & Castle to Shadwell. The proposed change would mean route 100 would be re- routed via Queen Victoria Street in the St Paul’s area and would no longer serve New Bridge Street, Ludgate Hill or St Paul’s Churchyard. The stops in Queen Victoria Street are nearby.

To find out more and have your say please go to https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/100- ludgate-circus by 15 February 2015.

Yours faithfully

Simon Mouncey Consultation Specialist Consultation Team Transport for London

Appendix D – List of stakeholders

London TravelWatch

Elected Members Caroline Pidgeon AM Chuka Umunna MP Darren Johnson AM Emily Thornberry MP Gareth Bacon AM Jeremy Corbyn MP Jenny Jones AM Jennette Arnold AM Murad Qureshi AM Kate Hoey MP Nicky Gavron AM Tessa Jowell MP Navin Shah AM Valerie Shawcross AM Andrew Boff AM Fiona Twycross MP Victoria Borwick AM Harriet Harman MP Tom Copley AM Mark Field MP Stephen Knight AM Jim Fitzpatrick MP Fiona Twycross AM Joanne McCartney AM Onkar Sahota AM John Biggs AM Seema Malhotra MP Stephen Hammond MP Simon Hughes MP Zac Goldsmith MP

Local Authorities London Borough of Islington London Borough of Lambeth London Borough of Southwark City of London Corporation Greater London Authority

Police & Health Authorities Metropolitan Police Islington Safer Transport Team Lambeth Safer Transport Team Southwark Safer Transport Team Care Commissioning Group (CCG) London Ambulance Service NHS Care Commissioning Group

Transport Groups AA Green Flag Group Association of British Drivers Motorcycle Action Group Association of Car Fleet Operators Motorcycle Industry Association British Motorcyclists Federation Road Haulage Association Freight Transport Association Islington Transport Aware Better Transport Clapham Transport Users' Group

Local Interest Groups Better Bankside South Bank Employers' Group Bankside Residents' Forum South Bermondsey Partnership City of London Access Group King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 11

Port of London Authority Living Streets - Islington Eurostar Group

Other Stakeholders Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID) London Older People's Strategy Group Age Concern London MIND Age UK National Children's Bureau Asian Peoples Disabilities Alliance National Grid BT RADAR London Access Forum Campaign for Better Transport RNIB Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Royal Mail London Fire and Emergency Planning CTC, The national cycling charity Authority Disability Alliance Sense Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Sixty Plus Committee EDF Energy Stroke Association Greater London Forum for the Elderly Sustrans Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Sutton Centre for Voluntary Sector Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Thames Water Partially Sighted People (JCMBPS) Joint Mobility Unit The British Dyslexia Association Living Streets London Cycling Campaign Canary Wharf Management Ltd Clapham Society Vauxhall Gardens Estate Tenants & Herne Hill Forum Residents Association Streatham Vale Property Occupiers Virtual Norwood Forum Association Department for Transport Herne Hill Forum Evolution Quarter Residents' Association Herne Hill Society The Royal Parks Licenced Taxi Drivers Association Sutton Council London City Airport Lewisham Council London fire and Emergency Authority Tower Hamlets Council London Older People's Strategy Group