Appendix 3 – Written Answers Report Questions to the Mayor 15 October, 2020 ANSWERED QUESTIONS PAPER Subject: MQT on 15 October, 2020 Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Healthy Streets Programme Question No: 2020/3250 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to question 2020/2550 in response to my request to list all TfL schemes under the Healthy Streets Programme that are currently paused, you instead published a list of Healthy Streets schemes which TfL intends to progress with. As requested in question 2020/2550 please list the schemes under the TfL Healthy Streets Programme that are currently paused. Answer for Healthy Streets Programme The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Brownhill Road/Torridon Road Junction Question No: 2020/3251 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to Question 2020/0990 you stated: “Transport for London (TfL) has plans to improve the junction between Brownhill Road and Torridon Road. Design work on a new pedestrian crossing at this junction is almost complete and there will be engagement with local people in the coming months, ahead of construction starting later this year.” Please can you give an update to the local community as to when exactly this junction will be made safer and accessible for pedestrians. Please also provide an exact date for construction work. Answer for Brownhill Road/Torridon Road Junction The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Waterloo and City Line Question No: 2020/3252 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide an update as to when this London Underground line will re-open and the continued grounds for its closure? Answer for Waterloo and City Line The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Two-mile rule for free school travel Question No: 2020/3253 Caroline Pidgeon Many young people and parents would welcome clarification concerning the proposed ‘2 mile rule’, if the under 18s free travel is scrapped due to an imposed policy by central Government. Can you confirm the two miles will be measured by ‘safe walking route’ and not ‘as the crow flies’? Could you also explain what calculation will be used to determine what is the shortest safe walking route from a child’s home to their school? Can you further confirm that, until a safe walking/cycling crossing has been constructed, Hammersmith Bridge will not be considered a possible walking route under these new rules? Answer for Two-mile rule for free school travel The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response TfL staff providing sighted guided assistance for people with a sight loss Question No: 2020/3254 Caroline Pidgeon While recognising that TfL is changing their policy later this month, please state why TfL withdrew the provision of providing sighted guiding assistance for people with sight loss at the outset of the Covid pandemic, which was a totally different approach to train operators across the UK who introduced an operational policy that enabled staff to continue to provide sighted guiding assistance from the start of the pandemic in a safe way for both passengers and staff. Answer for TfL staff providing sighted guided assistance for people with a sight loss The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Publication of information on the TfL website (1) Question No: 2020/3255 Caroline Pidgeon For many years TfL regularly published weekly passenger numbers on its website for the use of the cable car, however at present the most recent published figures by TfL are for the week ending 13 June 2020 and show 3341 people using it in the previous seven days. Will you ensure that TfL continues to publish this information on a regular basis. Please provide the latest weekly figures. Answer for Publication of information on the TfL website (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Publication of information on the TfL website (2) Question No: 2020/3256 Caroline Pidgeon TfL’s website on the page ‘Underground services performance’ currently only publishes performance figures for Period 9 - 2019/20 (from 10 November to 7 December 2019). Will you ensure that TfL provides up to date information on its website? Answer for Publication of information on the TfL website (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Thames cable car Question No: 2020/3257 Caroline Pidgeon The previous Mayor announced on the 7 October 2011 a ten-year sponsorship deal for the Thames cable car. Since the commencement of the cable car passenger numbers have been dismal after its temporary popularity during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ahead of the renewal of any sponsorship deal will you make a commitment to a totally different ticket pricing policy which actually encourages people to use it on a regular basis, such as charging regular users no more than a bus fare. Do you further accept that running the cable car as a form of public transport and not a tourist attraction is the only way to ensure a reasonable number of people regularly use the cable car? Answer for Thames cable car The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Possible correlation between Covid cases and the London Underground Question No: 2020/3258 Caroline Pidgeon Recent mapping of Covid cases in London shows an overlap with London Underground lines. While recognising there might be many reasons for explaining the overlap, is any investigation being undertaken into whether Tube journeys and changes at Tube stations might be a contributory factor to the number of Covid cases in specific boroughs? Possible correlation between Covid cases and the London Underground The Mayor Last updated: 19 October, 2020 Research is being undertaken by a number of different universities into possible transmission of coronavirus and presence of coronavirus on public transport. I am not aware of research looking into whether Tube journeys and changes at Tube stations are a contributory factor to the number of coronavirus cases in specific boroughs. As you acknowledge, the number of cases in a borough is influenced by a number of different factors, such as levels of deprivation and population demographics. Transport for London has commissioned Imperial College London to carry out air and surface sampling on a ‘passenger journey’ using the Tube and bus. The first sampling took place on 23 September and no coronavirus was detected. TfL contract for extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone Question No: 2020/3259 Caroline Pidgeon While accepting the need for some redactions, will you publish the contract with Capita for the enforcement of the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone? Answer for TfL contract for extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response London bridges and tunnels Question No: 2020/3260 Caroline Pidgeon Are you content with the overall inspection, monitoring, collection of information and long- term investment plans for all of the bridges and tunnels that cross the Thames in the Greater London Authority area? Is sufficient information about the state of all these crossings being published and made accessible to the public? Answer for London bridges and tunnels The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Use of electric scooters in dedicated cycle lanes Question No: 2020/3261 Caroline Pidgeon Electric scooters are currently not legally permitted in dedicated cycle lanes. What steps are being taken to address what many people would consider a legal anomaly? Should ending this anomaly be a far higher priority than trials to allow electric scooters to be used on roads? Answer for Use of electric scooters in dedicated cycle lanes The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Bakerloo Line extension Question No: 2020/3262 Caroline Pidgeon TfL’s website provided an update on 7 April 2020 relating to the latest consultation on the extension of the Bakerloo Line stating “We recently consulted on our proposals to extend the Bakerloo line beyond Elephant & Castle to Lewisham, serving Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate. We also sought to understand the level of support for a further extension beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. Thank you to all those who took part. We are considering all the consultation responses we received. We will publish our analysis of the consultation and our response to issues raised later this year.” When will this analysis be published? Bakerloo Line extension The Mayor Last updated: 19 October, 2020 Transport for London will publish the Consultation Report and Response to Issues Raised Report from its autumn 2019 Public Consultation on the proposed Bakerloo line extension by the end of the year. Noise camera technology Question No: 2020/3263 Caroline Pidgeon Does TfL have any plans to implement noise camera technology on sections of TfL controlled roads where noise complaints from traffic are a regular occurrence? Answer for Noise camera technology The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Pedestrian fatalities Question No: 2020/3264 Caroline Pidgeon The most recent published statistics show that in 2019 there were 68 people killed while walking on London’s roads, up from 57 in 2018. What assurances can be given that these statistics will be turned around in 2020 and subsequent years? Answer for Pedestrian fatalities The Mayor Last updated: 20 October, 2020 Officers are drafting a response Balham Park Road Question No: 2020/3265 Caroline Pidgeon I have recently been contacted by a blind resident who highlights that Balham Park Road was recently made one way, leading onto Balham High Road. My constituent crosses at this junction frequently on the tactile crossing and despite the one-way system cars are continuing to breach this restriction.