River Action Plan MAYOR OF LONDON Transport for London | Mayoral foreword Contents 2012 was a momentous year for London – 3 Mayoral foreword and the River Thames played a major part in its success. Londoners and hoards of visitors 4 Chapter 1 flocked to the riverside in their masses to Introduction marvel at the splendour of the Diamond Jubilee pageant and vast numbers travelled 6 Chapter 2 to the Olympic and Paralympic Games via Demand for river services its slick, silvery stream. Transport for London (TfL) has identified £10m 10 Chapter 3 The river’s vital role as both an artery for of investment to make these improvements. The River Concordat transporting people through the heart of This will enable us to increase capacity at London and as a playground for people to Embankment, Westminster and Bankside Piers, 12 Chapter 4 explore the wonders of the city were on show as well as transforming the signage, information The actions for the world to see. A trip along the Thames and ticketing facilities. We will also be rolling-out 14 Better piers reveals 2,000 years of riparian history. From the iBoat real-time arrivals information across piers, 22 Better information and integration Roman walls at Tower Hill, and the Victorian introducing the new contactless ‘Wave and Pay’ 24 Better promotion wharves and warehouses to the soaring peak ticketing on river services, and delivering new 26 Better partnership working of The Shard – providing a stunning vista of cycle parking and cycle hire facilities by the river. London’s past and present. 28 Chapter 5 These improvements will also encourage new Implementation of the plan I am determined to capitalise on the developments to emerge along the river and achievements of the past year and to safeguard with them new pier facilities, like the one at 29 Chapter 6 the river’s central role in the future success of Plantation Wharf. TfL will be working with Monitoring the plan our great city. That is why I have set a target developers and planners and other stakeholders to increase passenger journeys on the Thames to maximise opportunities for new piers. This 30 Chapter 7 to 12 million a year by 2020 and maximise its will enable us to collaboratively expand and Appendices potential for river travel. progress the true potential of the River Thames 30 Appendix A - Summary of improvements in modern day London. in first three years of Action Plan This means developing a strategic pier 32 Appendix B - Interactive map of network that can accommodate an increase London’s pier improvements in river services; providing clearer, simpler information so that passengers can choose the right river service for them; and positioning the river as an integral part of London life. Boris Johnson Mayor of London River Action Plan 3 | Chapter 1 Introduction The Mayor and TfL want river services to become a truly integral part of the transport network in the Capital. After all, the river offers a relaxing way of travelling across the city, an appealing form of transport for commuters and an exciting attraction for visitors. However, the Mayor and TfL recognise that London’s river passenger services are not yet reaching their full potential and that action is required to bring about transformational change. This plan outlines a number of specific measures to be taken by TfL and other stakeholders to help boost the number of river trips in line with achieving the Mayor’s target of 12 million passenger journeys a year by 2020. 4 Chapter 1 Introduction River Action Plan 5 | Chapter 2 Demand for river services The use of the river for passenger to 31 March 2013 are expected to be at a As shown in Figure 1, use of river services has increased and freight travel has long provided an similar level. While there has been continued over the past 10 years. This rise has been driven by a important component of transport and growth in river bus, tour and charter journeys, growing number of attractions and developments along tourism in London. total journeys have been offset by a drop the river, as well as substantial investment in services by in journeys made on the Woolwich Ferry, TfL and the operators. Around 6.5 million passenger journeys were reflecting the fall in traffic levels made on the Thames in 2011/12. Total experienced during the Games. During 2012/13, TfL has been evaluating the adoption of journeys on the river for the current year an alternative method for counting passenger journeys made on the river. This is based on an internationally recognised mandatory ‘Automatic Identification System’ (AIS), which uses more accurate actual passenger count data collected by boat crews in real-time. TfL is Figure 1 Growth of passenger journeys on the River Thames proposing to move to AIS data from April 2013. Barriers to growth 7 There remains a range of factors affecting the wider expansion of passenger services on the Thames. Greenwich These include: 6 Pier • Lack of public awareness of river 5 services, particularly for tourists • Cost of travel, particularly for commuters 4 • Lack of integration with other parts of London’s transport network 3 Million journeys • Constraints on pier capacity in central London 2 • Journey times for commuting passengers • Gaps in the pier network outside central London 1 • Many different pier owners, leading to inconsistency in pier facilities and appearance 0 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 • Lack of boatyards to ensure adequate capacity for the maintenance of boats and piers Woolwich Ferry Charters River Tour River Bus 6 Chapter 2 Demand for river services River Action Plan 7 | New opportunities for passenger growth Understanding growth potential • Improvement in the quality of the public Use of the river for freight Significant opportunities lie in serving the TfL has identified piers located in Opportunity realm integrating the river pier to the Freight transport on the Thames within London major developments being built or planned Areas (as set out in the Mayor’s London Plan), city and other transport interchanges is expected to increase substantially over along the Thames and in capturing more where the possibility for growth is greatest. It is the next 10 years or so, primarily owing to a of London’s growing tourism. estimated that by 2031, riverside Opportunity • Enhancing ‘place’ value of piers commitment by major infrastructure projects, Areas could account for 100,000 new homes for tourists as well as locals including the Thames Tideway Tunnel and In particular, TfL believes customer demand and 220,000 new jobs. Northern line extension, to maximise use of will come from: • Provision of new and more frequent the river, but also through increasing modal Work to understand further the potential of routes by boat operators shift. The Port of London Authority (PLA) is • Links from new riverside residential Opportunity Areas for increasing use of the confident that the Thames can accommodate developments in west London, central river by 2020 is being carried out by TfL. This • Improved real-time information, this predicted rise in freight movements, London, Canary Wharf and the wider will validate the plans for piers that require including online and mobile apps together with the proposed increase in Thames Gateway, plus new cross-river links specific enhancement and, in particular, passenger journeys. Where there are local for passengers in east London (potentially an where new piers are needed. • Improved marketing and branding by TfL issues, these will be managed by the PLA. additional 1.5 million journeys a year by 2020) and operators and the introduction of TfL has established a survey covering travel more innovative tourist services and Consultation on options for new river • Connections from inner-London riverside behaviour and passenger opinions about higher-quality vessels by leisure operators crossings in east and southeast London developments and town centres in both current services; the results of the first survey TfL has recently consulted on new river east and west London to the City and using this methodology are now being reviewed. • Better promotion of the Thames crossing options in east London. These Westminster (potentially an extra 0.5 The results, plus research into London’s as a destination include the possibility of a new ferry service million journeys a year by 2020) growth areas, will help TfL build a computer at Gallions Reach which could be in place model during 2013 to analyse future demand. • Improved group embarkation by 2017. • Expansion of the river tours market by facilities, including coach parking capturing a higher proportion of the growing It is expected that this future growth of Pedestrians and cyclists would benefit from number of visitors to London with new passenger demand on the river will be supplied • Providing new cross-river links for improved comfort, convenience and service experiences and new destinations (potentially by river bus services, river tours and charter passengers in east London information at the terminals and on board another two million trips a year by 2020) services. Underpinning this growth and vessels. High-quality walking and cycle routes outlined in this plan will be: These and other actions are grouped to the terminals would also be provided. • A new cruise ship terminal at Enderby Wharf into four key themes: better piers, • Improvement and development of piers, better information and integration, better • Continued growth in riverside tourism and both east and west of central London promotion and better partnership working. leisure in the Greenwich area following the Chapter 4 provides more details. re-opening of the Cutty Sark, the launch • Improved pier facilities to enhance of the Emirates Air Line cable car, and on the customer experience and the South Bank with the relocation of the create additional capacity London Dungeon next to the London Eye • Better visibility, information and • Population and employment growth, integration of river services resulting in more river passenger journeys 8 Chapter 2 Demand for river services River Action Plan 9 | Chapter 3 The River Concordat There are many organisations involved in facilitating and providing river services.