News Articles Archive - Page 7 of 140 - Cross River Partnership

CRP was delighted to attend the Just Streets kick-off meeting last week in Turin, Italy. We joined more than 60 people from 17 countries to begin developing a new vision of spatial justice where streets become a public space for all.

We are looking forward to participating in this Horizon Europe project, coordinated by Fondazione LINKS.  Just Streets aims to transform cities’ car-centric mobility narratives by promoting walking, cycling and sustainable modes of mobility, as well as making streets more people-friendly.

Marginalised social groups, previously underrepresented in mobility infrastructure decision-making, will be a core focus, allowing Just Streets to create highly valuable know-how, critical in creating better, more just, and sustainable cities for all citizens.

As part of the Just Streets project, CRP plans to implement three street-level solutions in London.

For more information, please contact CRP Project Manager Sefinat Otaru, sefinatotaru@crossriverpartnership.org

It’s been nearly three weeks since the CRP Courier Fair, and we’ve received lots of great feedback from the zero emission couriers in attendance, and London’s local authorities, Business Improvement Districts and strategic agencies.

The Courier Fair, held at the University of Westminster, provided an informal forum for couriers and local authority, BID and strategic agency officers, to share opportunities to collaborate, partner, discuss vacant or underutilised industrial land, and explore policy and planning support.

The event was made possible through Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL), a Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 26 project partners which aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London.

City of London’s Councillor Mary Durcan who opened the event said:

“I’d like to thank Cross River Partnership for setting up this Courier Fair, bringing together logistics operators big and small in London with those in local authorities, business improvement districts and strategic agencies to support each other to help make logistics more sustainable, efficient and collaborative. These issues can’t be solved by any one organisation alone. It needs all of us in this room to come together.”

Thank you to everyone who attended. We are thrilled about the new relationships, collaborations and ideas fostered by the fair!

For more information, read the full press release.

Read our post-event resource document here which includes CRP’s Smarter Greener Logistics workstreams and previous case studies on freight and air quality.

For any queries, please contact CRP Project Officer Sarah Meertens sarahmeertens@crossriverpartnership.org

Electric vehicles are gradually becoming the dominating transportation vehicle within the bus market. Helping to support the decarbonisation of HGV vehicles, improving the air quality on our streets, and dismantling the demand for fossil fuelled vehicles on our roads.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), following three onerous years, the UK’s bus, coach, and minibus market is growing back as 4,932 new units were registered in 2023. The UK’s net zero emission journey has been pioneered by both electric and hydrogen vehicles, which account for 45.1% of new single and double decker bus registrations.

The growth has been heavily backed by strong investment in single and double decker busses, which account for registrations being up by 52.5% and 173.6% respectively (SMMT, 2024). Furthermore, uptake has been supported by the UK Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding, originally awarded in 2022, and finance being provided throughout 2023.

Engineering Analyst, Andy Harris at Wrightbus describes the shift from diesel Euro 6 to zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell as the biggest shift in the industry since we moved from the horse and cart to a bus.

Greater demand for ZEV will continue to drive forward the procurement of ZEV vehicle types and help pave the way to improve the adverse effects on the environment, helping to address poor air quality, reduce carbon emissions as well as providing wider economic benefits associated with transitioning.

As part of a new project to make travel on the London Overground simpler and easier for users, Transport for London have announced names for each of the six overground routes.

The London Overground network has grown considerably over recent years and today the network covers over 113 stations.

The lines have been named to celebrate London and its communities and were informed by engagement with various groups including customers, local historians, academics, and transport specialists.

The new lines, detailed below, will come into effect by the end of 2024.

The Lioness Line, Watford Junction to Euston: Honouring the legacy and achievements of the England women’s football team.
The Windrush Line, Highbury & Islington to New Cross/Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace/West Croydon: Recognising the contributions of the Windrush generation.
The Weaver Line, Liverpool Street to Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford: Celebrating an area of London known for its textile trade.
The Liberty Line, Romford to Upminster: Celebrating the long-standing freedom that is a defining feature of London.
The Mildmay Line, Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford: Honouring the work of the Mildmay NHS hospital during the HIV/AIDS crisis.
The Suffragette Line, Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside: Celebrating this movement with its London links, that fought for votes for women and paved the way for womens rights.

Read more about the line names and the powerful stories behind them: https://madeby.tfl.gov.uk/2024/02/15/overground_line_names/?intcmp=75213

Together with Westminster City Council, we are excited to announce that after a successful 9-month trial period, the low-emission courier Delivery Mates and Q-Park have come to an agreement and will continue to independently operate from the Pimlico micro logistics hub for a minimum of 12 months. Decarbon Logistics Solutions facilitated the conversations between Delivery Mates and Q-Park UK, encouraging them to continue the hub operations after the trial ended. The news was published via an official press release on 16th February.

The CRP and WCC-funded trial, which aimed to support low-emission last-mile deliveries in the City of Westminster, was launched on 17th April 2023 and ended on 31st December 2023. The trial was supported by Decarbon Logistics Solutions, and carried out by Delivery Mates low-emission couriers. The project was part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL) and Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) programmes.

After 9 months of operations, the e-cargo bikes travelled total distance of 22,578 km (14,029 miles), which led to significant emissions reductions of 4,186 kg of CO2, 15,141 g of NOx, and 303 g of PM2.5 when comparing the e-cargo bikes to polluting van deliveries on the last mile.

Translated into more tangible examples, by using the CRP Clean Air Tool, these emission savings would equate to:

CO2 emissions from 85 football pitch-sized forest fires
NOx emissions equivalent to what 459 people emit in one day
6.8 sycamore maple trees required to filter out these PM2.5 emissions

We are currently working on an in-depth report which will include detailed data, insights, learnings, and recommendations from the 9-month micro logistics hub trial in Pimlico. This will be published on our website in the coming months.

For more information, please content CRP Project Manager Isidora Rivera Vollmer isidorariveravollmer@crossriverpartnership.org

A recent report from the Institute for Public Policy Research sheds light on the underinvestment in active travel initiatives across England.

Despite the proven benefits of walking and cycling for public health, air quality, and climate change mitigation, these modes of transportation receive only a small fraction of the transportation budget (2%).

Though London spends relatively generously in terms of active travel infrastructure, the rest of the country lags behind.

Local authorities face significant barriers due to inadequate resources for developing cycling and walking infrastructure.

The report calls for a reprioritisation of funding and long-term planning to make active travel safer and more accessible for all residents. Urgent action is needed from the government to address this issue and promote walking and cycling as sustainable alternatives to car dependency.

Read the full article: https://airqualitynews.com/health/active-travel-in-england-suffering-from-chronic-underfunding-says-report/

Last Wednesday, 24 January, was the culmination of the first Clean Air Night campaign to highlight the dangers of wood burning. Global Action Plan developed the month-long campaign to inform the public about how burning wood worsens air quality.

CRP has often spoken about the dangers of particulate matter (PM) from transport-related activities. However, domestic burning accounts for more than one-quarter of PM2.5 emissions in the United Kingdom. Particulate matter poses a danger to the human respiratory system and is linked to diabetes and dementia, among other health concerns.

Burning wood also produces more carbon dioxide than oil or gas, and cutting down trees wreaks havoc on natural habitats. It takes decades to regrow trees to restore damaged ecosystems and reabsorb carbon in our atmosphere.

Aside from the dangers to our health and environment, wood burning is more expensive than boilers or heat pumps.

You can learn more about the campaign and the hazards of woodburning by visiting the Clean Air Hub, exploring #CleanAirNight, or downloading this toolkit produced by Impact on Urban Health and Global Action Plan.

Evidence has become critical to create healthy streets and neighbourhoods. Cross River Partnership (CRP) have been busy throughout December and January, supporting partners with our insightful traffic and active travel reporting to evidence of how spaces, streets and neighbourhoods are used.

CRP have continued to work with South Bank BID and VivaCity on understanding traffic levels and emissions in the local area. The recent changes from the Spine Route’s traffic filters and highway improvements bring a new focus to the reporting, and the CRP team have been busy analysing and reporting on this data throughout January. CRP are delighted to be supporting South Bank BID on this, and are really pleased this data continues to be used to support their public realm decision-making for nearly four years.

Through Smarter Greener Logistics, CRP have been working collaboratively with the London Borough of Southwark to understand traffic around Cycleway 4, before the cycleway has been fully installed. This helps Southwark gain a really clear picture of vehicle movements and modelled air quality impacts on the local area, using VivaCity’s high tech artificial intelligence traffic sensors. CRP will be analysing data during 2024 for 3 months once the cycleway has been completed to understand the changes that have taken place.

CRP work with VivaCity’s artificial intelligence traffic sensors to provide insights and reporting into:

Active travel and traffic count analysis that measures all vehicle classes
Movement and directionality mapping, modelling and visualisation
Air quality and emissions modelling
Speed and road safety evidence
Public realm and behaviour analysis

If you are interested in finding out whether CRP can support you with impactful and insightful traffic and air quality reporting, please email CRP Sustainable Transport Manager Ross Phillips rossphillips@crossriverpartnership.org

CRP Project Manager Katherine Fairfax recently attended the Central London Freight Quality Partnership (CLFQP) – Current Freight Issues Group meeting. The CLFQP is coordinated by John Crosk, Chairman of the Brewery Logistics Group, and made up of representatives from the freight industry, local authorities, and other relevant organisations.

At the meeting CRP provided an update on the Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) Kerbside Management Trial which is being delivered in collaboration with Grid Smarter Cities. The trial aims to provide SGL local authority partners with the opportunity to trial kerbside management technology to alleviate congestion and improve air quality.

Read our workstream summary sheet for more information.

For any queries on the SGL Kerbside Management Trial contact CRP Project Manager Katherine Fairfax katherinefairfax@crossriverpartnership.org

CRP have exciting insights to share regarding our two micro logistics hub trials in Pimlico and Wandsworth:

Since the Pimlico micro logistics hub trial began nine months ago – the trial recently ended on 31st December 2023 – 4,186 kg of CO2 emissions have been saved. Let’s translate this into a more tangible example, thanks to the CRP Clean Air Tool. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 85 football pitch-sized forest fires. If you’re not convinced yet, here’s another notable achievement: 15,141 g of NOx emissions have been reduced so far. This is equivalent to the NOx emissions of what 459 people emit in one day!

The micro logistics hub in Wandsworth is four months old and is demonstrating impressive results. Last month, 6,000 flower deliveries were sorted at the hub, and 257 miles were travelled by cargo bikes! We will be sharing insights for January soon.

CRP is currently working with Islington Council and Decarbon Logistics Solutions to identify suitable locations for a future micro logistics hub trial. Consequently, another micro logistics hub trial should be implemented in the coming months, so stay tuned to CRP’s regular updates on our website, social media channels, or newsletter.

Keen to learn more about micro logistics hubs? Find out here.

You can also subscribe to our newsletter to keep abreast of the latest news regarding the micro logistics hub trials.

Please contact CRP Project Manager Isidora Rivera Vollmer with any queries isidorariveravollmer@crossriverpartnership.org

Archives: News Articles

Just Streets Launches in Turin

Celebrating the success of CRP’s Courier Fair

The UK becomes Europe’s biggest ZEV market

New London Overground Names Celebrate London’s Wonderful and Varied Cultural Heritage

Exciting Pimlico Hub Trial Update!

Active Travel Underfunded in England

UK’s First Clean Air Night Campaign

CRP Continues to Support Boroughs and BIDs with Insightful Data

CRP Attends Central London Freight Quality Partnership

Micro Logistics Hub Updates