The Clean Air Route Finder is a journey planner developed by Cross River Partnership and Imperial College London to help identify low pollution walking and cycling routes in London.

The route finder retrieves up to three alternative walking or cycling routes from Google Maps and calculates the total modelled pollutant dose along each route for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10 and PM2.5 particulates using a combination of average concentrations, distance and ventilation rate for walking or cycling. The sum of these modelled dose differences are then presented as a relative percentage difference in green (least exposure), amber (medium exposure) and red (highest exposure).

The tool uses live data from the London Air Quality Network (LAQN) which is the most advanced air quality monitoring network in the world and through a unique combination of monitoring and modelling.  It is managed by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College who also created the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI). This sophisticated high resolution map of air quality details NO2 , PM10 and PM2.5 particulate and ozone (O3) concentrations right across the city.

It also displays more than 20 Clean Air Routes, pre-mapped routes  identified by CRP and partners with monitoring by Imperial College showing air pollutant concentrations between 30% and 60% lower than more heavily-used alternatives between transport hubs and key pedestrian destinations.

Originally funded by the Mayor of London, CRP sought to encourage active travel by providing online tools, creating walking maps and delivering on-street infrastructure such as signposting, greening, lighting and urban realm improvements. As part of the Clean Air Logistics for London programme funded by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), CRP began exploring how the tool could apply to outdoor workers, specifically walking couriers.

“We all have deeply ingrained habits when it comes to our daily commute and we rarely stop to consider the alternatives. The Wellbeing Walk offers a healthier, less stressful route for the tens of thousands of people that travel between Euston, St Pancras International and Kingʼs Cross each day. This important initiative has been made possible thanks to an effective collaboration between businesses that make up the Urban Partners and the local community, which we hope will provide a model that can be replicated in other areas of London.”
Joyce Lorrigan, Chair of Urban Partners