Guiding principles

In order to deliver our vision for transport, we have identified five guiding principles which provide a framework for this Strategy.

Sustainable Growth

Support new homes, jobs and investment through improved transport infrastructure and services

Transport has a critical role to play in enabling the new homes we need and in ensuring that Lambeth continues to thrive with the creation of new jobs and investment in our borough. Without significant improvements to the transport network in Lambeth the growth we expect will exacerbate existing issues and we will not be able to realise our potential.

Inclusive and Accessible

Make our transport network accessible to all and ensure the benefits of improved transport provision are shared across the whole community

We are not prepared to accept that many members of our community, including disabled people, are excluded from the transport network because their needs are not met. We need to address all forms of exclusion: physical; social; economic and cultural, to provide a truly inclusive network. That entails promoting step free, safe and welcoming, affordable, intuitive and convenient transport options that are responsive to a range of different needs and accessible to the whole community. Our Strategy promotes the use of sustainable forms of transport and we need to ensure that the benefits of improved public realm and better conditions for walking and cycling are shared by everyone. We accept that cars and parking spaces are vital for many disabled people to move around.

Efficient and Connected

Make our transport network efficient, allowing people to make quick and reliable journeys, supported by digital connectivity, reducing pressure on the physical transport network

The choice to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport is not driven by any ideology, but rather grounded in pragmatism. It simply is not an effective use of a limited resource – space – to plan for a future where more than a minority of people with specific needs use private cars to get around our borough. This Strategy plans for a decline in car ownership that will allow us to re-purpose space on our streets to meet other needs. We are also already seeing lifestyles changing, with new forms of mobility, including digital mobility, that can reduce the pressure on our physical transport network.

Active and Safe

Focus on people rather than traffic and enable people to travel safely and live healthier, more enjoyable lives

Transport is both a cause and a potential solution to serious public health issues we face in our borough around inactive lifestyles and poor air quality. We also face a major challenge to make our roads safer and to improve community safety on our streets and the public transport network. The more we drive, the less exercise we get, whereas those who walk, cycle and use public transport are all able to incorporate varying degrees of exercise into their daily routines and this has a public health benefit. By discouraging through motor traffic on local streets we can create more liveable neighbourhoods and better, healthier places. A renewed focus on road danger reduction, working towards ‘Vision Zero’ for road traffic casualties, is required and we must also address issues of personal and public safety related to the transport network.

Clean Air and Carbon Neutral

Take bold action to clean up our air and avert climate catastrophe.

We face a major public health issue relating to poor air quality that is affecting many lives now. We also need to move swiftly towards carbon reduction to become carbon neutral by 2030 to respond to the climate emergency we face. Lambeth will lead in this area and encourage others to follow. Many of the policies and initiatives we need to achieve this in relation to transport are already in place, but we will need to do more, to go further, more quickly in order to achieve our objectives. This Strategy, the associated Implementation Plan, and the emerging Borough-wide carbon reduction strategy, set out the changes we will need to make to the transport network and to the way we organise our lives to ensure public health and environmental needs are met.