Transport News January to March 2011
New £50 million rail line opens three months earlier than planned
It's only 2.1km of track, but the latest London Overground link completed Hackney's connections to the Tube network - and opened three months earlier than planned.
The £50 million line from Dalston Junction to Canonbury and Highbury and Islington runs under Kingsland High Street, along the route of an older track decommissioned in the 1980s. It means that passengers wishing to reach Victoria Line or national rail services at Highbury and Islington can now get there from Shoreditch High Street in just 12 minutes.
The Council campaigned for many years to secure the new stations and a London Underground link for the borough. Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney said: "I'm delighted this latest link now offers people who live and work in the borough, as well as visitors, a fast, direct connection to the Victoria Line. Easy access to the Tube network will make a huge difference to residents and businesses and I'd like to thank Transport for London (TfL) for its commitment in delivering this project."
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, officially opened the link on 28 February. He said: "The engineers have performed marvels to complete their work three months early and this will provide a crucial connection for people heading to the Olympic Park next year." TfL forecasts that 33 million people will use the link this year, and demand is expected to increase to 40 million by 2016.
Eight trains an hour are set to run along the new section of track. From Dalston Junction, they connect to three other new London Overground stations that opened in Hackney last April: Haggerston, Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. The line then runs as far south as New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon, currently carrying over 70,000 passengers a day. A final phase of work will extend the line further from Clapham Junction to Dalston Junction via Surrey Quays. This link will complete a planned 'orbital railway' for London, and is due to open in 2012.
7 March 2011
Two wheels on two continents
A youth cycling exchange born on a Hackney estate has started a partnership between the borough and a small town in Uganda, East Africa.
The project, which is based on the Nightingale estate, was planned by Keir Apperley, Manager and Head Coach at Cycling Club Hackney (CCH), with support and advice from development charity, the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC).
It kicked off with a trip to Uganda last December and the first event organised by CCH and host country organisations - a hill cycling time trial. Partly sponsored by donations from Hackney Homes staff, Keir met local people and made plans to return this December, when keen young cyclists from Hackney hope to travel to Uganda for a three week tour, teaching good cycle maintenance on the way.
Uganda's cycling fans will then be invited to London in summer 2012, when they will receive training on first aid, bike maintenance and road safety.
CCH - which is supported by the Council, Hackney Homes, Team Hackney and The Learning Trust - offers training and a chance to compete for young people in under-13s and under-18s groups.
Keir said: "This exchange would like to deliver first-class training and skills to participants from Uganda with the goal of setting up centres of cycling in new regions around the country.
"As for Hackney's young participants, this project will be an exciting opportunity to learn first-hand about life in Uganda, make a positive contribution, develop connections and expand horizons, whilst improving their life skills."
The exchange will also coincide with the delivery of a container loaded with cycles and related equipment sent out in partnership with Re-cycle, a UK charity committed to providing cheap, sustainable transport for people in several African countries.
7 February 2011
Happy passengers
Satisafaction with the London Overground network has increased, according to an independent survey.
Passengers said they felt stations were cleaner, safer and more welcoming; services were more frequent and reliable; and customer information had improved.
The findings came from three annual surveys conducted since London Overground took over the network from Silverlink in 2007, investing £1.4billion in improvements.
Rail watchdog Passenger Focus carried out the latest study last autumn as part of its National Passenger Survey.
It found that 85 per cent of passengers were satisfied with Overground services, up from 82 per cent in 2009.
Since TfL created London Overground in 2007, the East London Line route has opened, connecting Dalston Junction with New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon. This includes four new stations in Hackney and a new link from Dalston Junction to Highbury & Islington, which is expected to open later this month.
For the full report visit: www.passengerfocus.org.uk
More information
For CCH info visit: www.cyclingclubhackney.co.uk. For info about Re-cycle visit: www.re-cycle.org; for CYEC info visit: www.cyec.org.uk/
7 February 2011
Criminals have had their chips
Over 1,200 Hackney cyclists have benefited from free bike micro-chipping and registration at a series of events organised by the Council and Hackney police.
According to TfL figures, cycles are the main form of transport for five per cent of all journeys in the borough - the highest level in London.
However, 1,509 pedal cycles were stolen in Hackney last year, with only a small percentage being reunited with their owners. But when a stolen micro-chipped and registered bicycle is recovered by police, they can use the data to identify the owner.
Since last September, 18 of these events have taken place in Hackney. ImmobiTag chips, which normally cost £15, were fitted to cyclists' bikes for free by police, while Council transport officers were on hand with some tips on safer cycling.
Cllr Sophie Linden, Cabinet Member for Crime, Sustainability and Customer Services, said: "This project has not only highlighted the issue of cycle theft, but has given residents the knowledge and tools they need to improve their cycle security."
PC Maz Lovegrove of Hackney's cycle crime squad, added: "Criminals should think twice about stealing a bike in Hackney - microchips mean police can verify ownership details whilst on routine patrol."
Further events are planned for the coming months. For info call: 020 8356 3170.
7 February 2011
Onwards to the Tube
Residents will soon be able to benefit from a further new section of the East London Line (ELL) when it opens next month.
A 2.1km section of track now connects Dalston Junction to Canonbury, and Highbury & Islington London Overground stations and will make travelling around the capital easier than ever before.
The link is due to open ahead of schedule in February, giving residents easy access to the Victoria line, as well as the wider London Overground network.
Eight trains an hour are set to run along the new section of track. Already, 12 trains per hour travel southwards from Dalston Junction, calling at three new London Overground stations that opened in Hackney last April - Haggerston, Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. The line then runs as far south as New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon.
Building the link involved construction work in, around and under Kingsland High Street.
Transport for London (TfL) has invested £1billion in the extension and upgrade - the biggest transport infrastructure project for London since the opening of the Jubilee Line extension in 1999.
Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said: "This is the culmination of a long campaign and I'm pleased to see Hackney now well connected to the Tube map. Easy access to the Tube network will make a huge difference to residents and businesses, and I'd like to thank TfL for their commitment in delivering this project."
Huw Edwards, TfL Programme Manager for the East London Line extension, said: "This project would not have been as successful as it was without the support and backing of Hackney Council. By collaborative working, we managed to keep the high street open, at the same time as we were completing this major project underneath it."
The final phase of work will extend the line further from Clapham Junction to Dalston Junction via Surrey Quays. This link will complete a planned 'orbital railway' for London.
More information
From 19 to 26 February 2011 London Overground services will be suspended between Richmond and Camden Road. When work ends this spring, services from Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford are set to run at least six trains per hour all day between Willesden Junction and Stratford, calling at Dalston Kingsland, Hackney Central, Homerton and Hackney Wick. For Overground info and replacement bus details visit: www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15405.aspx; for 24-hour London travel info call: 0843 222 1234.
10 January 2011
Ready for the roads
Around 50 Year Six pupils visited Hackney Museum on 8 December to learn about being safe and responsible citizens.
Pupils from Grasmere and Randal Cremer primary schools met staff from the London Transport Museum, London Ambulance, The Dogs Trust, London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police. The 10 to 11-year-olds participated in seven interactive sessions to help them to become more independent as they prepare for the transition from primary to secondary school.
Chris Nix, Safety and Citizenship Manager at London Transport Museum, said: "We are keen to plan and support local events to prepare children to become more independent citizens.
"Our joint programmes mean we can deliver sessions that are relevant to the young people and make the learning interesting and memorable."
The event was part of a two-week Hackney Junior Citizenship Scheme, open to all schools in the borough. It was run by Transport for London, and supported by Hackney's Safer Schools Partnership and The Learning Trust.
10 January 2011
£3.9m funding
The Council has received a £3.9million funding boost for 2011/12 from Transport for London (TfL).
Hackney receives money each year as part of the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) allocated to London boroughs, to fund projects that support the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy. These include improvements to town centres and public spaces, new cycling facilities, safer roads and measures to smooth traffic flow.
Hackney has developed proposals for a number of schemes it hopes to finance with the package, which is £70,000 more than the last financial year.
Plans include £35,000 to bring car club bays within a three minute walk of every resident by 2013/14; £170,000 for the borough's programme of free cycle training for people of all ages living or working in the borough; and £35,000 to encourage sustainable ways of travelling to work including estate cycle parking and travel awareness outreach.
The Council will be able to prioritise projects according to local need.
Following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review, the funding allocated to London boroughs will drop over the next three years to reflect the reduced grant TfL receives from the Department for Transport.
However, funding for programmes such as road maintenance, bridge strengthening and major schemes are being safeguarded. Funding is also being made available for modernising traffic signals and initiatives such as completion of the London Strategic Walking Network.
10 January 2011
Pit stop success
The Council's final 'cycle pit stop' event of 2010 was a great success with nearly 200 people stopping off to take part in activities in London Fields.
More than 50 bikes got a free health check, and cyclists took advantage of expert advice on maintenance and the best routes through the borough to help riders boost their confidence and safety. Over 150 people also got free security tagging for their bikes, and more than 50 people took part in HGV awareness sessions to get a driver's perspective on bike users.
Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, attended the 25 November event and took a turn in the HGV cab. She said: "Events like this offering free bike checks and expert advice are really useful. They demonstrate how simple and necessary it is to make sure that bikes are in a roadworthy condition, to prevent unexpected and potentially dangerous incidents."
The event was organised by the Council's Sustainable Transport Team with support from the Community Safety and Road Safety Teams, along with partners from the Metropolitan Police.
For info about travel in Hackney visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/movegreener
10 January 2011
Bike hire expansion
Over 2,000 extra hire cycles are set to be installed in East London ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
in 2012.
The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme will expand across the area - including North Shoreditch and all of Tower Hamlets - with 4,200 new docking points created.
When complete, the expanded London-wide scheme will cover 65km2 and have around 8,000 hire bikes available from 14,400 docking points.
Last month, a 'pay as you go' system was introduced allowing instant access to bike hire without needing
a membership.
Casual users with a credit or debit card can now rent bikes by following on-screen instructions at the docking station. Once a time period is purchased (either 24 hours or seven days) the first 30 minutes of any journey will be free.
For more info visit: www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire
10 January 2011
Page updated: 4 Apr 2011
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