FAQs

The Mayor of London is committed to tackling air pollution, promoting public transport, and making our streets safer. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets a target for 80% of trips to be made via walking, cycling or public transport by 2041. 

These targets reflect both the Mayor’s and TfL’s ambition to transform our streets, so they create safer spaces for everyone to walk and cycle, for children to get to and from school safely, for you to be breathing cleaner air, to reduce carbon emissions from road transport, and for businesses to flourish, using a technique called Healthy Streets. This is an evidence-based approach to creating fairer, sustainable, and attractive urban spaces, by focusing on 10 key features. These can be found in Figure 1 shown below. 

Figure 1 Healthy Streets roundel 

The St Helier Avenue project helps to contribute to these targets and ambitions by implementing new bus lanes, two new pedestrian crossings, improved waiting areas around bus stops and changes to parking and loading restrictions.  

The introduction of the pedestrian crossings make either side of St Helier Avenue more accessible as well as providing dedicated safe spaces for pedestrians to cross. This is a key indicator of the healthy streets approach under ‘Easy to Cross’.  

We are investing in buses as we know that they play a key part in achieving modal shift across London. The bus can facilitate everyone's purpose for travelling, which is particularly important due to the shift towards localism following the covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, we want to give Londoners more reasons to choose sustainable travel so we can tackle the climate emergency and support London’s transition to Net Carbon Zero.  

Buses are most representative of London’s diverse communities and is seen as a lifeline for many. This is because the bus is the most cost effective, accessible, and available mode of transport in London: 

• At £1.75 a trip, buses are the cheapest public transport mode especially amidst the cost-of-living crisis we are currently in across the nation 
• The London bus network also has the most coverage compared to all other modes. Over 94 per cent of Londoners live within 400 metres of a bus stop, compared to 94 per cent of London homes which are within 1,500 metres of a rail station 
• Around 95% of London’s 19,000 bus stops are accessible, whilst currently 79 Tube stations, 60 London Overground stations and 25 stations served by TfL Rail have step-free access. Buses offer independence to those who may experience mobility challenges

The Bus Priority Programme (BPP) exists to support London’s bus network by providing targeted investment into interventions that will increase bus speeds and reliability to provide an attractive service for Londoners. As well as interventions for quicker journey times, the BPP exists to improve the wider ‘bus customer offer’ through improving accessibility and waiting environments. As London changes and adapts in a post-pandemic world, the bus will be an important part of a green lead recovery and the BPP will be instrumental in ensuring anticipated increases in private car use is mitigated through delivery of improved bus journey times and reliability.

Introducing new bus lanes is vital to ensure we are offering a reliable service to our customers, increasing bus speeds, improving bus journey times and overall network resilience. Bus lanes also contribute to the Mayor’s Vision Zero ambition to eliminate fatal and serious injury collisions on London’s roads by 2041, by providing space for vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists. 

Bus lanes are one of the most effective methods of prioritising valuable public transport and bus services over general traffic. Buses can bypass slower moving traffic, so they can reach and pick up passengers at the next stop quicker. Bus journey times are improved, and bus passengers can get to their destinations quicker.

• Improvements to bus journey times through the introduction of bus lanes and adjustments in parking and loading
• Safer and easier east - west connections across St Helier Avenue with the introduction of the two new pedestrian crossings
• Improvement in journey times for taxis
• Safety benefits for vulnerable road users such as pedal cyclists and motorcyclists who will be able to use the bus lanes
• Improvements to accessibility and waiting areas around bus stops

As we roll out new southbound and extended northbound bus lanes, several types of vehicles will now have their own dedicated lanes separate from regular traffic. This includes taxis, cyclists, mopeds, motorcycles, and non-blue light emergency vehicles, which will make roads safer. This also means slower vehicles won't hold up the flow of general traffic.  

Additionally, we are upgrading single red lines to double red lines. Parked vehicles can interrupt smooth passage for all road users, causing buses to merge with general traffic. This change helps preserve bus schedules by keeping buses out of regular traffic lanes and all traffic can progress without interruption. It also means customers can reach their destinations faster and reduces congestion on the roads.  

As part of the plan, we are adding two new pedestrian crossings, building out footways, and removing hedges. These improvements aim to make pedestrians more visible and provide a safer way for pedestrians to cross the road, helping to reduce the severance caused by the busy A297 St Helier Avenue. 

We are currently planning for construction to begin in Spring 2025. We are looking into how to best phase the works to minimise disruption to our customers.  

Construction is expected to last for six to eight weeks.

We will be engaging with the affected residents and businesses nearer the time to share more information about the plans for construction and any temporary traffic management plans that may need to be put into place to facilitate the works.

The introduction of a bus lane aims to improve the flow of buses, which can indirectly benefit motorists by reducing congestion and smoothing traffic flow. This will also benefit cyclists as they may use the bus lane and be separated from normal traffic. However, during peak hours or when road space is limited, motorists may experience some level of congestion because of the dedicated bus lane.

To inform our design process, we have undertaken the following surveys: parking and loading, traffic counts, traffic speeds and pedestrian counts. 

Additionally, we have carried out detailed traffic modelling to understand how our proposals might affect journey times for general traffic, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians. It has been used to study the traffic impacts of the scheme at the busiest times of the day, the morning and evening peak hours, as well as assessing how London's roads would operate both with and without the proposed changes. This takes into consideration factors such as population growth, committed developments and other road improvements.   

The results of the traffic modelling show that there will be little to no impact to journey times for all modes.

It is worth noting that despite the sophistication of our traffic and reassignment models, all traffic modelling is only ever indicative; it is intended to give an idea of where the impacts of changes in journeys are most likely to be felt. It assumes that drivers have perfect knowledge of the network and choose their route accordingly. 

Bus lanes important features on roads that significantly improve access for people. Bus lanes provide dedicated space for buses to travel without getting stuck in traffic congestion, allowing them to move more efficiently and reliably. This means that buses can transport passengers more quickly and consistently, helping people reach their destinations on time.   

Alongside the bus lane the scheme is aiming to introduce two new pedestrian crossings which would offer safe and designated areas for people to cross the road, ensuring that pedestrians can navigate busy streets with greater safety and ease.  

By implementing more bus lanes and pedestrian crossings, communities can enhance transportation accessibility, making it easier for everyone to travel and commute, whether by public transit, walking, or cycling. Whilst double red lines mean you can't park or stop your car there at any time. This keeps the road clear for traffic to move smoothly and helps prevent accidents. Parking restrictions also tell you where you can't park or when you can only park for a short time. These rules make sure that emergency vehicles and buses can get through easily and that traffic flows better overall, making the roads safer for everyone. 

There are not any proposed changes to the bus routes that serve St Helier Avenue and their schedules as part of this project.

Bus lanes can be used by multiple other vehicles including non-private licensed taxis, pedal cycles (including electrically assisted pedal cycles, adapted cycles and cargo bikes), solo mopeds and motorcycles. Please note that private minicabs (for example Uber) are not permitted to use the bus lane. There will be an introduction of two pedestrian crossings and kerb buildouts, introducing a safer space for pedestrians and making it easier to cross the busy A297.  

However, Blue Badge Holders (BBH) may experience an adverse experience as they would no longer able to park due to the double red line. A double red line means no stopping or parking and loading or unloading at any time. Please note that stopping is only permitted on a double red line if you break down or suffer a medical emergency. As part of the scheme, the proposed design will retain five of the six Northbound parking bays and all of the five existing southbound parking bays, therefore leaving the essential space for vulnerable road users. 

All new bus lanes will be in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The proposed bus lanes can be used by Buses, Pedal Cyclists, Motorcyclists and Taxis and non-blue light emergency vehicles. Please note that private minicabs (for example Uber) are not permitted to use the bus lane.

The bus lanes can only be used by vehicles which would be listed by signage along the route.

Compliance will be monitored and enforced by CCTV cameras both on the existing bus fleet and roadside detection. This is same approach for bus lanes across London. 

Our priority is to keep London moving safely and reduce delays. We only issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) when it is warranted to those who don't follow the rules indicated by signs and road markings and their actions could have resulted in delay, disruption or the risk of a collision.  

Revenue from PCNs is used to cover the cost of enforcement and any surplus revenue is reinvested to help fund road safety schemes. 

For further information around the rules of the Red Route Network and PCN’s, please see our website. 

Crossing a bus lane is allowed under the following exemptions:

• To access private driveways, forecourts or land for example homes, shops and businesses
• To avoid an accident or collision
• To allow a person to get or give help following an accident or in an emergency
• To such an extent or time in order to comply with roadworks or traffic management set out following an emergency
• In any occasion where the vehicle is being used by the emergency services (i.e. Ambulance) where the bus lane stops them from responding 

 For further information, please see our website. 

TfL has been engaging with the boroughs of Merton and Sutton about our proposals. They have had a chance to review our proposals, our plans to engage with the public and raise any questions they may have. In late 2024, we plan to launch statutory consultation on the traffic order changes, which will appear in the local press.

The Mayor of London is committed to tackling air pollution, promoting public transport, and making our streets safer. Buses play a key part in encouraging modal shift across London. This is because a bus can hold up to 76 people in the same space as three cars, therefore helping to reduce the total amount of carbon produced for one journey. Our bus fleet is increasingly better for the environment, with electric buses being rolled out across our fleet.  

Additionally, by providing better infrastructure for our customers, we are encouraging them to either walk, cycle, or take the bus. In turn this helps to reduce air and noise pollution, boosts biodiversity (by protecting our green spaces) and has benefits a persons mental and physical well-being.  

As part of our post-scheme monitoring, we will continue to review and analyse traffic and bus data including traffic count and queue length data, bus journey times and current and future bus demand, looking especially within the AM and PM Peaks as well as weekdays and weekends. This will help us to understand how the implemented scheme is affecting overall road network operations and bus performance. 

The new bus lanes is part of a target to introduce 25km of new bus lanes on London’s roads by March 2025 and is a condition of the funding agreement between TfL and the DfT made in August 2022. Therefore, there will be multiple projects around London to achieve this goal.

We will do before and after bus journey time surveys for all bus routes covered by the proposals. In addition, we will monitor the impact on personal injury collisions and vehicle speeds through before and after surveys.

Bus lanes will be marked with solid white lines along the edges of the lane, with accompanied broken white lines to indicate entry and exist points, with signage to indicate the presence of a bus lane and its operational hours.

A single red line means no stopping for any reason during restricted time periods, which will be detailed on a nearby sign. It means that during these times you cannot pick up or drop off passengers (unless they are disabled), or load/unload goods or paid-for deliveries. 

A double red line means no stopping or parking and loading or unloading at any time. Please note that stopping is only permitted on a double red line if you break down or suffer a medical emergency.

London Boroughs are the highway authority for their roads and set their own consultation and approval processes themselves. Please contact them directly for more information.