The Silvertown road tunnel opened in April, but arguments about whether or not it has been a good thing have rumbled on like heavy traffic. Now, City Hall has released new Transport for London figures, saying they confirm that the new Thames crossing’s initial impact has been positive in several ways and “a huge success” for the capital.
Findings highlighted include “significantly less congestion” around the approaches to the nearby Blackwall Tunnel, particularly northbound on the A102, which has long been notorious for tailbacks.
The TfL monitoring report for the first 11 weeks of the tunnel’s operation – from 7 April until 21 June – shows that average weekday morning peak period speeds on the approach roads have risen from nine miles per hour in March to 30 miles per hour, reducing journey times by 70 per cent.
The data also show that on what City Hall calls “a typical weekday” a total of around 91,000 vehicles use the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels in both directions on weekdays, of which 22,000 use the Silvertown.
Prior to the Silvertown opening, around 96,000 had used the Blackwall. City Hall has hailed the weekday decrease, which has occurred despite the new tunnel doubling cross-Thames road capacity in the area, seeing it as a vindication of the project and the use of tolls on both tunnels to manage demand.
However, TfL’s monitoring report also shows an increase in the generally lower combined use at weekends to a total of 87,300 vehicles compared with a weekend baseline figure of 84,200.
TfL’s report also says bus journeys have aincreased, with the SL4, 129 andthe 108 services all, of which link the north and south sides of the Thames, seeing greater use, sharing lanes with heavy goods vehicles.
An extended 129 and the new SL4 “Superloop” go through the Silvertown Tunnel and the 108, connecting Lewisham and Stratford, continues to use the Blackwall, whose susceptibility to breakdowns made the route one of London’s least reliable.
The TfL report also says that “excess waiting time” for the 108 dropped by almost a quarter during April and the journey through the tunnel has been lasting 4.5 minutes less than before.
The buses on all three routes going through the tunnels are zero emission double decker vehicles. City Hall says more than 20,000 trips are being taken on them daily, representing an increase of 160 per cent compared with before the Silvertown Tunnel opened and nine per cent of all trips through the two tunnels. A “cycle shuttle” service for bicycles has been carrying 125 cyclist a day.
Additional encouragement for using public transport to get across the river has seen the cost of roughly 5,000 Docklands Light Railway journeys per week refunded. This is expected to continue for at least a year.
City Hall concludes that the new tunnel and the way it is being managed is “supporting economic and population growth, in particular in south-east and east London” resulting from improved transport link options and the reduction in congestion.
All told, the data confirm that “the tunnel is achieving the objectives it was designed for,” according to City Hall. It adds: “TfL will continue to closely monitor and report on the scheme’s impact on congestion, resilience and air quality, in line with their obligations under the Development Consent Order for the scheme’s construction.”
The new figures have been welcomed by Sir Sadiq Khan and by Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at BusinessLDN, who said the project “shows what’s possible when the public and private sectors work in partnership to deliver vital infrastructure”.
The scheme was delivered by the Riverlinx consortium under a contract TfL awarded. Income from tolls will help to meet the project’s cost, meaning they need to be set at levels consistent with both generating sufficient income and deterring some drivers.
Suzi Rullo, senior development manager with the Royal Docks Team of officers from City Hall, Newham and the London Economic Partnership working on regenerating the Royal Docks area, said the completion of the tunnel project means land that had been needed during the construction period can now be released again for the development of the 5,000-home Thameside West scheme.
The Silvertown Tunnel faced sustained opposition from environmental campaigners claiming that adding road capacity would inevitably lead to increased demand and more congestion, rather than less.TfL’s case has been that the introduction of road user charging for both tunnels, currently £4 per crossing at peak travel times, would prevent that from happening.
The new figures follow a report to TfL’s board last month which said that use of the Blackwall Tunnel had fallen below 90,000 a day by 11 May. There has, though, been some additional use of the slower but free Woolwich Ferry option for getting across the Thames, as The Greenwich Wire has reported.
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