Road transport is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and the second largest contributor of air pollutants in H&F.
The air pollution caused by fossil fuel powered transport damages the environment and poses a significant threat to people's health. H&F has the tenth highest percentage of early deaths attributable to nitrogen dioxide and to particulate matter air pollution in London.
Although air pollution is a health risk for all residents, its effects are not felt equally, with children, the elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions being particularly vulnerable. Short term exposure to pollution is a key problem, and this is where road transport emissions are most critical – affecting us all as we move around the borough.
The council's strategy to reduce the pollution and emissions generated by transport follows the active travel pyramid, meaning that investment seeks to promote walking, cycling and public transport over shared, and lastly, private vehicles. This will support residents' wellbeing as active travel is associated with positive physical and mental health benefits.
Progress in H&F
In 2024 H&F delivered a range of initiatives to accelerate progress towards healthier and more sustainable travel. We have engaged with residents, businesses and other key stakeholders such as schools to encourage active travel across the borough and sought to reduce the council's transport emissions by electrifying more of our vehicles.
Active travel
- H&F Council installed 46 cycle hubs and an additional 276 secure cycle parking spaces for residents.
- The council funded training sessions to help over 3,000 children and adults learn to cycle in 2024. 72 H&F residents participated in in All Ability cycle sessions for people with learning difficulties and disabilities.
- We've funded initiatives to support residents to repair their bikes at low or no cost, such as weekly Dr Bike sessions, which supported the maintenance of over 2,000 bikes in 2024.
- The council teamed up with schools and community hubs to launch Beat the Street, a game awarding points and prizes to incentivise active travel across H&F. Over 13,000 residents participated, cycling, walking or wheeling more than 95,000 miles.
Healthier streets
- We launched School Streets Plus and delivered three School Streets in 2024. This programme helps to protect children from air pollution and traffic by temporarily closing roads during peak drop-off and pick-up times.
- The council delivered five School Play Streets and three Resident Play Streets in 2024. Temporarily closing roads to traffic provides children with safer and healthier spaces to run around and play.
E-bikes
- We created 66 new dockless parking spaces for e-bikes and 127 new e-bike geo-zones to expand access to this cleaner, greener and more active form of travel.
- The council's continued efforts to promote e-cargo bikes are cutting emissions and air pollution by reducing the numbers of cars on our roads. Parcels Not Pollution is offering grants of up to £2,000 to families, businesses and charities to help them purchase e-cargo bikes. We helped 29 businesses make the switch in 2024.
Electric vehicles
- H&F's shift towards electric vehicles continued in 2024. Around one in seven vehicles registered in H&F are electric, helping to cut the emissions and pollution generated by gasoline-fuelled vehicles.
- To support this transition, there are now more than 2,600 electric vehicle charging points in H&F and every home or office is now within at least 400 metres of a charging point.
- The council has electrified 20% of its fleet and is making electric vehicle usage a condition of major contracts.