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8. Transport connectivity, physical accessibility and understanding London’s diverse communities
8. Transport connectivity, physical accessibility and
understanding London’s diverse communities
8.1 Introduction and content
This section considers themes around the connectivity and accessibility provided by
the transport network. The key role of London’s transport system is to provide
access to jobs, services and other opportunities so that London can function
effectively and its economy continues to grow. Although London has relatively
dense transport networks, on a day-to-day level it is known that the availability of
transport can still act as a constraint on, for example, the ability of people to reach
suitable employment opportunities. Furthermore, as London’s population
continues to grow, new and improved transport links to cater for this growth
assume increasing importance.
Using TfL’s tools such as PTALs and the newly-released WebCAT connectivity
analysis tool, this chapter examines the improvements that have taken place over
the relatively short-term, corresponding where possible with the nominal baseline
of 2008 for the MTS, as well as looking forward to what can be expected in 2031,
given committed schemes.
Disabled people face particular barriers in accessing and using the transport
network. The chapter picks up this theme by looking at how physical accessibility to
the networks has improved over recent years.
It then broadens the canvass to look at London’s diverse communities and
transport more generally, focusing on what we know about the specific
requirements of these groups, and how this evidence informs TfL’s plans for
improvements over the coming years.
8.2 Key trends – transport connectivity and physical accessibility
• Typically, for people living in outer London, between 0.25 and 0.5 million jobs
are potentially available from their home location within 45 minutes travel time.
However, this rises to typically around 2.5 million jobs potentially available to a
resident of central London. This measure of access to jobs has increased by an
average of 5.2 per cent across London over the period 2009-2015, with the
average Londoner able to reach slightly more than 1 million jobs within 45
minutes. However, this largely reflects the background increase to the number
of jobs available in London as opposed to dramatic improvements to network
connectivity (although east London has benefitted in particular from new links
provided by London Overground).
• A more substantial ‘step change’ in this indicator will arise with the full opening
of Crossrail in late 2019, alongside the expanded Thameslink network, which
will offer a dramatic improvement in cross-London connectivity. It will mean,
for example, that 50 per cent more jobs will be potentially reachable from Ilford
town centre in 2031 compared to 2011.
• In terms of access to public transport, as measured through TfL’s PTAL index,
there has been a 14.2 per cent improvement (Greater London level average)
between 2008 and 2015, reflecting numerous large - and small-scale
improvements over the period, with an aggregate improvement of 23.6 per cent
expected between 2008 and 2021, given currently-committed schemes.
139 Travel in London, Report 8