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3. Travel trends by mode
Light goods vehicles (LGVs) were responsible for 14 per cent of the vehicle
kilometres travelled by all motorised road vehicles in London in 2014. After strong
growth up to 2007, LGV traffic fell heavily post-recession between 2007 and 2011.
LGV traffic has started to increase again, and is now 10.1 per cent higher than the
2011 low point. LGV traffic is 3.4 per cent higher than 2008 on a net basis, with
particularly strong growth in outer London and in the most recent year.
Data on LGVs crossing the cordons shows a slightly different trend, without the
pronounced recessionary decrease shown in the volumetric data. Compared to
2008, the number of LGVs crossing the central cordon was 0.5 per cent higher in
2014. Over the same time period, there was a 2.3 per cent increase across the inner
cordon and a 0.9 per cent increase across the boundary cordon (to 2013).
Lorries
Figure 3.15 shows the trends in the volume of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) crossing
the central, inner and boundary cordons, corresponding to central London, inner
London and the GLA boundary respectively. Figure 3.16 is the equivalent trend for
vehicle kilometres.
Figure 3.15 Daily number of heavy goods vehicles crossing at the three cordons: 24
hour flows, 1990-2014.
200
180
Heavy goods vehicles (thousands)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Central cordon Inner cordon Boundary cordon
Source: TfL Surface Transport, Outcomes, Insight and Analysis.
67 Travel in London, Report 8