Navigating London's top destinations set to get easier!
109 journeys between neighbouring central London Underground stations are actually quicker on foot than the Tube and the population of the capital is set to grow to 800,000, so it’s great to hear that walking has been given a further boost by TFL (Transport for London) through the expansion of an innovative signage system – Legible London.
Not only has research shown that the new system is easy to use and makes pedestrian journeys quicker (by an average of 16%), but almost two-thirds said the system would actually encourage them to walk more. The roll-out of this system is hoped to ease congestion on the busy public transport system as well as improve the health and well-being of many Londoners, as walking just 30 min a day can dramatically reduce the risk of developing serious health problems in the future, as well providing immediate effects of relaxation and lowering of blood pressure.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "There have been occasions when I have been gobsmacked to hear people say they intend to use the Tube or a bus to make a journey of even just a few hundred yards. I used to think that some of these people were just crackers but it seems that many people actually don't realise how close these places are. Or how simple and invigorating it can be to put your best loafer forward and walk from A to B in many areas of the Capital.”
The unique system of on-street signs, maps and fingerposts is designed to make it quicker and easier to walk around the streets of London. The scheme uses 3D representations to give people a quick sense of their bearings and help them locate shops, parks, hotels, landmarks, toilets, Tube stations and other amenities. Redundant street furniture, confusing and obsolete signage will also be removed and replaced with fewer, more attractive, and easy to understand maps, reducing visual clutter and making life easier for pedestrians.
Legible London is already being used in the Bond Street area and will now cover Regent and Oxford Streets; 24 signs will go up before Christmas (in time to help you through the throngs of Christmas shoppers) and a further 37 will go up by next summer. In addition, it’s been announced that Legible London will be piloted in 3 more areas next year:
• A West End scheme, covering Bloomsbury, Covent Garden and Holborn as the area has a large number of Tube stations that it would be quicker to walk between
• South Bank and Bankside due to their river side attractions and proximity to Waterloo station - one of London's key transport hubs
• The leafy outer London town centres of Richmond and Twickenham will test how Legible London works in an outer London location
The scheme is being developed in creative partnerships with borough councils and the business community, and other stakeholders such as the New West End Company. TfL are working to involve all partners in the process of securing funding for the programme in the future.
Ben Plowden, Director of Smarter Travel at Transport for London said: "Walking is a convenient, enjoyable and healthy way to get around London, but the problem is that the Capital can sometimes be challenging to navigate on foot. Its clear and easy-to-read mapping will tell people which roads to take, what landmarks they'll pass along the way and how long it will take them to get where they want to go."
We’d love to hear you thoughts about this story: What do you think of this new system? Do you live, work or visit any of the areas that will benefit from this scheme in the future? Have you used any of the existing signs – what did you think? Click here to comment in our forums.