The City of London is kicking cars off half its roads

#News(General) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]

On October 7, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shocked the world–or at least affirmed our worst suspicions–with a report on the necessity of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, or risk widespread wildfires and swaths of heat-scorched land, and flooding bad enough to sink coastal cities. To hit that target, countries, local governments, and countries alike will need to fully decarbonize and shift to renewable energy by 2050.

It’s a steep, and necessary, order, but there’s proof that the City of London is already on track: The day after the report came out, the City introduced a plan to dramatically reduce car traffic and speeds in the financial district, colloquially known as the Square Mile. Under the proposals from the City of London Corporation, the local authority for the district, cars would be banned from half of all roads in the city center, and vehicles passing through on access roads would be limited to 15 mph. The move, according to the Evening Standard, is intended both to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety, and reduce emissions.

The City of London Corporation presented the draft plans to local elected officials as part of the lead-up to the unveiling of its final Transport Strategy, which the agency will publish next spring, and about which it’s been sourcing feedback and suggestions over the course of this year. At the core of the Transport Strategy for the district is pedestrianizing streets around key local tube stations like Liverpool Street and Moorgate, and adding more two-way, protected bike lanes on major streets.

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