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Richmond upon Thames Transport Strategy 2040

WHAT

ARE THE GOALS OF THE TRANSPORT STRATEGY?

Provide Accessibility for People of All Ages and Abilities

Improve Physical Activity and Mental Health

Improve Air Quality

Increase Transport Quality and Connectivity

Enable Walking or Wheeling to Local Services

Ensure Affordable Transport

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

Population

Richmond’s population is projected to increase by 5% between 2019 and 2041

The average outer London borough is expected to see a population increase of 19%

The London-wide population is expected to increase by 21%

Richmond residents have a life expectancy of about 2 years longer than the average London resident

Richmond is less ethnically diverse than other boroughs

Compared with England as a whole, Richmond has a smaller percentage of residents in their 20s and 30s, and larger percentage of residents in their 40s and 50s

Given the aging population in the borough, the Transport Strategy aims to ensure people of all ages can utilise the transport system

Proportion of London’s Population by Ethnicity and Borough

Population by Age and Gender

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

More than 50% of the borough is greenspace

There are 72 conservation areas

There are 1,100 listed buildings

Richmond has more than 4.5m tourists every year

Generating £200m in income

Richmond’s Royal Botanic Gardens were London’s 11th most visited attraction in 2023 with over 1.6m visitors every year

The borough is divided by the River Thames and railway lines, limits connectivity

Heritage Listed Buildings in Richmond

Distance from Physical River Crossing

Number of Households

Richmond has a projected 14% increase of households between 2019 and 2041

Outer London has a projected increase of 30%

64% of households in Richmond own their home

Source: www.statista.com/statistics/630146/ leading-london-visitor-attractions-uk

ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT

Jobs in the Borough

Richmond has a projected 23% increase in jobs between 2019 and 2041

Outer London has an average projected increase of 13%

The projected London-wide increase is 16%

Large proportion of jobs in the Richmond are highly skilled

Current median income in the borough is £53.5k, which is higher than other outer London boroughs

Compared with a London average of 5%, 2.4% of Richmond’s population aged 16-64 claimed unemployment benefits in 2024

Areas with a higher index of deprivation are concentrated in parts of Castelnau, Ham, Hampton, Heathfield, Mortlake and Whitton

In 2021, the proportion of Richmond residents working from home was nearly double the national rate and nearly 20% greater than the average of London

Commuting Richmond residents travel similar distances to those in London and England as a whole

With nearly half of these residents travelling more than 5km, the Transport Strategy aims to give them as many safe options as possible for getting to their jobs

Distance Travelled by Commuting Population

Population Working Mainly From Home (2021)

AIR QUALITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Pollution Along Busy Roads

Poor air quality contributes to over 9,000 premature deaths in London every year

Most major roads in the borough experience pollution, with the A316 seeing some of the highest levels

The Existing Air Quality Action Plan for 2024-2029 adopts ambitious World Health Organisation targets

Other areas experiencing significant pollution include King Street in Twickenham Town Centre, Kingston Bridge, Hampton Court Road, and the A205

Building a long-term Transport Strategy will help move residents around the borough more efficiently and sustainably, ensuring healthy air for all

Dioxide)

AIR QUALITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Flood Risk Map

Nearly 30,000 residential properties in Richmond are at risk of surface water flooding greater than 0.03m depth, and about 100

residential properties are at risk for flooding greater than 0.5m

TfL Bus Fleet

Entire bus fleet to emit zero exhaust emissions by 2037

Goal for 85% of double deck buses be hybrid, electric, or hydrogen by 2025

Of the 30 bus routes that service Richmond, 20 carry at least 1 million passengers every year

7 of the routes are fully electric, with that value increasing every year

Bus Fleet

TfL

CAR OWNERSHIP AND PATTERNS

Cars Per Household

Based on TfL’s strategic transport models Richmond has a projected 6% decrease in car ownership between 2019 and 2041

Outer London has an average projected decrease of 12%

75% of households in the borough have at least 1 car

Outer London boroughs including Richmond have seen comparatively low reductions in motor vehicle traffic flows compared to central and Inner London

Car and Motorcycle Trips

Between 2019 and 2041 Richmond has little change in car and motorcycle trips

Outer London has an average projected increase of 5%

The borough’s goal is to decrease vehicle kilometres driven by 5-10%

Change in Motor Vehicle Traffic Flows by Area, 13-period Moving Average, 2008/09 - 2023/24

CAR OWNERSHIP AND PATTERNS

EV Charging Points

The borough aims to continue expanding Electric Vehicle (EV) charge coverage

Although car ownership rates have decreased, the number of cars purchased each year continues to rise as the population grows

Currently, about 35% of the borough’s roads are covered by Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ)

Richmond has the most EV chargers/100,000 people of any Outer London borough

Richmond: 460

Merton: 369

Brent: 317

Barnet: 114

UK Average: 96

Bromley: 50

The new Transport Strategy will strive to make life in the borough with either an electric car or no car at all as seamless as possible.

Cars Purchased in Richmond

Household Car Ownership

Source: Number of licensed vehicles, all PLG, Department of Transport

SAFETY

There were 93 serious collisions in Richmond in 2022, 2 of which were fatal

Of the serious and fatal collisions between 2016 and 2023, 49% involved injury of a cyclist

‘Vision Zero’ aims to have zero serious and fatal casualties by 2041

Serious & Fatal Collisions

Collisions Locations 2016-2023

The Transport Strategy aims to make travelling around the borough as safe as possible so that all residents feel secure on roads, trains, buses, pavements, and paths.

ACTIVE TRAVEL WALKING, CYCLING, AND WHEELING

ACTIVE TRAVEL

Other than the City of London, Richmond residents work from home more than any other borough

Nealy half of Richmond residents who commute do so by private car

About half of adults in Richmond get substantial exercise from walking or cycling at least 5 times a week

By 2040, about 70% of Richmond residents are projected to be living within 400m of the London-Wide Strategic Cycle Network

Mode share target for trips to be taken by walking, cycling, and public transport

% of Residents Living Within 400m of the London-Wide Strategic Cycle Network

Mode Share of Usual Method of Travel to Work by Borough, 2021

ACTIVE TRAVEL

Richmond residents are relatively active and healthy

In comparing Richmond with all Outer London boroughs, Richmond has the highest percentage of residents who achieve at least 20 min of active travel a day

An accessible and thriving public transport system directly helps to promote active travel

Percentage of Adults that Walk or Cycle at Least 5x a Week

Percentage of Residents aged 20+ Achieving Over 20 min of Active Travel/Day

By ensuring active travel is accessible and safe to residents of all abilities and ages, the borough’s collective health and quality of life will improve

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Public Transport Trips

Richmond is expected to see a 7% increase in Public Transport trips between 2019 and 2041

Outer London projected increase is 21.7%

London-wide projected increase is 20.5%

Distance from a rail station varies significantly across the borough

Areas such as Hampton Hill and north of Richmond Park are both distant from a rail link and have limited bus options

Access to Bus Network

Access to Rail Network

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Across London, demand on the TfL road network has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels

However, public transport usage remains 10-20% below pre-pandemic levels

Richmond, Kew Gardens, and Twickenham stations are the busiest stations in the borough, seeing passenger numbers comparable to Inner London stations

Avg. Weekly Demand on the Main Transport Networks Compared to the Equivalent Week Before the Pandemic (March 2020 – October 2023)

Weekday (0-24h) Bus Boarders Compared with 2019, by Local Authority

Source: PTSP/TAPS

Annual Station Entries and Exits at Richmond Rail Stations

National Rail Overground/Underground

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Current state

There are currently 30 bus routes in the borough

20 of these routes carry over 1 million passengers a year Richmond’s route 65 is one of London’s 25 busiest bus routes

The borough aims to improve bus speeds from 11.1mph to 11.6mph by 2041

An increase of about 5%

While many boroughs saw a decrease in bus capacity from the early to mid 2010s, Richmond saw an increase of 1%

In focusing on long-term public transport goals, the Transport Strategy will ensure more residents have better access to jobs, shops, social events, and public spaces