Tower Hamlets

Healthy streets schemes

We are working to support boroughs in the delivery of their schemes within the current funding environment. In places this means new cycle routes and low traffic neighbourhoods and in others prioritising buses and making journey times faster and more reliable.

We are also introducing temporary measures for Cycleway 4 between Tower Hill and Greenwich sooner so Londoners can benefit from them more quickly.

The Green Man Authority

We've updated traffic lights at pedestrian crossings so pedestrians will see a continuous green man signal unless a vehicle is approaching. In that case, the red man will appear.

This initiative, unique to the UK, is part of our wider Streetspace for London programme.

The Green Man Authority technique has been installed in Tower Hamlets at:

• Marsh Wall by Thames Quay Building
• Devons Road by Devons Road DLR

Latest news

Here are some updates to your travel around London and your borough:

• Elizabeth line services though Whitechapel and Canary Wharf stations
• Our Everyone's Future Counts document highlights our programmes designed to support those who are held back due to barriers in education and in the workplace
• We have published our annual Gender, Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap reports
• The TfL Go app will help you travel comfortably
• Our pay as you go fares are automatically capped, so you don't need to buy a travel card in advance. Create an online account or use the Oyster app to quickly and easily calculate your expenses

Funding for your borough

We provide funding to boroughs and local communities for transport improvements in your local area.

Local Implementation Plan (LIP)

The LIP is produced by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and agreed with us. It sets out the details on transport infrastructure changes in a three-year period to support the Mayor's Transport Strategy.

Find out more about LIP funding. 

LIP targets for Tower Hamlets

Each borough has set targets in their LIP against the Mayor's Transport Strategy outcomes - we track and report on progress against these targets in the LIP3 MTS outcomes borough data pack.

For example, the car ownership in the borough was 46,729 in 2019. The LIP target to reduce car ownership by 2021 is 41,400.

We also work with boroughs to encourage more cycling. We recorded 24,521 daily cycle trips on average starting in Tower Hamlets between 2015 and 2018.

More resident and visitor population figures are on the GLA website.

Vision Zero

We are working with boroughs to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries from all road collisions to zero by 2041. They are responsible for enforcing safe speeds on their roads, as well as leading community programmes to encourage using roads safely. Find out more about Vision Zero.

In 2019 there were 160 individuals killed or seriously injured in Tower Hamlets. Our target for 2022 is to reduce this number to 45.

Helping your community

The Vision Zero dashboard enables organisations and members of the public to more easily access and interpret collision data. In sharing collision data in this way, organisations can better identify the road danger challenges specific to their respective sectors and communities, and work together with us, London's boroughs and other agencies to tackle them

The dashboard currently comprises collision data from 2017-2020 and will soon include future data and further analysis capability.

TfL's Motorcycle safety courses

We offer a range of free online and face to face motorcycle safety training courses across all boroughs to help ensure motorcyclists stay safe on London's busy roads and support the Vision Zero objective to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London's roads by 2041.

Electric scooter (e-scooters) trial

In partnership with London Councils, we're running an e-scooters trial. On 7 June 2021 e-scooters became available to rent in your borough. Working together on a single trial means the trial can run consistently across participating boroughs, with safety at its core.

What we're working on in Tower Hamlets

• We consult local communities on a range of projects every year. Search our new consultation and engagement hub - Have Your Say
• Find out about major works and events near you
• See some ongoing TfL improvements and projects in or near Tower Hamlets

Work now going on in your borough includes:

• A13 Commercial Road - safety improvements between New Road and Jubilee Street would reduce danger for vulnerable road users and encourage walking and cycling
• Replacement DLR trains - we're buying a new fleet of walkthrough DLR trains
• Healthy High Streets - Whitechapel High Street improvements include better lighting along the market, new stall coverings, wayfinding signs, enhanced seating and investigating the repair of the existing water fountain by the station. We have already made signage and parking bay regulations for loading and unloading clearer and more enforceable to help blue badge holders park in these bays

Bus network changes

From time to time - after consulting the public - we alter bus routes to reflect changing patterns in demand. We also make temporary changes, often because of road works. See the latest bus changes.

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates across all London boroughs and the City of London. The M25 is not in the zone. This is part of the commitment by the Mayor and TfL to help every Londoner breathe cleaner air.

The ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends (except Christmas Day), with a £12.50 daily charge for vehicles that do not meet the required emissions standards.

If you drive anywhere within the ULEZ, and your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, you could face a daily charge of £12.50. Use the TfL vehicle checker to see if your vehicle is compliant.

Our assets in Tower Hamlets

Assets we maintain in your borough include:

• Nine Tube stations
• Two Elizabeth line stations
• Five London Overground stations
• 17 DLR stations
• Around 430 bus stops - see all 34 day bus routes in Tower Hamlets
• One bus station
• One coach station
• One TfL pier (Tower)
• Cycle Superhighway 2 which runs from Stratford to Aldgate
• Three taxi ranks
• Around 240 traffic signals
• Over 27 kilometres of red routes

See a map of our assets in London.

We maintain our assets until they need to be renewed or disposed of as set out in our asset management plan. We do this by:

• Servicing them regularly to keep them operational
• Repairing or replacing faulty assets

Report a problem on a London street with our Streetcare tool.

We do not maintain in Tower Hamlets:

• Non-red route roads - these are maintained by Tower Hamlets
• Litter removal on red routes - this is also the borough's responsibility
• Network Rail track at London Overground stations - contact Network Rail. Track and signals between Shoreditch High Street and Wapping is owned and maintained by us
• Taxis and mini cabs - these are owned by taxi drivers and minicab offices
• Coaches
• Four bus garages in Tower Hamlets that are owned and managed by bus companies
• Taxi ranks on borough roads. Cars and other vehicles parked on taxi ranks can be reported to Tower Hamlets

Report private hire vehicles (PHVs) parked on ranks or unattended taxis on ranks directly to us.

Dealing with severe weather

For documents relating to winter service in the boroughs, go to the Streets publications page.