The Department for Transport (DFT) does not routinely hold transport statistics on a parliamentary constituency basis. However, the Department provides Transport for London (TfL) with a block grant to fund transport delivery in London. This grant has increased by just over 245 per cent. in the last nine years, rising to some £3.3 billion in 2010-11. Drawing on these and other resources, the Mayor is responsible for publishing, and through TfL, implementing a transport strategy for London, while the boroughs are required to publish local implementation plans which set out how they will contribute to the Mayor's strategy.
The additional funding that has been made available has helped deliver 1,089 million passenger journeys on the Tube in 2008-09, the highest ever. London Underground's scheduled service is now its largest ever, and in 2008-09 96.4 per cent. was run, the best annual result for 14 years.
Bus services in London have also improved. 2,247 million passenger journeys were made in 2008-09 and patronage grew by almost 47 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2007-08.
Concessionary travel continues to benefit elderly and disabled Londoners, and more than a million people currently hold a Freedom Pass.
South London rail routes serving Streatham have also improved. Southern have delivered a new fleet of trains, some of which operate on South London services, and the remaining rolling stock has been refurbished. Stations such as Streatham Hill and Gipsy Hill are being improved as part of the National Stations Improvement programme.
On the roads, national targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40 per cent. and reduce the number of “slight” casualties by 10 per cent. (compared to the period 1994-98) by 2010 were largely exceeded by TfL by 2004, leading to TfL setting themselves new targets of 50 per cent. and 25 per cent. respectively.
Various improvements in relation to cycling have also been realised across London. In May 2010 TfL will launch its cycle hire scheme and construction of the first two (out of 12) cycle superhighways is presently under way. One runs close to Streatham through Lambeth to the City and is anticipated to be ready this summer. TfL report that cycling now accounts for 2 per cent. of trips in London compared to 1.2 per cent. in 2000, and between 2000-01 and 2007-08 TfL's automatic cycle counters reported an increase in cyclists of 91 per cent.