TfL digitises Walk London network in bid to make capital more walkable
Transport for London (TfL) has published its first plan to promote walking for leisure. The new action plan will enhance and expand leisure walking routes and better connect London's communities with green spaces, building on increases in leisure walking seen since the pandemic
Leisure walking, says TfL, provides people with an affordable and easy way to support good health, and physical and mental wellbeing while protecting and improving the environment.
As part of the Leisure Walking Plan, TfL has partnered with Go Jauntly to digitise the Walk London network – one of the largest walking networks of any city in the world – and make it available through the Go Jauntly app.
Digitising the network means that people will be able to use the Go Jauntly app to navigate seven routes, including the Thames Path and London LOOP. Accessible by public transport, these walking routes pass through 28 London boroughs, with each route split into sections to make them easier to navigate.
The Leisure Walking Plan also sets out further commitments to boost leisure walking in the capital. TfL will carry out an audit of signage on the existing Walk London network and look to improve existing wayfinding signs. TfL will also use funding from the Mayor's Green New Deal fund to identify further ways of improving the network, including by resurfacing existing paths to make them more attractive and easier to use.
In a 2022 survey, of those who said they walk more in London than they did the previous year, 39 per cent cited leisure as the reason, compared to 37 per cent who walked more to travel somewhere and 31 per cent who walked as part of a public transport journey.
To help coordinate the delivery of the plan, TfL will work closely with the London Walking Forum. Its members include organisations such as Living Streets, Sustrans, Ramblers, London Councils and the Canal & River Trust.
Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said, "London is already a great place to explore on foot but as Londoners grapple with the impacts of climate change, a child inactivity crisis and spiralling cost of living, it is vital that we do more to improve London's leisure walking network. Walking provides people with an affordable, easy way to maintain their mental and physical wellbeing while protecting and improving the environment.
"Our action plan will enhance and improve the Walk London network making London much more walkable and in doing so improve Londoners health, reduce health inequalities and increase access to green space - contributing to building a better, greener London for everyone."
Christina Calderato, TfL's Director of Transport Strategy and Policy added, "Upgrades will include improving existing routes to make them more accessible, developing new routes to better connect communities with green spaces, and greater promotion of the vast array of leisure walking opportunities.
The new digitised walking network can be accessed at https://walks.gojauntly.com/users/transportforlondon