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London's 2012 mayoral candidates should pledge to boost investment
in walking and cycling in the capital, according to the authors
of a new study which found that off-road cycling routes have
much lower levels of pollution than surrounding roads.
Research by Sustrans
- supported by a coalition of 10 organisations, including
Clean
Air in London and Environmental
Protection UK - also found that quiet roads
can meet legal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
where adjacent busy roads do not.
The research is designed to reveal the benefits of so-called
'greenways' - quieter and safer roads
that run near busy roads, designed to promote walking and
cycling.
After analysing NO2 levels in five
areas of London, it found stark differences between greenways
and busy roads. For example, a greenway site in Brent had
39ug/m³ - meeting EU limits - while the nearby A404 recorded
60-80ug/m³, exceeding the EU limit by 50 per cent.
Marylebone Road in Westminster showed the highest reading
of more than 250ug/m³, which is more than 150 per cent higher
than the EU limit.
Green Party mayoral candidate and London
Assembly member, Jenny Jones, supported the findings of the
study, arguing they made a strong case for introducing
more Greenways.
"Investing now to help Londoners walk and
cycle more will benefit us all by reducing air pollution and
will save many lives by reducing traffic, improving air quality
and helping people exercise," she said. "The mayor has failed
to deal with the problem and to protect Londoners' health.
We need to act now for a cleaner, healthier and safer city."
The UK government has come under increasing pressure to take
action on NO2 pollution, after publishing
plans that showed many areas in the UK, including London,
would fail to meet legal EU pollution limits by 2015, potentially
leading to fines from the European Commission.
Following a judicial review last month, environment secretary
Caroline Spelman was forced to admit her department had breached
its air quality obligations to the EU. However, the judge
refused to force the government to upgrade its plans.
David Kidney, head of policy at the Chartered Institute of
Environmental Health, said the study showed the strong link
between transport and air quality.
"This vital work has brought together professionals
from health, environment, transport and children's sectors
- and, together, we are determined that the lessons will be
accepted by policymakers," he said. "In particular, we shall
press for a higher priority for spending on green infrastructure."
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