Active Travel Strategy
Lewisham Council’s Active Travel Strategy sets out our plan to make walking, wheeling, scooting, and cycling the preferred ways to get around our borough. This strategy supports our vision for a cleaner, greener, and healthier Lewisham, and aims to reduce our reliance on cars.
Why active travel?
Active travel means using people-powered ways to get around, like walking, cycling, scooting, or using a wheelchair. Choosing active travel helps to:
- cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change
- improve air quality and reduce pollution
- boost physical and mental health
- make our streets safer and more welcoming for everyone
- save money on travel
- support local businesses and communities
Our vision
We want walking, wheeling, scooting, or cycling to be the first choice for journeys in Lewisham. Our strategy sets out a clear plan for improving as many active travel routes and facilities as possible over the next seven to ten years.
What is in the strategy?
- Joined-up Planning: The strategy brings together national, London-wide, and local policies, including the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and Lewisham’s own plans.
- Better Routes: We’ve identified 21 priority corridors (proposed routes across Lewisham that connect important places like schools, parks, transport hubs, and town centres) for improvements, chosen based on things like safety, accessibility, and where people need them most.
- Quick Wins: Some smaller changes can be made quickly, like new crossings or better signage.
- Funding and Delivery: We’ll use a mix of funding sources, including grants and developer contributions, and deliver improvements in phases as funding allows.
- Community Involvement: The strategy was shaped by feedback from residents, local groups, and stakeholders. We’ll keep working with the community as projects move forward.
How we chose what to improve
We started by looking at 36 possible routes and narrowed these down to 21 priorities using data on things like population, deprivation, and key destinations (schools, hospitals, shopping areas). We also considered cost, feasibility, and the potential benefits for residents.
Listening to you
We held a public consultation in summer 2025. Most people supported our vision and the proposed improvements. Safety, accessibility, and reducing traffic were top priorities for residents. We’ve updated the strategy based on your feedback, and we’ll keep listening as we deliver these changes.
Making it happen
Delivering the strategy will take time and money. We’ll work in stages, making the most of available funding and linking improvements with other projects like Healthy Neighbourhoods and road resurfacing. We’ll also work to overcome challenges like narrow streets and underground utilities.
Equality and Inclusion
We want active travel to be accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities, older and younger residents, and those without access to a car. We carried out an Equalities Analysis to make sure our plans are fair and inclusive.
Climate and Health
Encouraging more active travel will help Lewisham become a net-zero carbon borough, improve air quality, and support healthier lifestyles for all.
Approval
This strategy was formally approved by Mayor and Cabinet on 22 October 2025. You can view the decision report, which also describes the updates that were made to the strategy based on the consultation feedback.