FAQs

Separate cycling and walking paths significantly improve safety by giving cyclists and pedestrians dedicated space, reducing road use conflicts. With their own paths, both groups can travel at comfortable speeds without the need to navigate around each other, which improves the overall experience for everyone. Transport for London’s Cycle Infrastructure Design strongly supports separating these paths, as it’s proven to promote safer, more efficient travel for both cyclists and pedestrians.

Several species of bat, including Common, Nathusius and Soprano Pipistrelles, Daubentons and Noctule, live and fly through the area. Bats can be sensitive to light which can disrupt their feeding, mating, and migration patterns, which is why we need to provide lighting that reduces these disruptions while providing visibility for people.

Yes, we are planting around 45 new trees along the route. Although we’ve worked hard to minimise tree loss, we may need to remove up to 15 small trees. However, we are replacing these and proposing to plant more trees and other greening, resulting in a biodiversity net gain. 

Trees can improve air quality, reduce temperatures, improve drainage, and support biodiversity, making the area healthier and more sustainable. They also make public spaces more beautiful, boost mental well-being and contribute to overall community quality of life. 

We’re upgrading the traffic signals at key junctions to make it safer and more convenient for people walking and cycling to cross the road between Hollow Ponds, the hospital, and nearby residential areas. Adding more crossing points improves walkability and cycling access, making it easier for everyone to get around. This encourages active travel, supporting a healthier and more connected community.

Continuous footways/blended crossings slow down vehicles entering or exiting side roads and encourage vehicles to give way to people crossing the road, reinforcing the rules of the Highway Code. They also provide a smooth and uninterrupted surface for people walking and cycling. 

These crossings are commonplace in mainland Europe and have been introduced extensively over the last 20-25 years, particularly in cities and countries which are considered the best places for walking and cycling, including Holland, Denmark and Germany. Over the last 10 years we have introduced over 200 continuous footways in Waltham Forest.

We are proposing continuous crossings at the entrances to Hollow Pond Boat House car park and the Leyton Flats car park to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians on the walking and cycling path. These locations have more pedestrians and cyclists travelling on the path than the number of vehicles entering and exiting the car parks, making it important to provide safe, uninterrupted crossings.

We have spoken to impacted businesses along the route to ensure they can have their say on the plans. Once implemented, the improvements should increase the foot and cycle traffic for the businesses in the area. Research shows when streets are safer and more enjoyable to travel on, people are more inclined to spend time in their local areas, leading to more business.

We offer plenty of initiatives to encourage residents to try walking and cycling. Residents can hire all types of cycles, undertake free cycling training, get free Dr Bike maintenance checks, join an All Ability Cycling Club and sign up for cycle awareness training for drivers. The borough has nine different walking and cycling routes to explore, and we run group guided Feel Good Walks each day. For more information on our walking and cycling initiatives, please visit: Walking | London Borough of Waltham Forest.

These proposals are a key part of our plan to create a greener, healthier future, as set out in our Borough Missions and Climate Action Plan. By 2030, we are aiming to be net zero, with 80% of journeys in Waltham Forest being made by walking, cycling, or public transport, well ahead of the Mayor of London’s 2041 targets. 

To achieve this, we are making sure our infrastructure is fit for purpose, to make active travel safer and more convenient for everyone. We have already built 56 kilometres of cycle lanes, installed 765 bike hangars, created more than 200 continuous footways, and introduced or upgraded over 70 formal crossings. These efforts are having a significant impact, with the borough’s Cycle Counter Network recording a 56% increase in cycle journeys between 2017 and 2023. 

Encouraging active travel not only helps us address the climate crisis but also boosts public health. Research shows 42% of adult residents in Waltham Forest do more than 20 minutes of exercise daily, making us the second most active borough in outer London. Regular exercise reduces the risk of major illnesses like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and can lower the risk of early death by up to 30%. 

By continuing to invest in these changes, we are creating a cleaner, healthier, and more connected Waltham Forest for everyone.