Search questions

• Reference: 2024/0921
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0521: TfL has claimed that an unexpected northbound blockage of the Blackwall Tunnel for six minutes will lead to a 3 mile tailback (https://content.tfl.gov.uk/silvertown-consultation-booklet.pdf). You state in your answer that the entrance to Blackwall is a quarter of a mile from the entrance to Silvertown. Do you agree that, given this, when Blackwall northbound is unexpectedly blocked, it will in fact take about 30 seconds for the resulting tailback to extend past the Silvertown exit?

• Reference: 2024/0922
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Given that access to the exit to Silvertown will be swiftly blocked, can you please estimate the length of queue after Blackwall is blocked for six minutes, with Silvertown open, in similar traffic conditions to those used in the estimate above? How much shorter than 3 miles will it be?

• Reference: 2024/0923
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0527: Can you provide these estimates of increases in PM and NOX pollution from this extra traffic in tonnes/year, not in concentrations?

• Reference: 2024/0924
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0522: Can you provide these estimates of overall reductions in PM and NOX pollution from opening Silvertown and tolling Blackwall in tonnes/year, not in concentrations?

• Reference: 2024/0926
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0523: Can you provide updated figures on expected increases or decreases of traffic CO2 emissions in the years following opening, to replace the figures in TfL's 'carbon and energy statement'?

• Reference: 2024/0928
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0526: You say TfL's sensitivity testing covered different values of time - but the 2018 MTS did not change the value of time - what it did do - at least if the targets within it for motor traffic reduction were hit - should have been to make very significant changes to forecasts for traffic and congestion - which in turn changes the amount of time potentially saved by any scheme that is claimed to reduce congestion. i) Why did you not re-evaluate the scheme according to these revised traffic forecasts prior to signing the contract? ii)...

• Reference: 2024/0929
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question: 2024/0523 - You claim that the Silvertown Tunnel will enable you to 'greatly increase public transport usage in east and southeast london'. Why then have you reduced the promised bus service through Silvertown by more than half from 31.5 buses/hour to 14 buses/hour - just 2 new bus routes? Given the alignment of the tunnel, which does not follow existing desire lines, and the failure to engineer bus priority on approach roads to make journey times more competitive with other modes, where do you expect future demand to come from?

• Reference: 2024/0930
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question 2024/0527: You state: 'The Silvertown Tunnel scheme, including the user charge and new zero emission bus network, has been designed to ensure that there is no material impact in the number of vehicle trips across the river.' Can you please confirm that this is in fact incorrect, and that opening the Silvertown Tunnel, whether or not it is tolled, and whether or not zero emission buses are used, always substantially increases cross-river traffic, and local pollution, and carbon emissions, compared to an otherwise identical situation in which Silvertown is not opened to general traffic?

• Reference: 2024/0925
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

The proposed toll on Blackwall and opening the Silvertown Tunnel to general traffic (with or without a toll) are two separate schemes that can be implemented either independently or together. Given the urgency of action on climate and air pollution it is therefore vital for us to understand how each scheme contributes independently to air pollution and climate targets, as well as how they might work together i) Can you provide (in tonnes/year) the reduction in CO2 emissions and PM and NOX pollution that will be achieved by tolling the Blackwall tunnel to effectively relieve regular congestion on the tunnel...

• Reference: 2024/0927
• Question by: Hina Bokhari
• Meeting date: 15 March 2024

Re my question: 2024/0525: The proposed toll on Blackwall and opening the Silvertown Tunnel to general traffic (with or without a toll) are two separate schemes that can be implemented either independently or together - and, given the legal structure of the project, future London Mayors will have a choice of whether to implement either or both. It is therefore important to understand the disaggregated economic consequences of these choices. Can you therefore use the same methodology you have used to calculate the benefits of both schemes together to also calculate: i) The economic benefit of just tolling Blackwall to...