TfL launches new 15-Mile walking route connecting communities and green spaces

Credit: Transport for London

A new 15-mile walking route, the Green Link Walk, has been launched by Transport for London (TfL), in collaboration with the City of London, Southwark, Islington, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The initiative aims to foster community connections with green spaces and further amplify the surge in leisure walking witnessed since the onset of the pandemic, fulfilling a key mayoral manifesto commitment.

The Green Link Walk, marking the eighth addition to the Walk London Network, spans from Epping Forest to Peckham town, threading through nearly 40 green areas, including Walthamstow Marshes, London Fields and Burgess Park. This expansion bolsters London’s ambition to become the most walkable city globally and underscores a collaborative effort with various walking and wheeling groups such as Ramblers, London Living Streets, Sustrans and CPRE.

Amidst a 10% rise in leisure walking post-pandemic, as highlighted by TfL’s Leisure Walking Plan, 57% of Londoners have expressed a desire for increased walking spaces. The Green Link Walk directly addresses this need, offering a new 15-mile route meandering through London’s cherished green landscapes.

Designed with inclusivity in mind, the route ensures accessibility by removing barriers such as bollards and steering clear of streets lacking dropped kerbs and steep ramps. Prominent Green Link Walk signs strategically guide pedestrians along streets and paths to verdant spaces and waterways, while two new rain gardens installed along the route serve to mitigate flooding risks.

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Funded through the Mayor’s Green and Healthy Streets Fund, the Green Link Walk aligns with London’s broader agenda to integrate green infrastructure, enhance climate resilience, and promote active travel, thereby reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.

Will Norman, the Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “We’ve seen a significant increase in leisure walking since the pandemic, and Londoners have told us they’re keen for more space dedicated to walking. With spring just around the corner, this new walking route is a great way to improve Londoners’ health and wellbeing by increasing access to nearly 40 of London’s green spaces, helping to build a better city for all Londoners.”

The Leisure Walking Plan contains 13 actions to improve the Walk London Network including auditing the network, upgrading 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 across London.