London

Abbeville Road is a vibrant local high street in Clapham within the Borough of Lambeth, home to a mix of independent cafés, restaurants, and neighbourhood shops. However, like many high streets, it remains dominated by car use and kerbside parking, creating a congested and vehicle-centred environment. This limits space for pedestrians, cyclists, and people with limited mobility, reducing comfort, safety, and dwell time for visitors and shoppers. 

Traffic counts and observational data collected by Lambeth Council indicate that motor vehicles occupy more than 60% of available street space at peak hours, while pedestrian movement accounts for the majority of users. Collision data from Transport for London shows that Lambeth records an average of 600 road casualties per year, with vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists) representing over 70% of those seriously injured, underlining the urgency to manage car trips more effectively. 

Reallocation of parking space on Abbeville Road aligns directly with Lambeth’s Transport Strategy and Kerbside Strategy, which commit to reallocating 25% of kerbside space towards more sustainable, including and climate-resilient uses by 2030. It also supports the borough’s Climate Action Plan, which targets a 68% reduction in borough-wide emissions by 2030, and the Road Danger Reduction Strategy with the ambition to eliminate all fatal and serious injuries from road collisions.

DESIRED SITUATION

The ambition is to transform Abbeville Road into a more inclusive high street by using data to inform reallocation of parking space to walking, cycling, or greening. The project will test digital tools to map, visualise, and evaluate how rebalancing the kerbside can reduce unnecessary traffic and improve accessibility. The project aims for a; 

1. Reduction in non-essential vehicle presence on Abbeville Road.  
2. 5–10% increase in pedestrian footfall and dwell time during the pilot. 
3. Evidence of improved balance between parking, loading, and active modes based on data visualisation outputs.  
4. 5% increase in walking and cycling trips along Abbeville Road.