Hounslow is set to receive a significant boost to its transport infrastructure, with £1.7 million in funding allocated by Transport for London (TfL). The funds, allocated for the 2025/2026 financial year, must be used within that period to support a range of projects aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and sustainability across the borough.
The funding, approved at a Publishable Officer Decisions meeting on Friday 04 July 2025, will be directed towards several key areas:
- Safer Corridors and Neighbourhoods: £1,165,000
- Better Bus Partnerships: £20,000
- Cycleways Network Development (CND): £247,000
- Bus Priority: £165,000
- Cycle Training: £87,000
- Cycle Parking: £97,000
The allocation of these funds demonstrates Hounslow Council's commitment to improving transport options for residents and visitors. The 2025-2026 TfL Local Implementation Plan Grant Funding Acceptance and Allocation document outlines the specific projects that will benefit from this investment.
Safer Streets and Active Travel
A significant portion of the funding, £1,165,000, is earmarked for Safer Corridors and Neighbourhoods. This includes a mini-programme for road safety education (£125,000), cycle training and promotion (£50,000), and active travel promotion (£55,000). Additionally, funding will support People Friendly Street initiatives, including a study and programme development (£25,000), and capital improvements to Capital Interchange Way (£25,000) and Osterley (£25,000).
School streets will also see improvements, with retrofits planned for various schools, including Ivybridge (£250,000), Berkeley Academy (£12,500), Rosary Catholic School (£12,500), and Grove Road/Orchard Schools (£15,000). Pedestrian crossings will be enhanced at various locations (£20,000), and pedestrian accessibility improvements will be made in Southville/Bedfont Lane (£106,000).
Enhancing Cycle Infrastructure
The Cycleways Network Development programme will receive £247,000. This funding will support the development of various Priority Cycle Network (PCN) routes, including PCN R5 (Hounslow Town Centre to Wellington Road South) and PCN R6 (Hounslow Town Centre to Hounslow West), as well as improvements to PCN Route 7 along Southall Lane. The Cycling Action Plan details the council's broader strategy for enhancing cycling infrastructure and promoting cycling as a sustainable mode of transport.
As part of the investment in cycling infrastructure, £97,000 has been allocated to the Cycle Parking Programme. The Cycling Action Plan outlines a plan to clear the existing residential cycle parking waiting list by 2030, requiring approximately 20 hangars to be installed each year. It also mentions increasing cycle parking spaces at schools, stations, and town centres, prioritizing areas where existing provision is low, including Feltham, Hounslow Central, and Chiswick. The exact locations and number of spaces to be created are not yet specified.
Improving Bus Services
Bus services will also benefit from the TfL funding, with £165,000 allocated to Bus Priority projects. This includes a technical study into signal timings and parking (£30,000) and implementation of bus priority measures on Heston Road (£85,000). While the 2025-2026 TfL Local Implementation Plan Grant Funding Acceptance and Allocation document allocates £85,000 for Bus Priority Implementation - Heston Road
, specific details on the measures to be implemented are not provided. Additionally, £20,000 will be used for the Better Bus Partnerships programme, with potential for further exploration of options for Hounslow High Street.
Promoting Active Travel
Active travel initiatives will receive a boost, with £87,000 allocated to cycle training programmes. These investments aim to encourage more residents to choose cycling as a healthy and sustainable mode of transport. The Walking and Wheeling Action Plan further supports these efforts by outlining strategies to improve pedestrian and wheeling infrastructure across the borough.
The TfL funding is expected to have a positive impact on Hounslow's transport network, making it safer, more accessible, and more sustainable for all residents and visitors.