Every day, around 2.5 million work-related trips take place across London. Around a third of these trips are made by private car. This presents a big opportunity to support employees in switching to cleaner, healthier, and smarter ways to travel.
At TfL, we work collaboratively with employers and business groups. We try to understand the challenges they face, which in turn helps us strengthen the case for investment in public transport infrastructure.
We also provide guidelines and tools to help developers and employers, in turn, create more walking, cycling and public transport journeys.
Let’s take a closer look at how we collaborate with businesses, why it matters, and what it means for London.
Working with businesses every day
Businesses are part of the fabric of London. They power its growth and productivity.
They also have a unique influence on how people travel, whether for commuting or business trips around the city.
Our Stakeholder Advocacy and Engagement team works with business groups on a regular basis. They share TfL’s priorities and listen to the challenges businesses face. This collaborative approach helps us in several ways, including:
- Understanding real world challenges
Business groups like BusinessLDN and the Federation of Small Businesses offer valuable insights into how organisations experience London’s transport network. These insights help inform how we plan, prioritise and improve our services.
- Strengthening the case for investment
When businesses share how important reliable transport is for London’s economy, it strengthens the case for investment. This includes infrastructure, upgrades, and service improvements. This helps support more sustainable journeys.
- Safer streets and less congested public transport networks
By working directly with employers and developers, we can help them reduce congestion, lower emissions and make streets safer.
Business engagement is a collaborative process that’s not just about dialogue, but paving the way for practical action.
Here we explore two ways we do this. We shape how new developments are designed. We also help employers support their staff in choosing more sustainable ways to travel.
New developments are an opportunity to embed sustainability
Every new development in London is an opportunity to embed sustainable travel from the start. Our Spatial Planning team works with developers, local councils, and the Greater London Authority. Together, they embed the Healthy Streets approach set out in the London Plan. This helps ensure people can access new developments safely and sustainably.
Designing for active travel and public transport
When we are consulted on planning applications for new developments in London, we can request design changes. A lot of this is done through our Spatial Planning team. We can also ask for measures to promote sustainable travel and make streets safer for everyone, as set out in the London Plan.
This might include requirements such as:
- Providing high‑quality cycle parking
- Improving conditions for walking and cycling
- Enhancing local public transport access
- Contributing funding towards bus frequency or capacity increases
Developers must also carry out an Active Travel Zone assessment. This evaluates the quality, safety, and accessibility of key routes during the day and at night.
These assessments focus on the safety of women and girls. They help identify and secure improvements. These include better lighting, clearer sightlines, safer crossings, and more welcoming public spaces.
Case study: Baltic Wharf, Westminster
At Baltic Wharf, developers worked with us at TfL and local partners. Together, they introduced a range of sustainable transport measures through planning permission.
This included a £200,000 developer contribution towards a new Cycle Hire docking station. It also supported public realm upgrades, including improved lighting and better accessibility.
These changes not only supported the development itself but will also create long-term benefits for the surrounding area.
Third-party funding for transport improvements helps London grow sustainably. It also creates safer and more welcoming spaces.
Our resources support greener, healthier and more sustainable travel
Many employers want to help their staff make more sustainable travel choices, but they don’t always know where to start.
Our Travel Demand Management (TDM) team works with employers to provide practical, accessible tools to help with this.
The tools include videos for staff. They share tips on how to make the most of the transport network and provide information on quieter times to travel.
Also among these resources is a Smart Commuting toolkit. This explains the many benefits of sustainable travel. It also suggests practical steps employers can take to encourage greener commutes.
These include flexible working arrangements, Cycle to Work schemes, and better changing facilities in the office.
Celebrating sustainable commuting
TDM works closely with employers to develop useful tools for them. Together, they capture and promote the great work being done to support more sustainable journeys to work.
So far we’ve worked on case studies with:
These examples highlight the range of ways organisations can support their staff, and the significant impact they can have.
Building a sustainable future
Hundreds of thousands of work-related trips are made by car in London every day. This creates a major opportunity to make travel more sustainable.
We can improve conditions for walking and cycling. We can also make public transport easier to access. Small, meaningful changes can help employees travel differently.
We’re committed to supporting businesses on this journey.
Check out the Travel Guidance for Businesses page to see our guidance for employers.
