TfL are holding a Board meeting next week, and amidst the 252 pages of documentation are these statistics and revelations relating to usageof the Silvertown Tunnel thus far. Let's bash some figures.
Early analysis of data up to 11 May shows traffic volumes across the combined Silvertown and Blackwall corridor average 88,000 vehicles across both directions on a typical weekday, with 20,000 vehicles using the Silvertown Tunnel. Conclusion: 77% of traffic is using the Blackwall Tunnel and only 23% is using the Silvertown Tunnel.
i.e. The Blackwall Tunnel is over three times busier than the Silvertown Tunnel. It's a surprisingly non-equitable split.
This compares with 90,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day typically using the Blackwall Tunnel prior to the opening of Silvertown. Conclusion: Despite doubling tunnel capacity, road traffic totals are down. (They could be down by just 2% or by as much as 12%, it's still too early to tell). This suggests that the impact of introducing a toll has outweighed the opening of a new tunnel. Observation: If traffic is down then air pollution may also be down.
We are aware of some increased traffic volumes at other river crossings, including the Woolwich Ferry, which has seen an additional 1800 vehicles per day on average. Conclusion: Some (but not all) of the missing traffic is using the Woolwich Ferry. Observation: 1800 vehicles is a lot of extra traffic, about 40 ferryfuls. Observation: Past data suggests about 3000-4000 vehicles use the Woolwich Ferry daily, so this would be approximately 50% more vehicles. (but we await actualfigures on daily ferry usage, so this is all a bit approximate)
Route 108 continues to run through the Blackwall Tunnel, with initial analysis since the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel showing a 23% improvement in excess wait time compared to the same period last year. Conclusion: If nothing else, spending £2bn on a tunnel has greatly improved the reliability of my local bus route.
Across all three cross-river bus routes, there is a daily average of more than 20,000 customers making use of these services. Clarification: That's bus routes 108, 129 and SL4. Route SL4 is new, route 129 was extended through the Silvertown Tunnel and route 108 has been running for decades. Past data: Last year route 108 averaged 9000 passengers per day and route 129 averaged 5000 passengers per day. Conclusion: The new total of 20,000 per day is thus 6000 more than before the tunnel opened. Observation: That's a bus passenger increase of 40%, but now spread across three routes not two. Observation: Given all three routes are free, you might have expected a bigger increase.
n.b. As yet there's no breakdown for the three separate routes (but it's almost certain the SL4 is the least used)
We typically see 7000 crossing the river by bus each day, which is around a 160% increase since the Silvertown Tunnel began. Inference: Previously 2700 passengers per day were crossing the river on route 108. So yes, a big jump.
In addition, customers using pay as you go for journeys between Greenwich/Cutty Sark and Island Gardens, and Woolwich Arsenal and King George V have their fares refunded. To date, we are refunding around 5000 customer journeys each week on average. Conclusion: That's just 700 people per day, so the DLR freebie is much less popular than the free bus crossing.
We are currently seeing 100-150 passengers using the cycle shuttle service on a typical day. Observation: The cycle shuttle operates every 12 minutes from 06:30 to 21:30, which is 150 crossings per day. Conclusion: That's an average of not quite one cyclist per bus. Embarrassing conclusion: That means the bus drivers are crossing the river more than the cyclists.
This is below the capacity of the service and so we are looking at ways to promote it to Londoners.
It's a 12 month trial, and it's not looking promising.
Crossing the river daily
• 88,000 vehicles through the tunnels (tolled)
• 1800 additional vehicles on the ferry (free)
• 7000 passengers on buses (free)
• 700 DLR passengers on short hops (free)
• 150 cyclists on buses (free)
