Episode 9: Climate-proofing Transport for London’s operations

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, Katherine Drayson, Senior Environment Manager at Transport for London (TfL), is our guest. We speak with Katherine about the vital role TfL plays in managing much of London’s sprawling public transportation system and how climate change is impacting all of this.

London has the world’s oldest underground rail system, and this is only one part of TfL’s portfolio, which also includes the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground, along with buses and other modes of transit. But with the negative impacts of climate change on the rise, TfL has a dual role in helping London achieve the ambitious targets set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. First, TfL is working to make its operations more resilient against the warmer, wetter winters, and hotter, drier summers London is experiencing. Second, TfL is also focused on ensuring that Londoners have safe, reliable, convenient, and comfortable transit options that will help more and more residents choose public transportation over the use of a personal vehicle, thus reducing emissions in the city.

Join Host Davion Ford and Katherine as they discuss the role that cities and transportation play in contributing to and potentially solving the climate crisis. Katherine also talks about both the history of public transportation in London, as well as what the future may hold.