TfL World Car Free Day: Which London boroughs have confirmed events over the weekend?

More than half of London’s boroughs have confirmed they will be celebrating World Car Free Day with events over the weekend.

Local streets across the capital will be without motor traffic in commemoration of this year’s instalment, with Transport for London (TfL) saying it expects around 100 events to be hosted.

World Car Free Day 2023 falls on Friday (September 22), though the transport authority said the celebrations are expected to last all weekend.

As the name suggests, cities and towns across the globe organise events in an attempt to highlight alternate uses for congested, local streets.

In 2019, when thousands of people in London enjoyed hundreds of car-free streets.

For this year’s World Car Free Day, Santander Cycles has announced a 50% discount off of its monthly memberships and the opening of a new docking station in Clapham in a bid to encourage more Londoners to take part.

TfL has teamed up with the free community walking app Go Jauntly, as it looks to get as many people as possible walking at least 20 minutes a day to raise awareness of World Alzheimer’s Month.

Mayor Sadiq Khan, TfL and many of the capital’s boroughs have invested heavily in improving walking and cycling facilities in the city in recent years, via schemes such as low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and major expansions of the cycleways.

A key tenet of the mayor’s Transport Strategy is that by 2041, 80% of journeys will be made by walking, cycling and public transport.

Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy and policy at TfL, said: “During World Alzheimer’s Month and ahead of World Car Free Day and traffic-free streets this weekend, we’re keen to encourage people of all ages to make the most of London’s fantastic walking and cycling routes to help improve their health and wellbeing.

“Walking and cycling are brilliant ways to get around and explore the capital, and we’re committed to making London one of the best big cities in the world to explore on foot and bike.”

Fiona Sutherland, director of London Play, said: “London Play is pleased to be working with TfL to give ordinary Londoners the chance to create instant communal space on their doorsteps, for neighbours of all ages to be active and have fun together.

“The simple act of excluding cars for a few hours on a residential play street can open people’s eyes to the huge potential our streets have to contribute both to individual wellbeing and community spirit.”

Which boroughs have confirmed events over the weekend?

A TfL spokesperson said they cannot name particular streets closed to celebrate World Car Free Day. However, they could confirm the following boroughs have events planned:

• Barnet 
• Camden 
• Ealing 
• Hackney 
• Hammersmith & Fulham 
• Haringey 
• Hounslow 
• Islington 
• Lambeth 
• Lewisham 
• Merton 
• Newham 
• Redbridge 
• Richmond 
• Southwark 
• Waltham Forest 
• Wandsworth