Extinction Rebellion are calling on Merton Council to prioritise health and wellbeing. 

Protesters ‘reclaimed the streets’ by creating pop up bike lanes with stencils before a physically distanced bike ride took place around 2.00 pm on Sunday, May 24.

The peaceful protest aimed to push Merton Council into adapting their current covid transport plan into a 'strategic borough-wide view' which reduces pollution and creates safer streets in Merton.

Extinction Rebellion Merton are calling on the council to: Make walking a viable option for all, create low traffic neighbourhoods and make Merton a more pleasant place to shop, visit and live.

Your Local Guardian:

Daniela Tilbrook of Extinction Rebellion Merton said: "The council's initial response is a good starting point, and it is good to see that they plan to develop these.

"This needs to be done as a matter of urgency, and the updated plans need to be significantly more ambitious than at present.

"Before Covid-19, 130,000 journeys were made by public transport.

"If these are replaced by car journeys this will be catastrophic for our roads, road safety, traffic, air pollution and carbon emissions.

Your Local Guardian:

"Current proposals do not take a strategic borough-wide view of what walking and cycling facilities need to be developed.

"Meaning plans are piecemeal, do not connect up and do not meet the needs of people across the borough.

"There is a massive need to engage with local residents to help develop the best possible plans, let people know why these are needed and what is available in their area."

Merton's current plans include; Pavements being extended into the road in some of the busiest parts of the borough, modal filters to reduce speeding and rat-running, temporary cycle lanes, parking suspensions for footway widening and reallocating lane-space to widen footways.

Merton’s Cabinet member for Regeneration, Housing and Transport, Councillor Martin Whelton, said: "This week we will start to put in place measures to aid social distancing in the borough, by widening pavement and putting cycle lanes in place.

"We would like to thank everyone who has responded to our emergency transport strategy, which has received over 80 representations.

"As a council, we very much welcome the interest shown by residents and community as we bring forward further measures."

If there are further measures you would like to see the council consider or have comments on the strategy, please email future.merton@merton.gov.uk.