Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, for leadership of Innovative Congestion Charging project

Text of nomination:

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, has made an outstanding contribution to the difficult push to sustainable development and to quality of life in our cities over the last year by showing the courage and perspicacity to plan and execute Europe's first major Congestion Charging project. Importantly through his dedication and force of character he has carried the people of London with him in this project and he has now been re-elected as Mayor to continue and expand the system. Call it a path-showing hands-on application of the UN Agenda 21 "polluter pays" principle which has reclaimed the city's environment for its people and its visitors. It is for this reason that I am proud to nominate Mayor Ken Livingstone for the 2004 WTN Environment Award.

Since February 2003 London has charged a fee for private automobiles coming into its central area during weekdays as a way to reduce traffic congestion, improve quality of life, and raise revenues to fund future transport improvements. This technology-based project has significantly reduced congestion in the target area, led to improved bus and taxi service, started to make life a bit safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and generates substantial revenues for future improvements. Public acceptance has grown and there is now support to expand the scheme to other parts of London and other cities in the U.K.

This is the first major road pricing program of its kind in a major European city. Its success has broken the ice for road pricing and created the prospect that other major cities in Europe and elsewhere in the world will follow suit. This success was however not easily achieved. It took considerable audacity since the mayor was from the beginning assailed by political, economic interests, lobbies, and other forces all assuring him that this project would be a disaster for the city. It could not have reached fruition without Mayor Livingston's vision, steadfastness and courage. (For details on this project from the official site see London Congestion Charging - http://www.cclondon.com/)

To review and add further weight and perspective to this nomination, I solicited comment and views from an international panel of recognized transportation, environment and public policy experts. More than fifty responded, with nine out of ten enthusiastically endorsing the nomination, indicating that this example will stimulate new thinking and much needed innovation in cities in the developing countries as well. For a full account of this lively discussion and authoritative international commentary, I invite you to go to the New Mobility Agenda(http://newmobility.org) and then click WTN Nomination.

I rest my case.

Eric Britton, The Commons, EcoPlan International, Paris