Join us in making London more accessible to people with mobility restrictions

[MobiliCity]

We are looking for volunteers who, for any reason, find it difficult to physically access and navigate the London transport network. We need your help to make the city more accessible to people with mobility restrictions.

www.mobilicity.london

MobiliCity is a research initiative that has just been awarded an European Commission grant. We are studying how people with mobility restrictions utilise the London transport network, by using an app to track the movements of volunteers as they they go about their daily journeys through London. The goal is to analyse the data to highlight inaccessible, ‘black spots’ on the network. We then hope to report our findings to authorities responsible for areas of difficulty, including TfL, Network Rail and London Boroughs, with recommendations on how to improve accessibility. *All data gathered remains anonymous and complies with EU privacy policies.

Our biggest challenge at the moment is to attract enough volunteers for a substantial data sample, so if you think you could help us, please take a moment to look at our website above and register your interest.
You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @mobilicity_LDN for updates.

Our dream is that Londoners in the future will be able to access transport equally, regardless of any mobility issues.
Thanks for your help!

The MobiliCity Team

[summerof76]

Should this not be a "push" for all the country, not just London? Do people outside London not experience the same difficulties?

[MobiliCity]

It most certainly should summerof76!
Unfortunately as condition to receiving funding the project scope had to be set to London only!
At the moment this is still a small initiative with limited resources. Perhaps in future we will be able to extend our reach further!

[reddivine]

I had a look at your website, but is an app gonna help?? I mean in reality. I did a journey in September from Excel to Crouch End. Following the "stepfree tube guide". Bear in mind, we'd just left MS Life an event with 100's of wheelchair users.
First station - we needed to change platforms - lift out of order!! So theres 2 wheelchairs plus people and we had to phone the number on the lift.
we had to go a convoluted route, much out of the way and taking hours longer - then alight at Archway, which is a total nightmare due to the roadworks and replacement bus services. So theres your first blackspot ARCHWAY. Whilst being stepfree, its going to be snarled up for the next oooooh 12 mths!!

[Zed]

I had a look at your website, but is an app gonna help?? I mean in reality. I did a journey in September from Excel to Crouch End. Following the "stepfree tube guide". Bear in mind, we'd just left MS Life an event with 100's of wheelchair users.
First station - we needed to change platforms - lift out of order!! So theres 2 wheelchairs plus people and we had to phone the number on the lift.
we had to go a convoluted route, much out of the way and taking hours longer - then alight at Archway, which is a total nightmare due to the roadworks and replacement bus services. So theres your first blackspot ARCHWAY. Whilst being stepfree, its going to be snarled up for the next oooooh 12 mths!!

I think an app could help. If the app talks with the Tfl, it could alert inviduals to such impediments as broken down lifts. Thus in your case slimming down the inconvenient journey because you would have been able to plan ahead of getting to the mentioned station.

So personally MobiliCity, I would recommend having a direct line with Tfl as being a necessity as a first port of call to whatever else you may impliment.

All the best,

Z

[MobiliCity]

Thank you for your feedback reddivine!
We hope that an app will help to highlight black spots to asset owners like TfL and Network Rail. While the app will only collect data, our analysis should provide an eye-opening insight into the volume of journeys affected by the types of issues you've raised and others. If enough users sign up, the volume of data generated will give weight to these types of issues all over London.
Our app should be ready next month - we'll be posting again when it is, and really hope you and others here can support us.

[MobiliCity]

Thank you for your support Zed!
We are looking to work with TfL and other transport owners in London, such as Network Rail and London boroughs on the best way of reporting findings. We have had some very positive feedback so far, so hopefully things will pan out well!

[reddivine]

My point being that an app won't fix the broken down lift or make more tube stations step free. I know, many tube station were built before this was an issue - even today we travel more on buses in london cuz tube can be a nightmare.