Connecting communities: Active travel and transport planning for Dagenham Dock

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has set ambitious climate targets: carbon neutrality by 2030 and full neutrality by 2050. To help deliver on these goals, Be First commissioned Steer to develop the Dagenham Dock Transport Masterplan. The Masterplan provides a blueprint for sustainable growth and better everyday connectivity across the Dagenham Dock Transformation Area (DDTA).

Our approach

We combined local insight, stakeholder engagement and rigorous analysis to shape a vision-led plan for an area long dominated by freight and heavy industry. The Masterplan prioritises walking, cycling and public transport, making them safer, more accessible and better connected to major growth hubs such as Barking Riverside and Dagenham Green.

Key interventions include:

• A new multi-modal bridge between Breach Lane and Kent Avenue, with space for buses and active travel.
• Safer walking and cycling routes along busy freight corridors such as Breach Lane.
• A step-free pedestrian and cycle bridge at Dagenham Dock station, unlocking north–south connections.
• A dedicated cycle route along Chequers Lane, linking new homes with employment centres.
• Restoring a redundant bridge on Kent Avenue to improve sustainable access to employers.
• A shuttle bus service connecting jobs and growth sites across the London Riverside area.

The impact

The Masterplan balances ambition with deliverability, aligning proposals with funding opportunities and the needs of local communities. Steer has since been commissioned to develop concept designs into detailed plans, with delivery of key schemes expected from 2026.

This project highlights Steer’s ability to deliver practical yet ambitious transport solutions in complex industrial settings, helping local authorities reduce carbon, unlock regeneration and improve everyday connectivity.