Fare City visited London’s Hammersmith Bridge on Saturday 17th July 2021, at its reopening to non-motorised transport (NMT). The team wanted to capture initial reaction to the bridges reopening by conducting a small vox pop session during which bridge users were invited to expand upon several written prompts about what the reopening means to them. Prompts ranged from fact finders such as ‘since the closure of the bridge...’ to more provocative statements such as ‘Hammersmith Bridge could be…’ and ‘I want the authorities to…’

Those interviewed represented a range of users, each with a differing set of needs and aspirations. The answers received suggest that the reopening of the bridge is very much welcome, but also confirms that users want the authorities to do more to develop a sustainable long-term plan for the future of the bridge. It is clear that whatever the future of the bridge may bring, the authorities must commit to genuine and far-reaching consultation to ensure that the voices of all are not only listened to – but acted upon.

You can read our award-winning piece on the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to cars here.