Red double-decker bus on a busy city street in London with Big Ben in the background and hot air balloons in the sky.

Transportation

Reducing Commute Time in London by 28 mins by 2028

Hypothetical Project Team

The McKinsey Forward Program is an initiative designed to equip young professionals and recent graduates with essential skills for the future workplace. The program focuses on three key areas: leadership, business skills, and digital capabilities. Participants engage in interactive learning experiences, including digital courses, practical exercises, and team projects. The goal is to help individuals build a strong foundation in critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, preparing them for successful careers in various industries. As a participant of this program, my team and I were tasked to find solutions that will reduce commute time in London to 28 mins or below by 2028, while observing health protocols.

Problem in Context

London faces significant challenges in its transport system due to a rapidly changing environment. The city's population is growing at a rate of 4% annually, which further establishes London as a bustling business center. This growth has led to a 5.6% yearly increase in the number of private vehicles, driven partly by a shift from public transportation to private options in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the implications of Brexit could alter population growth dynamics, adding another layer of complexity to the city's transport planning. These factors collectively strain the existing transport infrastructure, necessitating innovative solutions to maintain efficiency, reduce congestion, and ensure sustainable urban mobility.

MECE Step One

The team used MECE to generate an issue tree. MECE stands for "Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive." It is a principle often used to structure information and analysis. Mutually Exclusive means that each element in a category should be distinct and not overlap with others. Collectively Exhaustive means that the set of categories must cover all possible options or scenarios.

Flowchart with the main question, "Which initiatives should we undertake to reduce commute time in London to 28 mins or below by 2028, while observing health protocols?" and two strategies: 'Increasing Supply' for how to increase capacity for public transportation, and 'Decreasing Demand' with the question, 'How do we reduce the number of private cars on the road?'

Step Two

Flowchart with two main topics: Increasing Supply and What opportunities do we have to increase capacity and efficiency of public transportation. Under increasing supply, one branch asks how to increase capacity for public transportation, leading to questions about maximizing existing road use, creating space on transportation routes, and opportunities to create new routes or roads.

Step Three

Flowchart illustrating strategies to increase capacity for public transportation, including increasing supply options and opportunities to improve efficiency and design of transport modes.

Step Four

Flowchart titled 'Decreasing Demand' with a main question 'How do we reduce the number of private cars on the road,' branching into two sections: 'What opportunities are there to reduce rate of private car usage,' highlighted in dark blue, and 'What opportunities are there to reduce rate of acquisition of private cars,' highlighted in light blue. The dark blue section explores opportunities to lower private car usage, while the light blue section further branches into policies and campaigns to restrict or change perceptions of private car acquisition in London.

Step Five

Flowchart addressing how to reduce private car usage on roads, exploring policies, campaigns, and benefits for people who do not use their cars.

Feasibility Matrix

A strategic plan chart divided into two sections, each with a blue button at the top. The left section titled 'Start Planning now' includes goals like implementing fast train speeds, lane reversals, free public transport tokens, staggered schedules, and bus-only roads, ending with a blue review button. The right section titled 'Do it now' includes goals like increasing rail lines, surface stations, tube lines, and parking, along with fees, traffic signals, expanded charge zones, bike increases, cycling and walking campaigns, and other public transport improvements, ending with a white quick wins button.

A digital wireframe rendering of a circular cityscape featuring a prominent circular plaza in the center, surrounded by modern skyscrapers and buildings.

Our Solution

Mega Doughnut-shaped Parking garage with high-speed rail lines and stations running through, located at the periphery of the inner city: Central London.

Story Board

A busy Monday morning. Tom, a young professional, is driving his car towards Central London.
Tom arrives at one of the high-speed rail parking garages on the outskirts of Central London.
Tom parks his car and follows the signs leading to the rail station inside the garage.
“Great, the app says that the station is not too crowded!”
Tom enters the rail station within the parking garage. There are touchless fever detection and mask detection systems at the entrance.
Tom boards the overground train. The interior is spacious and modern. He taps his Oyster card, which has his vaccination passport embedded on it.
Tom exits the train at his destination in Central London.
Tom walks into his office building, smiling and ready for the day. His commute was smooth, safe, and efficient