The real effects of LTNs
How interesting -and reassuring - to read a report on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods that relies on evidence not prejudice. The report, from the thinktank Centre for London, explodes a number of the myths about LTNs that are propagated by the car lobby. For example:1. “They cause serious hold-ups to emergency vehicles.” Not true: LTNs did not lead to longer response times – and this was true whether they used physical traffic filters or cameras.2. “They just push traffic onto main roads….” Some boundary roads initially show additional traffic, others show it reduced. In any case any increases tend to fall over time.3. “.... where disproportionally more poorer people live.” Again, not true: research shows that LTN residents have a similar demographic profile to residents living in wider areas that include boundary roads, in terms of deprivation, age and ethnicity.Besides these points:- Research on the impact of the 2020 LTNs found that the total number of road injuries inside them halved compared to the rest of London, and that there was no increase in accidents on boundary roads; - there is evidence that LTNs reduce car use and ownership;- there is a reduction in car use and increases in cycling and walking, with the consequent effects on overall health.You can read the report for yourselves at https://www.centreforlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CFL-StreetShift-LTNs-Final.pdf
Richard Carter ● 1335d12 Comments