Climate action charity Possible and the University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy claim to have conducted the largest-ever study of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in London, which they say demonstrates the overwhelming success of such measures in reducing motor traffic.
The report, titled Changes in motor traffic inside London’s LTNs and on boundary roads, revealed that streets within LTNs experience substantial reductions in traffic levels, and that this signifies dramatic changes in how streets are being used in these areas.
It offers a systematic review of traffic data presented in monitoring reports from 46 LTN schemes in 11 London boroughs, introduced between May 2020 and May 2021.
According to the study, the traffic decrease seen on roads within LTNs is ten times higher (815 fewer vehicles) than the increases in traffic seen on boundary roads (increase of 82 vehicles).
In particular, the data shows reduced traffic in LTNs has led to a ‘substantial increase in the proportion of monitored internal streets with [less than] 1,000 motor vehicles per day’.
Hirra Khan Adeogun, head of car free cities at Possible, said: “This report shows that low traffic neighbourhoods are having a verifiable, positive impact for the people living on these streets.
“But, importantly, it shows that they have no consistent impact on boundary roads.
“In a climate crisis, we need our policymakers to make bold, data-led decisions; this report gives them that information.
“What we need now is action to drive down traffic, make our cities happier and healthier, and directly address the climate crisis.”
The charity has called on local authorities to use the report’s findings to introduce more LTNs, and take further action to decrease traffic levels on boundary roads.
Across London, the report showed a mean percentage reduction of street traffic within LTNs at 46.9%.
The study also examined the impact on boundary roads surrounding LTNs, 47% of which saw a decrease and 53% of which saw an increase, signalling a limited change on overall traffic volumes.
Hirra Khan Adeogun, head of car free cities at Possible, said: “This report shows that low traffic neighbourhoods are having a verifiable, positive impact for the people living on these streets.
“But, importantly, it shows that they have no consistent impact on boundary roads.
“In a climate crisis, we need our policymakers to make bold, data-led decisions; this report gives them that information.
“What we need now is action to drive down traffic, make our cities happier and healthier, and directly address the climate crisis.”
The report also notes the importance of the considerable variations, in regard to both increases and decreases in traffic on boundary roads, between individual LTN schemes.
These variations, the report points out, are likely the result of other contextual factors, such as major local works or wider background trends, as opposed to being primarily caused by LTNs.
What’s more, the two organisations highlight the need to consider that boundary roads are still highly likely to still be polluted, unsafe, or difficult to cross or cycle on, and that removing LTNs is unlikely to alleviate these issues. It therefore recommends that local authorities consider other measures that could help, such as the expansion of low-emission zones.
