The war on traffic
In cities across Britain, hundreds of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were introduced last year – and they’re causing an almighty row
Why was this policy introduced?
They were a product of the pandemic. In May, the Government unveiled a £250m “emergency active travel fund” to encourage walking and cycling: it aimed to reduce overcrowding on public transport after the first lockdown, and to stop worried commuters taking to their cars in large numbers. Councils in cities across the UK were given funding to introduce “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods” (LTNs) in which through traffic or “ratrunning” in residential streets would be stopped by installing bollards or wooden planters. Within months, almost 250 LTNs were in place in cities including Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham. In London, Transport for London (TfL) was required to institute LTNs as a condition of its £1.6bn bailout, and more than 70 LTNs were launched between March and September.
What are the aims of LTNs?
LTNs aren’t just aimed at relieving pressure on public transport; they’re also designed to help cut emissions and tackle health problems such as respiratory issues, heart disease and obesity; and to make streets safer for children. There are 38.8 million licensed vehicles in Britain, up from about 22 million in 1990. Road traffic increased from 255 billion miles travelled in 1990 to 328 billion in 2018; in 2019, transport was responsible for a third of all UK carbon emissions. This, of course, affects air quality: in London, where almost a third of all car journeys made by residents are under 1.25 miles, air pollution kills up to 9,500 people each year. The growth of online deliveries and the use of satnavs, meanwhile, has driven more and more cars onto side roads; traffic on London’s minor roads has risen 72% in the past decade. have been vandalised; bollards have been stolen. In Hackney, a councillor received a death threat because of his support of LTNs. “The issue has been worse than Brexit around here in terms of the angst and animosity,” says Richard Aldwinckle of One Dulwich, a group opposing LTNs in south London.
What are the criticisms?
Convenience, for one: drivers complain that previously short trips now take much longer as they are forced to make lengthy detours or risk fines. Others say that people with disabilities have been disproportionately affected because they rely on cars or taxis, and that the ability of emergency services to reach some areas has been compromised. Many businesses, meanwhile, say they have been affected because customers can’t park conveniently nearby, further denting pandemic-hit profits. LTNs have tended to make main roads busier, and some critics say that this promotes a form of “green gentrification”: leafy residential streets benefit, while poorer main roads suffer (and cyclists, it is pointed out, are disproportionately white, male and well-off). And there’s one recurring theme: those opposed to the schemes complain that they were introduced on an emergency basis, with little consultation.