The largest ever study into the impact of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in London found that they led to ‘substantial declines’ in motor traffic.
Conducted by the University of Westminster's Active Travel Academy, the research focused on 46 LTN schemes in 11 London boroughs which were introduced between May 2020 and May 2021.
It found that the average traffic reduction within LTNs was 46.9%. Two-thirds of these neighbourhoods now have vehicle flows below 1000 vehicles a day, compared to only two-fifths before.
The research, which was commissioned by climate charity Possible, also found that there was little indication of this traffic being simply displaced onto boundary roads.
Average motor traffic counts showed that there was a less than 1% increase on the mean average of 11,000 vehicles that pass through boundary roads on a typical day.
The press release from Possible said: ‘In this climate crisis, we need our policymakers to make bold, data-led decisions; this report gives them that information. Now we need action to drive down traffic, make our cities happier and healthier, and directly address the climate crisis.
‘We are calling on local authorities to use the report’s findings to introduce more LTNs and to challenge misinformation about the direct impacts on boundary roads as well as to call for further measures to address traffic on these boundary roads.’
