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news
Residential street with modal filter (source LB Waltham Forest Mini Holland bid)Traffic halved and no collisions – the impact of Walthamstow Mini Holland
Initial figures suggest that the overall volume of traffic in the Walthamstow Village area has been cut by about half since work was completed on the Mini Holland cycling scheme. While traffic has risen on nearby main roads, it is nevertheless estimated that even with these included the wider area has seen a 16 per cent drop.
The London Evening Standard’s Ross Lydall yesterday tweeted a letter which has been sent to local residents, outlining the impact of the Walthamstow Mini Holland scheme.
Astonishing results from Walthamstow MiniHolland: 10,000 fewer cars a day, traffic down 56% in village, no collisions pic.twitter.com/OoQ2Fr8kWq
— Ross Lydall (@RossLydall) November 4, 2016
A full report is due early next year, but initial traffic data, which have also been published on enjoywalthamforest.co.uk, show a 56 per cent drop in the number of vehicles on 12 key roads within the area.
Traffic on main roads Hoe Street and Lea Bridge Road is up by 3 per cent and 11 per cent respectively, but even with these included it is thought the area is seeing somewhere around 10,000 fewer vehicles each day.
Furthermore, there were 15 collisions on Walthamstow Village roads in the three years from September 2012 to August 2015. The period from September 2015 to April 2016 saw none, although it is note that it is a relatively brief period.
The East London and West Essex Guardian also reports that the Mini Holland scheme has been nominated for a Civic Trust design award.
Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment said: “I am extremely proud that we have been shortlisted for this award. We set out to make Walthamstow Village safer, more attractive and accessible for everyone, and I think we have achieved that.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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15 comments
Another local. The VIllage is excellent and the general reduction in traffic in that locality is very positive for cyclists - seeing more cyclists in civvies and not old white men in lycra like myself! Some to the other infastructure is questionable, but I reckon it's around 2/3rds brilliant. The third I don't like is because I am not riding at 'hybrid' speeds and it slows me down a bit - but I can live with that.
The poster inside the Finamore shop has gone
As a punter, a huge sign that looks like it was penned by a dangerous maniac hanging in the window is more likely to deter me from visiting your business than having to cross a bike lane.
I happen to live in walthamstow, not far from the village, and I can tell you it is a far better place for the mini holland scheme. As far as I can see this mythical reduction in people not using the local shops is just that, a myth. Particularly on a weekend the place is full of people milling around using the local shops, eateries and pubs. As far as I'm concerned if they can roll this out across the whole of Waltham Forest I will be more that happy ( subject to local consultation of course).
Has he gone out of business yet?
What is that place? Is it a cafe or a shop? Only room for one car to have parked outside anyway, so not sure that "no cars" would make that big a difference...
No one knows. Customers go in, and then a new banner appears in the window written in red. It's a mystery.
Haha - "Does anybody know you're here?"
*What's new pussycat, whoa o oh o oh aaah*
It wont be just young riders and older men. Give it time and encourage cyclists with decent infracstructure and all ages will use it, like in Holland, Denmark, Germany etc.
I cycle in the opposite side of London and off the main roads and using the cut throughs are all kinds of different cyclists but nobody sees them so writers, commentators, drivers and politicians can act like they don't exist. Hopefully this scheme will show that they are there and solid data will encourage better provision of infrastructure for them
Try the census data. Or the cycle hire data for inner London.
Census data is useless as it is out of date by the time it is collated.
Lots of people cycle in the outer London boroughs as there is less traffic and more green spaces.
Not to the original point, which is the idea that there are signficiant numbers of people riding on quiet back roads that don't get recorded ("politicans can act like they don't exist"). Despite the LCN and similiar efforts, the modal share was a rounding error.
But has cycling increased? And what has been the impact on trade. Objectors to these schemes often focus on these aspects. I.e. You don't need to provide the cycle space as everybody who wants to cycle already does so and that reducing motor traffic reduces the number of people who use the local businesses. The other aspect objectors also use to drum opposition is that cyclists are only young and middle aged men and that altering the road environment to suit them is unfair on others who normally use cars. So it will be interesting to see if cycling has increased how and if the demographic has changed.
In short, yes and positive. But we can't *prove* those yet.
What these figures do show is "traffic evaporation" in full effect. Huge decreases of motor vehicle traffic inside the village, small increases on main roads - but far fewer motor vehicle journeys overall.
What we also know from TfL statements is congestion on Hoe Street is, on average, no worse. They say zero minutes bus delays along one of the two key main roads that border the village area.
What we can't see yet is modal shift. Nor can we see results from the second "Blackhorse Village" area etc.
That said, my belief is that when we do see figures, we're going to see both walking and cycling up significantly. I live in the second village - and I'd estimate my short commute through it each morning to have gone from approximately 10-20 cars, 10-20 pedestrians and 1 other person cycling to 2-4 cars, 50-100 pedestrians and 5 people cycling. But this is anecdote, not evidence.
We also know use of cycle parking spaces at stations, demand for cycle hangars and appearance of new demographics (as indicated by those not wearing helmets, mums with kids in cargo bikes etc.) is booming. Again, though, none of this directly relates to modal shift. For that, we've got to wait.
Moving to trade, there is loads of evidence, and even the businesses against mini-Holland admit this, that footfall in the areas affected is through the roof. That said, hardly any businesses will come out and admit that that has directly led to an increase in sales. In fact, several of the moanier ones are upset because apparently people wander around the village but don't buy.
Personally, if you have hugely increased footfall and you can't convert to sales - that's not mini-Holland's fault! But there is an unwillingness among the businesses in the area to clearly come out in favour because those that do get shouted at so much by those against etc. and risk becoming a target for anti-MH ire in general.
So we can't say for certain mini-Holland is a massive success for trade. What we can say is footfall is up dramatically, the cafes are fuller than ever and for the first time in 15 years every unit on Orford Road is let.