In recent weeks, we've seen growing hostility towards schemes that close roads to rat-running through-traffic; most notably in London, where protestors are gathering almost weekly in Islington to argue for the return of through-traffic, and a Facebook group called OneWandsworth with almost 4,000 members has popped up to challenge LTN schemes in the Borough. A vocal minority were also reported to have vandalised planters and poured oil on the road to harm cyclists in Ealing.
As Transport Xtra reports, opponents say that stopping through-traffic will hurt businesses, and others simply believe those who need to use cars shouldn't have their journey times increased. Some are also claiming that emergency services are struggling to get vehicles through streets with planters on them.
Speaking at the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods webinar, Councillor Clive Loakes, Waltham Forest’s deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, defended LTN schemes fervently, denying that they harm business and saying that overall car journeys need to be reduced.
“Opponents of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods want you to believe that if you can’t get in your car and go the exact same route that you have been driving for the past 20 years then civilisation is going to collapse, shops will close, businesses will fail", said Loakes.
"In reality that does not happen and there is no proof - in Waltham Forest, in London, in the UK, across the globe! - that it happens.
"We have seen an improvement in bus times on these roads too, so it is not just a case of ‘oh, you have dumped all this extra traffic on these main roads’. It is about, first, reducing short-based car journeys and sole-occupancy car journeys, which was something like 60% of all the journeys in Waltham Forest. Then it is about how you address other traffic that still needs to come into Waltham Forest and how you move that traffic through more effectively and efficiently.”
In 2016, it was reported that the Mini Holland scheme in Walthamstow Village had resulted in a 50% drop in overall volume of traffic, and no collisions were reported. Loakes also says that car ownership in the area has now dropped to around 50% of households, and as low as 40% in some wards.
He added: “The vast majority of the time the car just sits there, parked up, costing money. Actually, you can join a car club and use a car when you need it for particular trips. This is a more efficient and effective way of accessing vehicle ownership and, of course, if you don’t own one yourself you are more inclined to walk and cycle and use other modes of transport to get around.”