Low-traffic neighbourhoods reduce traffic by up to 1,300 vehicles -a-day on boundary roads, figures show

Traffic on the boundary roads around low-traffic neighbourhoods in Lambeth has reduced by up 1,300 vehicles per day, according to council research.

The number of cars and trucks used within the LTNs in the south London borough has gone down by two thirds.

The first statistic appears to contradict the argument by opponents of the schemes, that they push traffic onto the boundary roads.

Lambeth Council found that on busy Clapham Road, which borders the Oval to Stockwell LTN, there were 1,300 fewer vehicles each day.

And in the Railton Road LTN, in Brixton, traffic fell by 18% on boundary roads.

Overall traffic across the Oval and Stockwell LTN boundary roads fell by 8%.

The council released the statistics as part of its consultation on the traffic-reduction schemes.

Low-traffic neighbourhoods - which prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over cars - were rolled out during the corovirus pandemic, to allow people to travel safely and avoid public transport.

Supporters say they are essential to tackling pollution and climate change, by encouraging Londoners to take more sustainable transport.

However vocal opponents claim they interfere with emergency services and push traffic onto boundary roads, making residents’ lives hell.

Last week, the former London Ambulance Service chief executive Garrett Emmerson told LBC that “in certain situations low-traffic neighbourhoods have delayed responses”.

Lambeth Council’s figures however appear to refute the argument that LTNs actually create more traffic.

The council is consulting on the Railton and Oval to Stockwell LTN, with a view of making them permanent.

Cllr Danny Adilypour, from Lambeth Council, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to work with our communities on the future of these LTN schemes and I would strongly encourage local residents to participate in the consultations and give us their feedback.

“We recognise that for some of our residents with disabilities car journeys are necessary and unavoidable, which we need to keep in mind if the LTN schemes are to be made permanent.

“After feedback from disabled residents we have therefore developed proposals for exemptions for Blue Badge holders to a single filter within an LTN and for taxis and ​wheelchair-accessible private hire ​vehicles to be able to use bus gates within LTNs.”

The south London borough will consult on the other three LTNs in the local authority in the coming months.

The council said: “The role of LTNs is to reduce motor vehicle traffic in order to improve road safety for all users, encourage more active and healthy travel, support the local economy, and to improve air quality by reducing pollution levels.”

In other boroughs, opponents have taken exception to the permantent installation of the traffic filters.

A LondonWorld investigation found that in Hackney vigilantes were plotting an ‘uprising’ on Facebook and Telegram against LTNs.

The campaigners had been monitoring the movements of councillors who brought in the controversial pro-walking and cycling schemes.

While in Dulwich Village, Southwark, vigilantes dug up the planters which had been used to create a traffic filter.

Ealing Council recently scrapped all its LTNs after holding a referendum on the schemes.