Residents

“What if I’m not able to walk or cycle, and I need to use my car?”

• This is absolutely true of some residents. However, 1/3rd of car journeys in London are less than 2km. If we can encourage those who are able to walk, cycle or take public transport to do so by giving them better options, we can get more cars off the road to make space for those who do need to drive. LTNs create more appealing walking and cycling environments, and spaces for public transport.

“I’m a blue badge holder, how does this affect me?”

• Blue badge holders are exempt from LTN restrictions and can pass through the “filters”. You can read about exemptions here.

“Will this make journeys home for Residents much longer?”

• In Haringey, just 46% of people have access to a car (even fewer, 38%, on the Ladder). 84% of Ladder residents travel to work by Public Transport (Census Data). Active travel schemes which discourage short car journeys free up road space for buses, and those who do need to drive.

“Will buses be impacted?”

• Alongside LTNs, groups like ours are pushing for investment in 24/7 bus lanes and safe walking/cycling infrastructure on main routes. As alternatives to driving become more practical, the volume of journeys made by car will decrease, which benefits everyone.

“Will I be able to get deliveries or services to my address if i’m in an LTN?”

• All homes are accessible - there is nothing to stop delivery drivers from coming to your address. LTNs work effectively like a cul-de-sac, and as such all properties within an LTN are accessible by vehicle.

Business

“What about businesses who rely on customers coming by car?”

• People who walk to the high street spend up to 40% more than people who drive there, while walkers and cyclists also take more trips to the high street over a month than those in a vehicle. Businesses have been shown to overestimate the volume of customers that travelled by car by 3x. All businesses will be accessible by car, it may be a slightly longer route.

“Will traders be able to get deliveries?”

• Any shops within an LTN will be able to get deliveries, as will residents. All addresses are accessible.

Drivers

“How will this impact traffic locally?”

• Behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight, but longer term. In Islington, LTNs have reduced traffic volumes by 58.2% within LTNs and by 13.4% at LTN boundaries. Monitoring data from Hackney and Waltham Forest have shown that LTNs did not increase overall traffic on the surrounding main roads. Additional monitoring in Lambeth has shown a 31% decrease in traffic and 23% fewer heavy goods vehicles in and around the Railton LTN.

“What if I drive through an LTN filter by accident?”

• When the St Ann’s LTN in Haringey went in, the Council offered a grace period for the first two weeks, where fines were not given but a warning letter and explanation sent instead. Because of this, just 2% of cars that went through the cameras in the first 30 days were fined (of 5,328 potential tickets). Signs have also been updated to be more clear based on feedback. In Hackney, 82% of fines in the LTN were given to people who did not live in the borough.

Pollution

“Does this just push traffic and pollution elsewhere?”

• A mass study of 70 schemes in 11 countries has shown that when roadspace for cars is reallocated, traffic problems are usually far less serious than predicted, and overall traffic levels can reduce by significant amounts. Even car ownership reduces, for example in Waltham Forest where car ownership dropped by 7% in three years. Compare this to UK car ownership, which has only decreased twice in the last 100 years, the last time by just 0.2%. None of this will happen overnight, it takes a long time for behaviour change to happen.

“What about Electric Vehicles, are they a better solution to this?

• If a journey absolutely has to be made by car, electric vehicles are a better alternative. However, switching to electric cars does not solve congestion. Electricity used by EV vehicles is often from fossil fuel sources, and components made from rare earth materials. Finally, the emissions produced from tyre wear constitute roughly 2,000 x more particle pollution than car exhausts.

Safety

“How do LTNs impact residents safety?”

• Waltham Forest LTN saw a 75% reduction in the risk of being injured in a road traffic collision.

“What about Ambulances/emergency service vehicles?“

• Emergency vehicles are exempt and can pass through LTNs, giving them access to quieter roads. Across London LTNs in 2020, there was no overall increase in Fire Brigade response times.

“Do LTNs impact Anti Social Behaviour and Crime?”

• Waltham Forest LTN street crime reduced by 18% after three years.

Schools

“How is the school run impacted by LTNs?”

• Nearly all children in Haringey live within 2 miles of their school and with investment in active travel infrastructure, most of these school runs could be walked, cycled, or done by public transport without being impacted by traffic congestion. Discouraging short car journeys frees up road space for buses and those who do need to drive.

“Does this help with air quality outside of schools?”

• In Islington, LTN’s have reduced NO2 statistically significantly within the LTN (5.7%) and in boundary areas (8.9%). LTNs are also often accompanied by School Streets, which remove traffic from Schools at drop off and pickup times. Haringey Council are introducing School Streets across the borough.