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Impacts of LTNs in London

Impacts of LTNs in London
Impacts of LTNs in London

TfL has produced a succinct summary of the impacts of Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in London.

It is based on two types of study:

  • those that look at most LTNs installed in London since 2020 and
  • those that look in-depth at LTNs in a single borough, often over a longer period of time

LTNs Installed in London since 2020

The graphic above summarises the evidence from the first type of study. The seven main points are:

  1. 50% reduction in road casualties within the LTN and no increase on boundary roads
  2. People living within or near LTNs cycle on average 34 minutes more per week
  3. On 74% of streets within LTNs, traffic volumes are down; the median traffic volume per day is 650 compared with 1,200 per day pre-LTNs; and there is no change in the median traffic volume on boundary roads
  4. Street crime in outer London LTNs is down compared to control areas; no change or slight reduction in crime in inner London LTNs
  5. People in deprived areas are 2.5x more likely to live in a post-2020 LTN than people in less deprived areas
  6. There has been no change in emergency response times inside LTNs
  7. In a representative poll 58% of Londoners supported LTNs

In-Depth Single Borough Studies

In-depth London Borough studies on LTNs
In-depth London Borough studies on LTNs

This graphic summarises the evidence from the in-depth studies in single boroughs. The six main points are:

  1. It is 3-4x safer to walk or cycle in Waltham Forest LTNs, and there are no negative impacts on boundary roads
  2. After 5 years, outer London LTNs have seen an average 62 minutes more walking per week, and 43 minutes more cycling per week, by people living within LTNs
  3. In Waltham Forest between 2015 and 2019, car or van ownership decreased by 6%
  4. In Waltham Forest between 2012 and 2019, street crime went down by 10%
  5. In Dulwich Village LTN, 20% of people cycling at peak times are children – significantly above the London average
  6. There is no adverse impact on emergency service response times

TfL say that the impacts of LTNs take time to develop:

‘The long-term studies of LTNs in Waltham Forest show that the impacts of LTNs take time to develop, so we will continue to see changes around LTNs installed in 2020.

Evidence to date consistently shows that LTNs are having a positive impact on the lives of people living and working in London, and supporting the aims of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. Road casualties are reduced by half in LTNs, showing that they making streets safer by lowering traffic levels. They also enable people to walk and cycle more…

Backed by the evidence base for the benefits of LTNs, we will continue to support London boroughs with their implementation…’

TfL

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is prioritising road safety, active travel and quality of life. Based on the evidence, he intends to press ahead with LTNs.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is prioritising motor vehicles over nice places to live, disregarding road safety, and appealing to the worst and most selfish instincts of a subset of the English population. Based on internet conspiracy theories, he intends to stop funding for LTNs.

At its simplest, it comes down to one politician doing the right thing, and another doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.

Impacts of LTNs in London