Great Western Coffee Shop

'More divisive than Brexit' - The battle over LTNs

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were introduced to tackle increasing traffic on minor roads, but now they are dividing communities.

One in 20 Londoners now live in one and they are being rolled out across the country to dozens of towns and cities.

"Discussion" has been almost endless on cycling sites. More drivers versus cyclists, but a bit like the Kensington cycle lane; (non-local) motorists don't want them local residents do want them. As most of it was inner London I didn't bore you all with it.

Just around the corner from us we have - not an Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), but a 20 m.p.h. set of streets intended to keep traffic low. To a degree, I suspect they work.   They would also add 2 minutes each way to a bus service through those streets, and make an hourly service that passes through difficult to propose.  4 minutes in the hour added to the "clock face" diagram and that 7% of extra time would irritate through passengers and and mean cutting off something at the fare end of the route.

On public safety grounds I am opposed in general to physically blocking roads as the work of the emergency services is thereby delayed.

My cynical view is that most people support low traffic neighbourhoods, provided that some flexibility is shown with themselves being exempted.
"Less traffic is good in general, but I HAVE to drive MY children to school"
"It should not apply to ME I live here"

physically blocking roads as the work of the emergency services is thereby delayed

Video from the BBC▸

As to whether 30 km/h limits slow traffic down: that's a moot point. The speed of traffic is to a large extent regulated by traffic signals; rushing from one set of lights just increases your wait time. This video, put out by Bristol City Council when the limits were being rolled out, makes the point - perhaps slightly preachingly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW_fyuybDYw

Appreciated it's not been "in area" ... looks like it could be in the future. Let's see if this thread runs or splutters out quickly.

Given the hassle we had trying to get a 20mph limit in Charlbury then I can only applaud their belated conversion...

However, the police have stated that they won't enforce the lower limit, wherever introduced.

Avon and Somerset Police enforce speed limits including the 20mph and are one of four constabularies to pilot the 20mph speed awareness course: www.ttc-uk.com/police-referred-courses/speed-awareness-course-20mph/

'The Police' is not a national organisation, and different constabularies will have different priorities.

Opinion

Ignore the culture warriors – low traffic neighbourhoods don’t close streets, they liberate them
George Monbiot

---

Some drivers are so enraged they’ve resorted to violence in my home town of Oxford. What has brought on this new barbarism?

It reminds me of the school board controversies in the United States. A small group of furious men, whipped up by the media and opportunist politicians, are seeking to turn quiet, practical attempts to protect local people into full-blown culture wars. The further from reality their beliefs diverge, the readier they are to resort to vandalism and violence.

But this isn’t the US, and it’s not about textbooks. It’s playing out in the streets of Oxford. The angry men have resorted so far to arson, angle grinders and physical attacks on local people. What is the frightful cause of these reactions? The council’s efforts to ensure that through-traffic stays on main roads.

There could scarcely be a more reasonable policy. Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) seek to stop residential streets being used as escape valves for overloaded arterial roads

Some shops & eateries (the best samosas in the County & possibly the south!, for example) have lost so much trade that they are closing….

I feel compelled to speak in support of Jeevan's, who definitely have the best samosas south of Birmingham and north of Baghdad, and are not closing. In fact I think I might get some today... on Stapleton Road in Bristol.