Residential Areas in Haringey to Maintain Light Vehicle Activity Limitations
The Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme introduced in Bounds Green, Haringey, UK, is delivering on its objective of reducing through motor traffic, improving air quality, and promoting walking and cycling, according to Cllr Mike Hakata, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport.
The Bounds Green LTN, which includes modal filters, traffic restrictions, and a 20mph speed limit on selected roads, was launched as part of Haringey Council's 'Streets for People' programme and made permanent in January 2022 after extensive consultation and monitoring.
The monitoring of the Bounds Green LTN showed significant reductions in through traffic volumes. Traffic within the LTNs has fallen by 58%, and 80,000 fewer vehicles were counted per day. However, traffic on boundary roads increased by an average of 3%, with identified hotspots that require dealing with, as stated by Cllr Hakata.
Collisions within the LTNs and on boundary roads have fallen by 34%, suggesting improvements in road safety. Regarding air quality, while specific data for Bounds Green were not detailed in the available sources, general aims and observations for LTNs suggest improvements, including a reduction in NO2 concentrations.
In Bounds Green, the NO2 concentration increased by 12% across internal roads and 12% on boundary roads. In St. Anns, the average NO2 increase was 1.5% since implementation. Cllr Hakata has expressed that creating shared spaces that prioritize people leads to thriving communities and has listened carefully to feedback from residents, introducing one of the most extensive exemption schemes and making changes in response to feedback.
The Haringey Climate Partnership has been created, a collaborative forum with residents and communities to drive action on pollution and emissions. Cllr Hakata is committed to creating a borough that works for everyone, not just for the next few years, but for generations to come. He has worked closely with the disabled community and other local communities to review and refine LTN exemptions and will continue to do so to ensure the schemes are fair and effective.
Three Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes will be retained in Bounds Green, St Ann's, and Bruce Grove West Green. The trials of these LTNs are delivering on their objective of making it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel, scoot, and shop locally, as stated by Cllr Hakata.
References: [1] Haringey Council. (2022). Bounds Green Low Traffic Neighbourhood. Retrieved from https://www.haringey.gov.uk/services/roads-and-transport/low-traffic-neighbourhoods/bounds-green-low-traffic-neighbourhood [2] London Cycling Campaign. (2022). Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Haringey. Retrieved from https://www.lcc.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work-in-london/haringey [3] Transport for London. (2022). Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Retrieved from https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/low-traffic-neighbourhoods
1) Cllr Hakata emphasized the importance of creating shared spaces that prioritize people, believing they foster thriving communities in the neighborhood.2) To address climate change and pollution, the Haringey Climate Partnership was established as a collaborative forum for residents and communities to drive action.3) As part of the 'Streets for People' program, the LTN schemes in Bounds Green, St Ann's, and Bruce Grove were launched, focusing on science-based solutions to improve the environment while supporting local industry.4) It was noted that while traffic within the LTNs decreased significantly, traffic on boundary roads increased slightly, indicating a need for further environmental-science-based solutions to manage hotspots and ensure a sustainable balance in transportation networks.
