:excerptstart Active travel campaigner Sarah Berry weighs up the evidence around low traffic neighbourhoods and local crime figures, with a focus on women’s safety and sense of security. Ms Huq raised the issue of women’s safety on the UK’s streets, which in the light of the recent kidnap and murder of South London woman Sarah Everard, is… [Read More]
Traffic down in London Fields after low traffic neighbourhood – hackney.gov.uk
:excerptstartHackney, 19 March 2021An initial analysis of traffic counts around Hackney’s London Fields low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) shows early signs of traffic reduction, with traffic down both in the neighbourhood itself and on boundary main roads. Traffic inside London Fields LTN was down by an average of 44%, with traffic on boundary roads around the LTN also down by 21%, showing… [Read More]
Designed In Risk – The Ranty Highwayman
:excerptstart18/03/21 One of the staples of the modern media click bait outrage manufactured culture war is the one where a video is shown ostensibly of a “cyclist” doing something “wrong”; often pivoting to a “who was in the wrong” debate It must have some positive effect for the organs that spout this claptrap – and by positive, I… [Read More]
Unacceptable to let police criminalise protesters, say MPs and peers | The Guardian
Letter to Priti Patel from 62 parliamentarians argues right to protest is enshrined in human rights law
Allowing the police to criminalise people for protesting is “not acceptable and is arguably not lawful”, more than 60 MPs and peers have told the home secretary.
In a letter coordinated by Liberty and Big Brother Watch, 62 parliamentarians said the right to protest was enshrined in human rights law, amid growing scrutiny of police tactics after officers forcibly dispersed demonstrators at a vigil for Sarah Everard last week.
Better Streets for K & C sets out a plan for RBKC to rebuild trust and deliver on promises for active travel and climate – betterstreets4kc.org.uk
:excerptstart16 th March 2021 [LONDON] Following the removal in December of the protected cycle lane on High Street Kensington after only seven weeks, today volunteer group Better Streets for Kensington and Chelsea (Better Streets) has given the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) a plan for the council to solve their self-inflicted legal problems, start delivering on national policy, show their commitment to being… [Read More]
Study links fall in street crime and low traffic neighbourhoods – transportxtra
:excerptstartStudy links fall in street crime and low traffic neighbourho Introducing low traffic neighbourhoods in Waltham Forest has led to an overall reduction of street crime, particularly violent and sexual offences, according to a study by academics Anna Goodman and Rachel Aldred.The research shows there was a 10% fall in street crime over one year, which compares “favourably” with… [Read More]
BBC Accused Of Airing Incendiary Claim That Women Put In Danger By Low Traffic Neighborhoods – forbes.com
Carlton Reid
The Science and Environment Unit of BBC News has been accused of spreading falsehoods in a TV report on Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs) broadcast on March 17.
The report is the “most-watched video on the BBC website at the moment,” said a TV news anchor at the end of BBC London News last night, and “rightly so,” he added.
“It’s neighbors fighting neighbors over the issue of Low Traffic Neighborhoods,” the anchor said.
“You need to see it to believe it.”
Indeed, in several ways, the report was unbelievable, including, says one parliamentarian, because it appears to breach BBC impartiality rules.
Lord Berkeley has written to the BBC’s director of editorial policy and standards, claiming that the report failed to meet the broadcaster’s editorial guidelines.
Among several other claims, a “contributor made a statement that a taxi driver could not access her property and this went unchallenged,” wrote Lord Berkeley, patron of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking.
“All residential properties remain accessible, albeit via a slightly longer route,” he stated.
March 2021 Newsletter | Christian Wolmar
Dear subscriber,
The ferocity of the arguments over low traffic neighbourhoods still never ceases to amaze me. I wrote, in a piece for LabourList, only half-jokingly that they had become the most controversial transport issue of the day, greater even than HS2 or the £27bn roads programme. The rows have continued and several LTNs have been removed by councils after strong opposition campaigns.
But how real are these campaigns? And what is motivating the people behind them?
Oxford plans summer launch for first Zero Emission Zone – transportxtra
Air Quality
A zero emission zone (ZEZ) is to be implemented in the core of Oxford city centre this summer, before a much larger zone is introduced next spring.
The initial ZEZ, described as a pilot, will be implemented in August covering a handful of streets in the city’s core, where traffic is already heavily restricted. The only public car parking within the zone is for Blue Badge holders who will be eligible for a 100 per cent discount.
Making trials inclusive – Blog post by Catriona Swanson
In last week’s blog about the various barriers to inclusive cycling, one of the barriers I talked about was routes being too narrow and cited a pop up cycle lane that had been recently installed.
There was quite a lot of chat about this on Twitter so, in this week’s post, I’ll be expanding on that topic by looking at some other examples where trials and pop up infrastructure have not been inclusive and talk about what we should be doing going forward.
Pop up cycle lanes
Firstly, let’s look at pop up cycle lanes in a bit more detail.