Forum topic: Fox Lane low-traffic neighbourhood

Yesterday I had to rush to from Lakeside Rd to Winchmore Hill which now means I have to go via Aldermans Hill and the high street. It was 4.15 so the traffic was backed up to Grovelands Rd/Baskervilles. I set my stopwatch. I cleared the lights at The Triangle 2mins and 16 secs later. So no problem really!

Worth a read. https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/let-s-all-welcome-lowtraffic-neighbourhoods-a4566341.html

After causing what has been described as "chaos", tfl commissioner Mr Andy Byford announced yesterday that the Euston Road 'Streestspace' cycle lane is going to be removed:

Euston Road cycle lane removal

A nice timely response discovered by Alan Thomas finding the temporary cycle lanes are likely to be closed much earlier than intended. Come east on the same road to where I was referring to and the new floating bus stop with its associated mini zebra allowing pavement waiting pedestrians to embark a lane 2 bus is anything but temporary – I would imagine, but I’m sure someone will keep an eye out. Maybe cars are now to be allowed in lane 2, alongside buses, as well as lane 3 but without significant road works to unpick a lot of concrete and then relay the road surface they’re not going into the cycle lane. Main point however remains, we’re looking at 70+ LTN’s rolling out in London and as many again UK wide under a HMG initiative. The pushback from earlier implementation in such as Walthamstow both in restricting intra-LTN residents and pushing rat running traffic onto boundary roads will have been fully anticipated. The direction of intent and supporting policy is more than clear.

Not sure anymore will believe you! Yeh no problem for you but major problems for everyone else! Our experience is very different and you can’t fool people into thinking this scheme has bought some benefits and that the traffic is not that bad. it has only bought benefits to only the very few people living in peace and quite on the closed off roads. However it has added EXTRA misery, pollution, traffic, noise and fumes to everyone else who already has busy traffic who now have to take your traffic as well. The main roads where traffic has been diverted to is now mostly gridlocked and there are no bus lanes so buses are also stuck in traffic and makes public transport less appealing. Children's school journeys and the elderly have been particularly hard hit as they rely on buses which have all been gridlocked during rush hour and beyond. There is a lot of opposition to this with very valid reasons and will be a local election issue if not handled properly.

Agree we need more bus lanes, but there's thousands of people living in the Fox Lane and Bowes LTN areas who are benefitting from safer, quieter and less polluted streets (every street is accessible by vehicle and people walking, cycling and using mobility aids can enter/exit wherever they want). And ltns reduce overall traffic - just takes time for travel behaviours to change. This is worth reading: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/tempers-run-high-in-low-traffic-zones-82tqd63gj

Yes like I said a minority few have benefited from this scheme with quiter streets and less pollution. However this been to the detriment of the very very many more people in the area who are now suffering from MORE dangerous, more noisy and more polluted streets as they have to take on extra traffic from these closed off streets. Driving habits is very unlikely to change as their is no viable alternative for where this traffic can go. Those roads were already busy and are now gridlocked. Just look at the hundreds of school children every morning struggling to travel to school and their lives and well-being just got a whole lot worse. Hardly seems a fit for purpose scheme.

Driving habits are very likely to change (as they did in Walthamstow LTN) as people realise it's quicker and easier to walk or cycle short journeys - resulting in lower traffic overall. But it will take time for behaviours to change.