Forum topic: LTN’s – Love them or hate them, or let your newspaper decide

Late summer / early Autumn last year and PM Sunak commissioned a study into LTN’s. Along with 20mph limits, bus lanes and “overzealous” parking enforcement this was highlighted as the beginning of the end of the war on the motorist. Expected in January, nothing was heard.
 Last week the study was leaked to the Guardian which said that the report had 45% supporting LTN’s, with 21% against, this from various parts of the country with experience, while 58% apparently did not even know they lived in a LTN.   It quoted, “LTNs do not adversely affect response times for emergency vehicles” and claimed limited evidence of adverse experience on boundary roads and benefit to traffic levels inside an LTN. Other findings are apparently mixed: the effects on crime, the disabled and street danger.
From a (authorised) leaker critising the leak, the Times reported that LTN’s “potentially risk lives”, this being due to possible delays to emergency vehicles by adding “precious seconds and minutes”. (After a friend’s 90-year-old mum who fell in PG, broke her hip, and was told an ambulance would take 4 hrs to arrive, and an ambulance driving niece who seems to spend considerable time queueing outside A&E’s, I personally have a different priority focus on such matters.)
The roughly 2:1 favourable response to LTN’s is put down to “only around 15%” responding. It doesn’t say if the other 85% were simply not bothered either way or so angry that they couldn’t steady their hands enough to respond.   
The Telegraph followed the same Times line but with more detail: It highlighted a line in the report said to read: “[Emergency services] reported that the implementation of LTNs has caused certain hindrances to emergency services such as delays due to physical barriers and lack of access keys. They stress this could potentially risk lives because ‘this adds precious seconds and minutes when seconds do really count.’” Potentially is given much weight.
Joining in, LBC radio scheduled two hours this morning (9/3/24) on the LTN topic. I switched off early doors when the presenter highlighted personal abuse as being the main incoming.
And so it goes on, and doubtless will go on. London’s population is reported to have increased by 11% in the not so many recent years with its increased transport demands, while cars continue to expand in size. Road space conversely remains all but static. Population forecasts are ever upwards. There’s one of the related circles to square.
Rishi Sunak had said: “For too long politicians have focused on the short-term decisions with little regard for the long-term impact….”. He forecast a new future “Our plan will sit alongside our continued investment in public transport and active travel……”
Publishing the study can only assist, as would a coherent, consistent, long-term approach to a fundamental aspect of modern life – travel and transport. It’s worth remembering it was HMG who promoted LTN’s, albeit several PM’s ago.