Changes in motor traffic in London’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and boundary roads

Abstract

This paper meta-analyses traffic data extracted from monitoring reports for 46 Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes in 11 London boroughs introduced between May 2020 and May 2021. Schemes are controversial with still limited academic evidence on impacts. The analysis covers internal and boundary roads, looking at actual changes in motor traffic, and at what changes might have been expected based on background trends in London’s three ‘functional zones’ (Central, Inner, and Outer). All metrics show substantial relative declines in motor traffic on internal roads. For instance, a mean ‘pre-LTN’ traffic volume of 1,780 dropped to 930 ‘post-LTN’, against a small projected decline to 1,745 if background trends were followed. By contrast, the schemes are only marginally associated with change in traffic volume on boundary roads. While there are inevitable data limitations associated with the use of routine monitoring data, this research provides some support for the position that LTNs can form an effective part of wider strategies to reduce motor traffic and its associated disbenefits. Monitoring data should be publicly shared regionally and nationally to aid analysis.