Tag: traffic

Counting on …. Day 1.196

18th October 2023

Earlier this autumn the Guardian reported in an article about new electric cars ‘But even a low-carbon-emitting car remains a low-capacity mode of transportation. Doubling down on its near-monopoly over the surface transportation system would lead to a future of ever-worsening congestion and road accidents, which currently cost 30 lives in the UK every week.’ 

In other words greater use of public transport, cycling and walking would ease congestion on our roads. It has been well observed that building more roads increases traffic rather than reducing congestion. Money spent on road building would be better spent on public transport and cycling infrastructure, reducing congestion and more than likely, increasing journey times. 

Counting on day … 1.057

27th February 2023

Low traffic neighbour hoods – “mini Holland”

‘When Waltham Forest Council received funding from Transport for London to create a low-traffic neighbourhood, local residents and campaigners worked hard to explain the benefits of low traffic neighbourhoods to the community.

At first some residents weren’t too keen on introducing low-traffic neighbourhoods and were worried that it would be difficult to access homes and businesses.

They also thought that it would lead to an increase in traffic on the main roads and might force traffic outside of schools.

However, they soon saw the improvement in the area, and counts on main roads in Waltham Forest have shown that traffic is now more spread out across the day and maximum peak hour flows are lower on the main roads.

Walthamstow Village is now one of London’s most advanced liveable-neighbourhood schemes and traffic levels have fallen by over 90% on some streets and by 56% on average. The scheme has made people think twice about using their car for shorter journeys and within a year, there was an increase in the number of people walking in the area, with residents walking 32 minutes and cycling on average nine minutes more per week. It’s now easier to cross the road and safer for cyclists and there’s a lot less air pollution.

Walthamstow Village has also become a great deal greener with new trees and ‘pocket parks’ that offer attractive planters, seating and community gardens’. https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/about-us/our-work-in-action/creating-low-traffic-neighbourhoods

A different world is possible!