They are the radical set of roads that have enthralled and polarised residents. But despite high-costs and reports of congestion across main roads, Islington’s first low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) appears to be having a “wheelie” big effect on cycling use.
A new report by Islington Council reveals that the number of people cycling through the people-friendly streets of St Peter’s has leapt by 43% over the last six months.
The LTN scheme – introduced in July 2020 to avoid “rat-running”, a term used to describe people who use small streets in rush hours – has garnered a rise in two-wheel transportation. Cycling rates have surged in six of fourteen sites measured in the paper, with Wharf Road seeing the largest increase in cyclists at 51%.
It is a similar pattern for other LTNs across London. Cycling levels nearly doubled in Railton, Brixton, less than a month after it was introduced.
Labour Cllr Rowena Champion, the executive member for environment and transport, says a decision on whether to make the LTN measures permanent has yet to be made.
The council collected data between June and July last year to analyse the streets’ immediate impact. Traffic counters were placed on roads for a week to estimate the speed of vehicles and the volume of activity.
A “normalisation” methodology was also applied to mitigate periods that affected traffic volume, such as successive coronavirus lockdowns.
‘Absolutely brilliant’
LTNs are designed to make areas safer for pedestrians and cyclists by restricting motorists from taking shortcuts through residential areas. St Peter’s was the first of seven borough neighbourhoods rolled out last summer.
“In the past, I tried to keep off the main roads, but all the back streets were dangerous,” says Asa Berliner, a mother who got into cycling during lockdown thanks to LTNs.
“It’s brilliant now. So much safer and you can feel the air being cleaner to breathe. I let the children ride on the road now and they are small, primary school age. We see a lot of cargo bikes and families cycling around there.”
She added: “LTNs give us the chance to travel much further, to get to school safely, to visit parks we would never otherwise be able to reach, to visit friends and family on doorstep visits.”
However, Asa was worried about “everything starting up again” with the gradual easing of lockdown.
“The streets will get filled with cars, making it more dangerous for everyone, both in terms of being hit and killed and in terms of the polluted air, we are forced to breathe.”
“I hope the main roads can get safe cycle lanes too. Upper Street is crying out for one as there’s loads of space and the increased footfall would help the shops get back on their feet.”
Nurullah Turan, the executive member for health and social care, told Islington Now, “residents are now increasingly feeling safe to cycle”.
“Some residents I have spoken with in the past had informed me that one of the reasons preventing them cycling was the fear of traffic.”
“The decrease in car traffic in St Peter’s seems to have contributed to the increase of cycling and this is positive news as our residents are able to enjoy their streets in a safer environment.”
He adds: “Islington Council will carry on working towards making our borough cleaner and safer for all.”
