| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Low Traffic Neighbourhoods | |
| Posted by: | Ossian Olsén | |
| Date/Time: | 22/09/20 11:38:00 |
| Hi Ron, I note there appears to be long history here. I think we can agree that we all want the same thing, smarter, quitter, safer and more environmentally friendly road. I look at the information available to form an opinion that the forecast is positive on balance. That is my view based on the information and data available. Less traffic through poets corner and less peak traffic on the boundary roads, such as Horn Lane. I have asked for information speaking against this scheme, but I only get stories around personal stories and impositions. These are relevant and real, but I am not swayed by anecdotal ‘evidence’, in particular where not all aspects have been considered. I think it is important to read up in an issue and try and see if from the other point of view. Far too few do that on this forum. I don’t know much about LTN, but I did take the time to try and understand what is trying to be achieved with the LTN at poets corner. It seems to me to be on the whole positive. Therefore, I could not just sit back and read comments on this forum that are ill-informed and considered only in isolation and not based on best available information. The number of new items added are confusing me and make me wonder if you are looking for a discussion or just vent frustration with LBE/EC. The Walthamstow study is the study that LBE refers to and it seems reasonable to me to use this test as a basis. A London central suburb/residential area (however it is defined), surrounded by a-roads and with problem with rat-running. If you disagree that this is an appropriate comparison you need to justify and substantiate why. The shape of the area is one aspect, for sure, you can never replicate a situation r scenario exactly. Hence the acton LTN is on a trial basis. The Walthamstow study paints a very positive picture in terms of impact, of a LTN, to a residential area, including for the boundary roads (such as horn lane). 1. I am glad you understand the difference between a residential road and an a-road. The Walthamstow study demonstrated some increase to the boundary roads (horn lane), but less at peak, which should mean less congestion experience. Less cars passing through the area (horn lane included) during rush hours should be positive to us living near/on horn lane. 2. Of course pollution reduction should be as much as possible, but the a-road is an artery and is designed differently with houses set back further etc. I knew that when we moved here and I suspect you knew that when you moved to the area. I believe pollution and traffic management is also approached differently for a roads. You will always have traffic on an a-road, but you’ll also get busses and ‘safe’ crossing points. If you want to understand the design codes better they are all on-line. Again, the study in Walthamstow forecast an incremental increase to traffic volumes on the boundary roads, but this traffic is forecast to be much more spread out throughout the day (and evening). I do not know if that is better or worse from a pollution perspective - my guess is better (no static idle traffic). Ulez should be the biggest game changer for that though. 3. I cannot answer this as I have not seen the traffic stats. If you have them I’d be very interested to have a look. The current scheme seems to meet its objectives, but here are more ways to plan a LTNs, of course, so I suggest you put your ideas to the council, our input has been specifically asked for in the leaflet (presuming you got one). 4. Walthamstow achieved much greater than 15% reduction in the LTN, they achieved 50% in the LTN. 15%, as far as I can tell, takes into consideration the boundary roads and the behavioural aspects, such as people, like I, now drive much less (it’s a pain not to be able to cut through - LTN helped me quit!) and phv etc no longer cutting through between the vale and horn lane. I am going out on a limb here though, again simple traffic data would be needed to validate this. Specific points faced in Acton may be something to look at, I don’t know what they are, but pilot studies are, in my limited experience, a very meaningful tool to forecast. I’d suggest you share these points to the council in your feedback message. Ron, seriously, if you don’t believe data and statistics, how can you determine anything? Everything from traffic data to your health tests and checks. It’s not going to be exactly the same in Acton as in Walthamstow, of course not, but if you think a couple of anecdotal stories on a forum provides a more accurate forecast, I am not sure we need to continue this discussion. Residents views are very important but facts are facts. 5. I don’t know anything about this Ron. Seems to relate to some previous experience with lbe that you probably need to process. 6. Yes we cycle up and down acacia. In particular now with the Uber bikes. I don’t know where people cycle or what the protections for cyclists are. Is this a point regarding the ltn? 6 (again). I am not sure what your point is. But your notion around a gated community seems more resentful than factual (refer to item 5 above). Your comment about trapping traffic is also not based on anything that I have reviewed. It seems like this point is venting some form of frustration that traffic is shifted from poets corner to horn lane, as noted earlier this is not necessarily what the case study forecasts. But data would need to be collected to verify. Your notion is that EC is actively pushing congestion into our town centre, I honestly don’t know what this point means and it’s relevance. Again, you seem very angry at EC.. 7. If you base this point on the Walthamstow study, ie the point that more traffic is added to horn lane, this is perhaps correct. The study however showed that the peaks have been reduced so the risk of gridlock is reduced. Using acacia road in the case of gridlock, maybe your guess is correct, it’ll need to be studied. maybe simulated (modelled) to test if a benefit, of no LTN, is to be able to reroute traffic in the case of an accident. A factor perhaps, but I cannot see that this is a litmus test if the scheme is positive as an overall. Unless you have done a test case or run a simulation you cannot possibly conclude on this. 8. I am not aware that the roundabout or left turn (towards Ealing coming from Acton Town I presume), what the objectives were or what the data told them. The same with the other examples you mention under item 8. Your point about traffic being so bad that it is turning away traffic is possibly a relevant one, but not one, I believe, used in planning a scheme like this. It may be a side effect. It may be very relevant, but if the forecast is that 1 in 6 cars will no longer be in the area, including on horn lane and churchfield, Holistically the area is forecast to have less traffic, surely that is a good thing? The final point around working from home and traffic may also be relevant, but it may also be that a lot more people drive during covid, than using public transport, and that some of the congestion you, and I, are experiencing is due to increased car joureys and not the LTN. But without facts neither of us can know. Have a great day, Ossian |