Access and impact for residents and businesses
The project will still allow access by motor vehicle to every property in the area, although some routes to properties may change. So key workers like carers, delivery drivers and people with access needs will still have access.
Wheelchair and mobility scooter users
The aim of the scheme is to deter through traffic - not remove all traffic. Anyone who needs to travel by car or taxi can still do so but the streets will be safer for everyone. The majority of existing parking arrangements won’t be changed.
Other interventions can include more dropped kerbs which will help wheelchair and mobility scooter users to move between pavement and carriageway more easily. They ensure that everyone, including those who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters, have enough space to make their journeys comfortably.
Business owners
Recent studies have shown that local people who walk and cycle spend more in local shops than those who drive over the course of a month. Existing schemes have seen improved spend at local businesses, with some reporting a 30% increase in retail spend and a reduction in shop vacancies by 17% (See reference number 5).
Lower traffic outside of shops and businesses can allow more space for customer seating, deliveries and servicing.
Access for emergency services and refuse collections
The access needs of the emergency services and refuse collections will feed into the design so that usual service can continue.
Emergency services have generally been positive about Active Neighbourhoods. There is strong evidence that some emergency vehicles can even respond more quickly in Active Neighbourhoods because they are not held up by traffic (See reference number 8).
Reducing traffic in residential areas also reduces the number of road traffic collisions the emergency services have to attend. The ambulance service has said that it is not aware of any Active Neighbourhoods causing significant delays to them or raising patient safety concerns (See reference number 8).
Once implemented, the changes will be 24hrs a day 7 days a week. This is to ensure residents can enjoy the benefits at all times and there is no confusion about access times.
Impact of removed through traffic
Streets in areas with similar interventions have been shown to experience a drop in traffic volumes by 50-70%. As streets will only be used for vehicle trips starting and ending in the area, speeds should also significantly reduce. People drive more carefully in their own neighbourhoods.
Some roads will still need to accommodate through traffic. Main roads are designed to take the majority of traffic, so can manage increases in traffic better than residential streets.
In the short term, the main roads which through traffic is moved onto may experience a slight increase in traffic volumes, but evidence shows a return to normal within 3 to 6 months, and sometimes a further drop to below existing traffic levels.
This is because shorter journeys become more convenient by foot or cycle, encouraging people to use their cars for them less. It’s important to remember that a small increase in traffic on a main road is less noticeable than the positive transformation brought about by a dramatic reduction of traffic on a residential street.
Improvements can still be made to them, including improved crossing points, streetscape improvements, traffic calming, and pavement improvements.
Residents on boundary roads can still benefit from the wider area improvements such as reduced noise and air pollution and a network of quiet filtered streets nearby.
During the trials, we will assess the impact of the scheme.
Length of journeys
Whilst some local journeys by car may become slightly longer in distance, the expected reduction in traffic on local residential streets will mean less congested journeys for those who do have to use a car. This means many journeys will not be impacted, and some may even become shorter. For longer trips, any delays will be barely noticeable compared to the full length of the trip, and some parts may even be quicker.
For wheelchair users and those walking and cycling, many trips within the area can become safer and more convenient, reducing journey times.
Even on boundary roads where a small increase in traffic may be seen in the short term, evidence suggests that journey times are not significantly affected. In Waltham Forest for example, research showed that bus journey times on main roads have not significantly increased following the introduction of an Active Neighbourhood (See reference number 9). Less congestion on residential streets can also help some buses to run more on time.
Changes can take a few weeks to get used to, but existing schemes show that local people settle into them quickly and that most do not want a change back to how things were before. In Waltham Forest for example, where there has been an Active Neighbourhood for a few years, only 1.7% of people would scrap the scheme (See reference number 10).