Low Traffic Neighbourhood or ‘LTN’.
What is a Low Traffic Neighbourhood?
Low traffic neighbourhoods or LTNs, stop rat-running motor vehicles, returning traffic to the classified strategic road network of A-roads and B-roads unless they have a valid reason to access the neighbourhood. This can reduce traffic by 50-90%, creating a quiet network of streets where anyone can walk, cycle or use their wheelchair. They enable active travel, healthy lifestyles, less car use, fewer injuries and deaths, cleaner air, and fewer carbon emissions.
Although LTNs may initially transfer more traffic to the surrounding strategic road network, over time many journeys are transferred to cycling, walking, public transport, or not taken at all. In the case of Telegraph Hill, some of the peripheral strategic network is narrow and congested (e.g. Drakefell and Gellatly Roads). Clearly additional crossings and other traffic calming measures are needed on those roads. Ultimately though we don’t think the solution to these historical issues is to allow ever-increasing traffic on unclassified roads through Telegraph Hill. In our opinion this only encourages car use in general, increasing levels of car use across the whole area.
Telegraph Hill is currently cut down the middle by a barrier on Arbuthnot Road with one-way restrictions on Kitto, Musgrove and Sherwin Roads. Our LTN scheme allows the partial or complete removal of these without generating through traffic. For that reason, it actually allows quicker access from Jerningham Road to certain areas like Nunhead and Peckham for example.
Recently some LTNs have started to incorporate automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras as used in the London Congestion Charge area. We are advocating use of these on Sandbourne and Troutbeck Roads, which would allow residents to freely pass through the restrictions. We would extend this to all local residents of Telegraph Hill on both sides of the restrictions including those living on Drakefell and Gellatly Roads - offering them a concrete benefit from the LTN. As a result, travel around the area would be quicker and less restricted for all residents.
Further reading about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods can be found here.
Proposed LTN Scheme
Q: Can you summarise what is being proposed with this LTN?
A: This scheme effectively blocks the east side Telegraph Hill to all non-resident traffic other than buses, cycles and emergency services. As a result, there is no incentive to try to cut-thorough in either direction. The west side of Telegraph Hill remains unchanged, except that 2-way traffic is restored to Musgrove and Sherwin Roads, and the existing barrier on Arbuthnot Road can be removed. This will make travel around Telegraph Hill easier for residents.
Q: What are the camera symbols?
A: As discussed above we are proposing installation of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras on Sandboune and Troutbeck Roads, allowing all residents from the whole of the Telegraph Hill area through these barriers.
Q: Is this design definitive?
A: A lot of thought has gone into it but it is still only a draft for discussion and is likely to change after consultation with residents and Lewisham Highways. For example at the moment our plan has restrictions located at the Pepys Road end of Pendrell, Sandbourne and Vesta Roads, which allows the LTN to be implemented with a minimum number of barriers - but if residents were keen these could be relocated (and in either case these roads gain from the scheme as there would no longer be any incentive for them to be used as cut-throughs.
Q: How will this impact on travel to adjoining local areas?
A: With ANPR cameras, travel to adjoining areas would remain as it is or even be improved. Without these, although travel to Brockley might take a few minutes longer, getting to Peckham and Nunhead would actually be quicker as a result of the removal of restrictions on Arbuthnot Road and Sherwin Road.
Q: How will residents get to the Sainsbury’s at New Cross Gate and back?
A: Residents could retain access via Troutbeck Road as is currently the case, but using ANPR cameras, although this requires a right turn over two lanes of traffic and always seems a bit dangerous. Alternatively, this LTN scheme opens Sherwin Road in both directions so travel via Erlanger Road is possible which only takes a few minutes longer.
Q: What about guests and deliveries?
A: Guests and delivery drivers will have to avoid barriers, though as discussed above access from Peckham and Nunhead would be faster, from New Cross Gate much the same, and Brockley only a little slower. If we are able to implement an ANPR system, we plan to explore whether we could allow residents to grant visitors and/or delivery drivers temporary access.
Q: Is it likely to happen if residents want it?
A: All relevant parties seem to be fully behind schemes of this sort. Lewisham Highways have told us that they are keen to see a design of this sort which has local support. Both Central Government, Transport for London and City Hall all remain fully behind Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Specific funding for them is being made available and on that basis if residents support an LTN we believe it can happen!