A cyclist campaign group has urged Southwark Council to crank up its Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes – saying it’s “faltered” in recent years.
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) said the council had done “very little” since 2020 – when it rolled out LTNs across Dulwich Village, Walworth and North Peckham.
Southwark Council has hit back, citing its “ambitious plans to enhance the streets”, including 100 per cent controlled park zone (CPZ) coverage by August 2024.
The LCC, a charity with more than 11,000 paying members, sees LTNs, which restrict motor traffic through certain areas, as vital to reducing motor traffic and making streets safer.
Its recent report gave a damning assessment of the council’s commitment to LTNs.
Southwark has LTN coverage of 35 per cent, the seventh most in London, and up a whopping 23 per cent since 2020. But the LCC says recent progress has been slow.
Southwark Cyclists Coordinator Simon Saville said: “Southwark put in a large number in 2020 but since then they’ve done one very little…. Where’s the ambition gone?”
He compared its record to Lambeth. Both boroughs were voted in with strong Labour majorities in 2022.
Mr Saville said Lambeth had capitalised on that victory by pressing ahead with more LTNs like one in Streatham.
The commission coordinator added that an LTN was particularly needed in the area between North Peckham and Camberwell.
The commission also urged Southwark Council to increase its network of safe cycle routes on main and side roads and install more secure cycle storage.
The report said that slowed progress was “likely due to opposition to LTNs”.
One example of this is the controversial Dulwich Village LTN which some local residents say has isolated the elderly and disabled while increasing traffic along boundary roads.
A spokesperson for anti-LTN camapign group for One Dulwich said: “The London Cycling Campaign should stop telling Southwark Council what to do.
“The reason the Council may be slower than LCC would like is because it has understandably met local community opposition to turning local residential roads into cycle tracks.”
Anti-LTN campaigner and previous Conservative candidate for Dulwich Village ward Clive Rates said: “Southwark should do the democratic thing and invest in public transport, not create more schemes that disrupt bus routes and burden main road residents with more pollution from LTN-displaced traffic.”
Southwark Council was recently forced to row back on a proposal to close Turney Road to traffic due to consultees’ opposition.
Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency, Clean Air and Streets, said: “Despite the challenges, we have made significant progress.
“This includes implementing ten traffic reduction schemes throughout the borough, establishing 35km of dedicated cycle routes, installing 649 hangars complemented by a network of cycle stands and cycle hire stations, and implementing an accelerated controlled parking zone roll-out with the aim of achieving 100% coverage by August 2024.
“This year we have been focused on defining strategic priorities for future traffic schemes while engaging with local residents and vested groups. This ensures that the improvements we undertake possess a high level of quality and durability. The Liverpool Grove low emission neighborhood scheme serves as an illustration of our commitment to road safety and has been positively received by the local community.”
What planet do these vile bullying power crazy selfish cyclists live on. The LTNs should be destroyed and let us get on with our lives without having to pander to two faced scumbag cyclists. Drove to Charlton and back today and saw one, yes one cycle in the massive cycle lane that has grinded traffic to a halt. And these parasites want more blockages. Please f*ck off