Transport for London (TfL) buried a report that found little evidence to suggest low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce car use, according to The Times.
Emails between TfL and the University of Westminster, which conducted the research, show that officials were ‘concerned’ about the results of the report being made public, as they undercut the claims from Mayor Sadiq Khan that LTNs are environmentally beneficial as they reduce the use of cars.
While options were discussed on how to present the results in a more positive light, TfL ultimately decided not to publish and withdrew funding for the completion of the study in June 2024, a year before the project was due to be completed.
The Times reported that TfL documents show it initially agreed to pay £82,095 for the three-year study, but it was not clear how much of this was paid due to the research being cut short.
Following this, an internal ‘completion statement’ said that there were no new insights offered by the research and this was why the report would not continue, despite the data revealing that there was no reduction in car use caused by LTNs.
The first wave of LTNs was introduced in 2021, following the pandemic, with both TfL and the Mayor arguing that the schemes help to reduce traffic and pollution.
Mayor Khan has repeatedly stated that LTNs reduced car use and traffic, even citing the reduction in short car journeys as ‘the main benefit’ of the schemes in 2021.
Speaking to The Times, John Stewart, of the campaign group Social and Environmental Justice, said: ‘The failure to publish is a serious omission because it could have helped inform decision-makers. Councils and local councillors often support LTNs because they believe or are told that they are green and help reduce air pollution, but this study hugely undermines that argument.’
A statement from TfL said: ‘We are committed to supporting high-quality research that helps us understand how our policies and programmes are working. This particular study was initially funded to explore the impacts of LTNs but following a review of the second year’s findings, we concluded that the data didn’t offer sufficient new insights to justify further investment in continuing the survey.
‘We remain confident that LTNs can reduce traffic levels in the area, making streets safer and enabling more walking and cycling.’
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