Displacement
What do the council say in response to the claim that road closures have only moved traffic elsewhere, rather than reducing it?
The street space programme is being progressed in line with Government and Mayoral guidance which supports the closure of roads in ‘residential areas’. In general this is taken to mean roads which are not classified (i.e. carrying an A or B number). In some cases this may lead to variations in traffic volumes on other roads in the area.
Research suggests this can be a temporary outcome. Following changes in the network, some drivers will choose to travel at different times, on different routes, by different modes or indeed may not make the trip at all. This can reduce the impact of displacement over time.
This concept has been observed and documented in academic studies and is referred to as “traffic evaporation”. An influential piece of research back in 2002 (Disappearing Traffic – The Story so Far. Cairns Atkins and Goodwin, 2002. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Municipal Engineer 151 March 2002 Issue 1 Pages 13 -22,) looking at 70 case studies concluded: “When pedestrianisation schemes or wider pavements or cycle lanes or bus (and other priority vehicle) lanes or road closures are introduced, pre-scheme predictions of what will happen are usually excessively pessimistic. In practice, it is rare that schemes result in a significant deterioration of traffic conditions. Traffic levels can reduce by significant amounts, with the average being that perhaps 11% of the traffic on the treated road or area cannot be found in the area afterwards.”
These changes take time to articulate themselves on the network and hence why Streetspace schemes are generally proposed for a minimum of 6 months. The impact of the scheme on surrounding roads will be closely monitored through the review process.
The cabinet report from 20 October put forward a range of additional potential Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across the borough that could be looked into over coming years. These schemes could help ensure that displacement between residential areas is minimised.
Why should commercial vehicles have to cause more road congestion and suffer delayed deliveries by being forced to divert from their direct routes into Goldhawk Road and Acton Lane?
One of the objectives of the Streetspace programme is to encourage drivers of motor vehicles to stay on the main road network to as close as possible to their destination. This applies equally to commercial vehicles. All Streetspace schemes retain access for motor vehicles to reach premises, but this may require drivers to follow a less direct route than before.
