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It seems the Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Crystal Palace is 'a problem'. The aim of the closures is to reduce traffic volumes on roads that have been plagued by aggressive and illegal driving. Speeds of up to 70mph were measured on the residential road that is now closed.
It was not safe or pleasant: drivers observing the speed limit were harassed, pedestrians struggled to cross and cyclists suffered close passes from people using it as a means to avoid the A roads running alongside it: at the expense of walking and cycling.
These adjacent A roads are 30mph limit roads with very poor road safety records. As our friends @ActionVZ point out, reducing speed limits would benefit all of us. This is of critical importance on the roads around this LTN. http://www.20splenty.org/covid-19_and_lower_speeds
Why? London's youngest road victim was killed on a road close to this LTN after his pram was hit by a speeding car. His mother was also killed in the incident. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46948833
A few years before this, another woman also had her pram struck by a fast moving vehicle, on another A road, again less than a mile from the CP LTN. She was using a zebra crossing at the time. https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/14272742.woman-pushing-child-buggy-hit-truck-zebra-crossing-south-norwood/
Presenting free flowing traffic as desirable promotes the kind of road culture that holds slowing down or stopping as an obstacle to be overcome at all costs. "You made me f***ing brake" as a great driver once shouted.
Traffic jams are horrible. But viewing road closures as a problem is dangerous. We need slower moving traffic. We need drivers to expect to stop and wait so people can cross the road safely, especially when they cannot 'dash'. We need to build on these changes, not fight them.
And you never know; the driver stuck in traffic could be tomorrow's new active traveller.
