Yesterday, we said that #LTNs were part of the solution, but not the whole solution. This is a thread about what it means, tactically, to campaign for something that is just one piece of a jigsaw 1/n https://twitter.com/hackneydownsltn/status/1335251758566797312

Firstly, what IS the whole solution? The evidence from around the world is clear: car domination kills cities. The Dutch have known this for years. Paris, Oslo and Barcelona are moving in the right direction. 2/n

Cars may be needed in the countryside, but in London there's usually a better option. We want to see most car trips switched to walking, bike, ebike or scooter, keeping only those in circumstances such as longer trips, heavy loads, or people with limited mobility. 3/n

That's the future we're fighting for. We're serious about it, and it can't come soon enough. It will be immeasurably better for the health, happiness, independence and wellbeing of ALL Londoners. (Including drivers – did you know Dutch drivers are the happiest in the world?) 4/n

In case it's not clear what role LTNs play in that future: they're what will make the vast majority of our streets safe for active travel. Main roads need physical separation from cars, but there's no space for that on side streets. You need low traffic. 5/n

So that future can't exist without LTNs. But LTNs won't bring it about on their own. There's good evidence they have some effect on car use, but as yesterday's article said, there are so many other things we need to do, from parking controls to ebike vouchers 6/n

Why then, are we fighting so hard for something that won't solve the problem on its own? Because we have to seize any parts of the solution, whenever and wherever we can. Time is against us, we are facing a climate crisis, and we do not have the luxury of acting at leisure. 7/n

Electric vehicles are a good comparison. They have their problems (in cities, most of the same problems as fossil fuel cars), but there's no doubt they're going to play a huge role in any low-carbon future. The government has said all new cars must be electric by 2030. 8/n

However, a bigger problem is that from an emissions point of view, EVs are only as green as the electricity they use. If we don't also decarbonise out electricity supply – wind and solar instead of gas – electric vehicles could make the problem worse. 9/n

So should we fight against electric cars until we've completed the huge task of building enough wind turbines to power them all? Reject the government's 2030 sales target, and protest against charging points because they're not solar powered yet? 10/n

We say absolutely not. Change is difficult, and most of all, it takes time. When you're talking about decade-long shifts, the best time to do anything is now. We need to embrace whatever we can, as soon as we can, while never losing sight of the bigger picture. 11/n

LTNs are happening NOW. Progress like this usually takes forever. If you don't want the same future as us, that's fine. But if you do want it, now is the time to shout for for low-traffic neighbourhoods, and every other part of the solution too. 12/12