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x: LTNs or road pricing?
me: We need both.
x But isn’t road pricing fairer?
me: Quite the opposite. Road pricing is effective but not really progressive. If you have money you continue to drive.
x: How are LTNs different?
THREAD 1/9
me: We need both.
x But isn’t road pricing fairer?
me: Quite the opposite. Road pricing is effective but not really progressive. If you have money you continue to drive.
x: How are LTNs different?
THREAD 1/9
me: An LTN works as a time-tax on 
trips. It specifically impacts short journeys making them proportionally longer.
x: So if you are doing a long trip, the time added is negligible but if you are doing a short trip, it’s more significant
Me: Bingo
X: Is that fairer? 2/9
trips. It specifically impacts short journeys making them proportionally longer.x: So if you are doing a long trip, the time added is negligible but if you are doing a short trip, it’s more significant
Me: Bingo
X: Is that fairer? 2/9
Me: Generally. For a start - you can’t buy your way out of it by spending money
X: Okay. If ‘Time is money’ could you argue it’s progressive?
Me: That’s a stretch. It’s progressive because the wealthy own more cars & drive more AND because they can’t simply buy an exemption. 3/9
X: Okay. If ‘Time is money’ could you argue it’s progressive?
Me: That’s a stretch. It’s progressive because the wealthy own more cars & drive more AND because they can’t simply buy an exemption. 3/9
x: Are LTNs fairer than the ULEZ charge?
Me: Possibly but the ULEZ is highly effective and it’s expansion is needed. It is a problem that you can buy a new Diesel Range Rover and ‘Carry on regardless’.
x Fair enough, but what about people who have no other option?
4/9
Me: Possibly but the ULEZ is highly effective and it’s expansion is needed. It is a problem that you can buy a new Diesel Range Rover and ‘Carry on regardless’.
x Fair enough, but what about people who have no other option?
4/9
Me: Well over a few months, traffic settles, the outcome is simply a few extra minutes on short journeys.
X: Is that fair to those who have no other options?
Me: A few minutes delay on a
journey is not a great hardship, it’s inconvenient but generally no more. 5/9
X: Is that fair to those who have no other options?
Me: A few minutes delay on a
journey is not a great hardship, it’s inconvenient but generally no more. 5/9
Me: There are dozens of places in our cities where pedestrian are caused to wait & detour, e.g. every traffic
crossing.
Let’s be clear EVERYONE benefits from LTNs and our most vulnerable, the elderly & children benefit the most from LTNs.
X: How?
6/9
crossing.Let’s be clear EVERYONE benefits from LTNs and our most vulnerable, the elderly & children benefit the most from LTNs.
X: How?
6/9
me: LTNs are spectacularly effective in creating space for
& 
, the very short journeys the Dept of Transport ignores.
x: And main roads?
Me: Once traffic has settled, the reduction in short journeys by local residents more than off-sets any longer routes created.
7/9
& , the very short journeys the Dept of Transport ignores.x: And main roads?
Me: Once traffic has settled, the reduction in short
journeys by local residents more than off-sets any longer routes created.7/9
X So resident exceptions in LTNS are a bad idea?
Me: A genuinely dreadful idea. Relatively low volumes of traffic deter people from. Additionally without modal shift (i.e. -> ) by local residents, traffic on main roads will rise. 8/9
Me: A genuinely dreadful idea. Relatively low volumes of traffic deter people from
. Additionally without modal shift (i.e. -> ) by local residents, traffic on main roads will rise. 8/9
X: Are LTNs enough?
Me: No. We also need parking controls, subsidised public transport, bike lanes on main roads AND road pricing. But without LTNs as a start, we won’t make progress. 9/9
Me: No. We also need parking controls, subsidised public transport, bike lanes on main roads AND road pricing. But without LTNs as a start, we won’t make progress. 9/9
