As a decision by the Council on Kingston’s three Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) trials approaches, Kingston Cycling Campaign has been undertaking research into the history of LTNs in Kingston.

Our research has found that LTNs in the Borough are far from new and one of the first ‘modal filters’ (the restriction of motor traffic passing through) was created at the junction of Lower Ham Road/Lower King’s Road in c.1968. Whilst another was installed on Bonner Hill Road in c.1978. 

The modal filter on Bonner Hill Road (pictured below) helps create one of the Borough’s largest LTNs around Cambridge Road estate. This single modal filter helps reduce motor traffic and by making the roads safer, encourages walking and cycling which can reduce the use of motor vehicles that worsen the Borough’s air pollution problems.

Our research found other LTNs were introduced in the Borough in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and, prior to the new LTN trials, the most recent one we have found was created in c.2008 through the installation of a modal filter on Walton Avenue in New Malden at its junction with Burlington Road.

We have also identified that LTNs have been introduced across many different parts of the Borough in the past 50 years including in the South (Stormont Way and Compton Crescent); in New Malden (Walton Avenue and George Road); and through to the North of the Borough (Skerne Road and Chatham Road).

Below you can see our map of LTNs already located in the Borough and which includes the three trial LTNs. This map is based on our own research and whilst we understand it to be correct, please do let us know if there are any omissions or errors.

This map also shows Kingston’s Go Cycle routes (either built, in construction or proposed) and that two of the trial LTNs (Albert Road and King Charles Road) link directly onto the Go Cycle network. This means the residents of these two LTNs not only have safer neighbourhood roads but can use these to connect to safer cycle access along the main roads to many destinations across the Borough. The provision of a network of safer cycle (and walking) routes along main roads that connect neighbourhoods is an absolutely essential part of encouraging walking and cycling. It is also an important part of supporting the accessibility of the Borough for the 29% of households in the Borough that do not own a car.

Though we know LTNs can receive some loud objections at the time they are put in place, if they are designed appropriately, they can have a large positive net impact on the community. Surveys show too that across London substantially more people support LTNs than oppose them. Recent research has also shown that road safety substantially improves within LTNs whilst not worsening on neighbouring main roads. 

In Waltham Forest, which has had a large programme of new LTNs in recent years, research has shown that children in the Borough are now expected to live longer from the impact of reduced air pollution and increased physical activity whilst motor vehicle ownership has decreased and the measures have even led to reduced street crime. 

More benefits of LTNs can be found in a London Cycle Campaign guide to LTNs and a collection of evidence that the charity Sustrans has put together.

We have already seen many people enjoy Kingston’s new LTNs (whilst we continue to see people enjoying the ones that have been in place for over 50 years too). We hope that these new LTNs will be made permanent so that their benefits can continue to be enjoyed. We have therefore written to all of the Borough’s Councillors today asking them to support making the trial LTNs permanent and asking them to assist residents in other parts of the Borough with making their roads safer too.

Full list of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods identified in the Royal Borough of Kingston

	Low Traffic Neighbourhood	Area	Roads covered by Low Traffic Neighbourhood	Date established*
1	Lower Ham Road (1)	Kingston	Lower Ham Road (part), Eastbury Road, Chestnut Road, Woodside Road	1968
2	Bonner Hill Road	Kingston	Bonner Hill Road, Hampden Road	1978
3	South Lane	Kingston	South Lane	1985
4	Palmer Crescent/Grange Road	Kingston	Palmer Crescent, Grange Road	1988
5	Barnsbury Lane	Tolworth	Barnsbury Lane (part)	1988
6	Chatham Road	Kingston	Chatham Road, Cobham Road, Chesham Road	1991
7	Woodbines Avenue/ The Bittoms	Kingston	Woodbines Avenue, The Bittoms, Milner Road	1992
8	Knight’s Park Bridge	Kingston	Knight’s Park	1993
9	Albert/George/Queen’s Roads	New Malden	Albert Road, George Road, Queen’s Road	1993
10	Stormont Way	Chessington	Stormont Way, Newlands Way, Devon Way, Holsworthy Way, Riponn Gardens, Tiverton Way, Hereford Way	1995
11	Caverleigh Way	Worcester Park	Caverleigh Way, Pembruy Avenue	1995
12	Sussex Road	New Malden	Sussex Road	1995
13	Compton Crescent	Chessington	Compton Crescent, Marston Avenue, Church Rise, Wilson Road	1996
14	Mill Place	Kingston	Mill Place, Dudley Road	1998
15	Skerne Walk	Kingston	Skerne Walk, Lower Kings Road	2001
16	St Mary’s Road	Surbiton	St Mary’s Road, Cottage Grove	Pre-2008
17	Walton Avenue	New Malden	Walton Avenue, Cavendish Road, Cromwell Avenue	2008
18	Lower Ham Road (2)	Kingston	Lower Ham Road (part), Bank Lane, Albany Park Road	2020
19	King Charles Road	Tolworth	King Charles Road (part), Beaconsfield Road, Broomfield Road, Derby Road	2020
20	Albert Road	Kingston	Albert Road, Victoria Road, Church Road	2020

_{^{*Our research is based on Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) administered by Kingston Council. We have used the date of the TRO as the date when the Low Traffic Neighbourhood was established. In some cases, the TRO date may not exactly match where the modal filter (or other measures) were implemented.}}

As a final note, there are also many Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in the Borough that were established at the time they were built. Examples of this are cul-de-sacs or other estates which were built without provision for through motor vehicles. We have not included these in our analysis and have focussed on those converted to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods through the use of modal filters.