Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – Coming to Cities and Towns Near You
How will – Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) affect last mile deliveries
Increased Government spending for cyclists and pedestrians means that our streets and neighbourhoods will undergo a number of changes with more cycle lanes, wider pavements and increased street furniture. As part of those changes, some towns and cities are implementing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, which will necessitate a change in the way goods are delivered in those areas.
What is a Low Traffic Neighbourhood?
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) reduce motor traffic, noise, pollution, and road accidents, freeing up the streets for pedestrians and cyclists as well as other methods of environmentally -friendly transport. They can create spaces for play and socialising, helping residents interact easily and safely.
They are defined areas of residential streets between main or “distributor” roads. The aim of a LTN is to discourage or prevent motor vehicles from travelling through the area, keeping buses, HGVs, vans and non-local traffic to the main or distributor roads outside the LTN.
The idea is that every resident can still drive to their residence and receive deliveries, but it is harder or impossible for vehicles to easily pass through the neighbourhood as part of a shortcut or “rat-run”. Deliveries and homeowners may therefore have to take a longer route to access their home or delivery location.
Once vehicles are eliminated or the volume is sufficiently reduced in an area, the speed limit is often reduced too, making streets quieter and safer for residents who can then swap to alternative healthier forms of travel for short journeys.
How are Low Traffic Neighbourhoods enforced?
The simplest method for the local council is to place “modal filters” at certain strategic points around the neighbourhood. “Modal filters” can take the form of bollards, planters, gates or width restrictions, any form of filter that either keeps out the larger vehicles or prevents them from entering the street entirely from certain directions. These filters can also take the form of one-way streets or signs which utilise Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera enforcement with fines for infringements.
As a result, access to neighbourhoods may be via one or more roads, and exit may be via another, so delivery vehicles must use the latest mapping abd account for this in their route plans.
Where are Low Traffic Neighbourhoods being introduced?
Since June 2020 more than 200 schemes have been proposed in 54 local authorities including Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and London.
London's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
The majority of Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods are in London, with 97 in operation.
Click here to see a map of LTN's in London
Three new LTN's in St Ann's, Haringey are to become permanent following a council meeting in December 2024, originally launched in August 2022, they are Bounds Green, Bruce Grove and West Green, all 3 are camera enforced.
Edmonton Green – Enfield
A new scheme is being proposed, called the ‘Edmonton Green Quieter Neighbourhood’, currently only at the consultation stage.
Read More
Brent in London
An 18-month trial started in spring of 2024 in the Kilburn area to reduce the number of vehicles using the neighbourhood as a shortcut. With further works expected for Neasden town centre in the near future.
Oxford LTNs
Oxford has rolled out three schemes in May 2022 despite the opposition from some residents in those areas.
Bristol LTNs
In September 2024 - Bath and North East Somerset proposed 11 new LTN’s in Bristol as part of their “Liveable Neighbourhoods project”.
These were:
- Church Street and Prior Park Road – further consultation
- Whitchurch Village and Queen Charlton – further consultation
- Southlands Area (Weston) – further consultation
- New Sydney Place and Sydney Road – consultation closed July 2025
- Lyme Road and Charmouth Road area – Measures to be implemented Autumn 2025
- Lower Lansdown and The Circus – Measures identified – running trials
- Temple Cloud – consultation closed August 2025
- Pulteney Estate area – other schemes in the area are being monitored prior to any implementation in this area
- London Road and Snow Hill area – Not being progressed
- Entry Hill – further consultation
- Bath and Chelsea Road area. – further consultation
Another Bristol LTN is now being proposed, known as the ‘South Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood’, this will involve a number of parking bans and one-way streets throughout the areas of Totterdown, Windmill Hill, Bedminster and Southville. Read more
Darlington Borough Council
Currently, considering plans to introduce an LTN to the town in order to improve road safety.
Coventry LTNs
A trial was launched in Earlsdon, if successful, more trials will be launched around the city.
Birmingham LTNs
An LTN covering 14 streets in the Kings Heath and Lozells region is scheduled to expand by an additional 8, bringing the total number of streets with modal filters installed to 22. This will stop through traffic on stretches of all these roads.
Low Traffic Neighbourhood areas scrapped
In July 2024 the LTN in Exeter was scrapped and bollards removed. The Exeter LTN in Heavitree and Whipton area was a trail and has been campaigned against since it was installed in August 2023, 81% of the 9,000 responses were opposed to the scheme. More discussion will take place regarding traffic calming measures in the area.
Navigating LTNs
Descartes’ proven routing and delivery scheduling solutions use the latest mapping and ensure that any delivery into a LTN can be made on the committed date and time and as cost-effective as possible.
Contact us to find out more.
