Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs)

Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), as they are known in the UK, are set up to cut down on through traffic in residential areas. The idea is to stop drivers from using quiet streets as shortcuts, while still making sure that residents, deliveries, public transport, and emergency services can get where they need to go.

The broader goal of LTNs is to make neighbourhoods safer and healthier by reducing the number of cars on the road zipping through any time of the day. Simultaneously, LTNs aim to improve air quality, cut noise, and encourage more people to walk, cycle, or use public transport.

With less traffic, streets become quieter and safer, especially for children, and generally more pleasant places to spend time. All of this can encourage greener public spaces, create a sense of community, and make a real difference to people’s quality of life.

To make this happen, LTNs typically use things like bollards, planter boxes and camera-controlled access points, often relying on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology. Some areas also introduce one-way systems or close off certain roads altogether, making it harder for drivers to cut through. Private residences in an LTN remain accessible by car, but drivers usually need to enter and leave the area via the same route, rather than driving straight through.

That said, LTNs remain controversial. Proponents say they make streets safer and neighbourhoods more liveable, but opponents highlight a number of challenges. One of the most common complaints is that they may simply push traffic onto nearby main roads. This, in turn, can lead to more congestion and pollution in other, often poorer, areas. Some residents, tradespeople and delivery drivers say the road closures make their journeys longer and more frustrating. Local businesses may feel that restricted car access puts off customers or disrupts deliveries. There have also been concerns about longer emergency response times.

In the end, how well LTNs are received by the public often depends on thoughtful planning, clear communication, and being part of a wider effort to improve a city’s overall transport network — not on shutting down streets here and there simply to serve an agenda of making a block or two ‘car-free’.