Crime due to LTN Post Reply

[LTN insanity]

No doubt crime is rising within the Streatham Wells LTN area. Residents have spoken about it already and are fearful of walking home in the evening as area is now absurdly quiet. As Ubers won’t go into the area one friend now gets out of bed in the early hours to meet her teenagers who are being dropped on the edge of Streatham Common at the end of a night out. She does not want them walking home alone along Valley Road at that time as they can no longer be dropped at the door, she fears for their safety.

Meanwhile Lambeth are wasting public money on tables, rain gardens and wooden planters to put in situ down Valley Road as if it is a picnic area. While pot holes litter the roads, schools crumble, youth schemes close and knife crime escalates. Lambeth council are truly dreadful.

As traffic is naturally quieter over Christmas and New Year please don’t take your foot off the pedal - please continue to email Councillors Rezina Chowdhury and Clare Holland - the main protagonists and Local Councillors and the Local MP. Come Tuesday 9th when schools are back, Streatham High Road, Streatham North Side and Leigham Court Road will be back to utter gridlock hell. With air quality at its worst.

[Denwand]

During the disastrous Covid LTN that plagued the Beechcroft Road that bordered Trinity Road south of Wandsworth Common, crime rose considerably.

The area was subject to roaming gangs of teenagers on (stolen?) scooters as well as a number on (borrowed?) e-bikes. They could whizz through the planter road blocks with ease, where Police cars could not follow them, to prey on any poor soul walking home after dark - of course muggings and assaults increased proportionally.

Along with the huge traffic jams and pollution this enabled residents to be successful in overturning the councils decision and the whole scheme was rightfully scrapped.

So it is essential that Streatham residents increase the pressure on this muddle headed scheme!

[ddjames]

Is this really the best the two of you can come up with?

“Residents are all talking about” and “one friend says”…

At least have the decency to just admit you don’t like the fact you can’t bomb around in your Chelsea Tractor wherever and whenever you want and don’t come up with spurious nonsensical arguments against creating healthy streets for residents to live in and enjoy.

And anyone who has ever taken an Uber knows that drivers quite happily drop off in LTN zones - in fact they seldom have any knowledge they exist.

Now off you pop back to Tory HQ.

[Kirstie’s Mom]

Is that the best you can come up with : insulting others for having a different point of view? I don’t own a car and lived off Beechcraft during the LTN . It was a nightmare . The traffic fumes were horrible and no UNer would accept any request since it was a nightmare getting to me . I’m not a Tory either .

[sandman]

The transition to safer roads and reduced air pollution through LTNs and other measures takes time and can be painful, there is no doubt.
However we’ve seen the traffic jams evaporate during the school holidays, so one thing we can all do is support our local schools and local parents to find ways to get to school that don’t rely so much on cars. I know our family has been part of many school runs for years, we didn’t see any good alternatives - until the LTNs, when our daughter could actually cycle safely to school! Maybe schools could also give students and staff a little leeway if they are late until things settle down?
Something that is clearly desperately needed is improved bus times! TFL and local councils need to prioritise this immediately- bus lanes wherever possible and bus gates or priority at traffic lights etc.
After the horrendous rain and flooding we’ve been experiencing, it is clear that we need many *more*
rain gardens (SUDS) to help absorb rain before it overflows our drains and floods our neighborhood.
No doubt the layout of LTN schemes can be improved, so it might be more productive to send the council some constructive suggestions where you see problems.
Research shows that reducing car traffic with schemes like LTNs actually reduces crime, as neighbourhoods become more walkable and more people are out and about. Many of our roads are in fact more neighbourly and folks know each other better after the pandemic years and the growth of our neighbourhood WhatsApp and community support groups, so you could try to build on that. Our own road (not in an LTN) WhatsApp group has organised parents to walk along school routes after some school children were mugged, and we’ve made a list of “safe” doors our children can knock on day or night if they feel threatened; we’ve also become more involved with local police community meetings etc. Increasing awareness among your neighbours can make a big difference!
https://road.cc/content/news/police-bac ... ime-299245
The reduction in air pollution from the ULEZ expansion has already made a difference for those of us with asthma, I know I used to cough every night after going down any main road and that has significantly improved.
We all know that we can’t just keep cramming more cars onto our roads indefinitely, there just isn’t room and we are poisoning our air and also increasing the frequency and severity of these big storms and flooding. We have to make some big changes - the LTNs aren’t perfect, but they are one step. Let’s work together as a community to take more steps together.

[dimelda]

ddJames:  You're absolutely right.  Those who moan about LTNs are generally those who selfishly own a vehicle, when they don't need to - doing 'school runs', popping round the corner to the shops, dropping someone off at the station etc.  They're now inconvenienced because they consider it's their right to drive anywhere and everywhere at any time of the day or night.   They are in fact the problem.  Instead of whining about polluted air, traffic jams, dangerous streets, & anything else they can dream up, they should get out of their cars - for good - & take public transport.  Living in London, unless they're disabled, or need a vehicle as part of their employment, they don't need to own a car at all.  

 

[dimelda]

Sandman:  Brilliant, brilliant post.  Everyone should read, and digest, it.  As for SUDS (rain gardens), of course we'll need heaps more before our neighbourhoods & homes are flooded - but don't hold your breath.  Remember this is Britain, where the authorities can't get anything right when it comes to infrastructure.  I suspect we'll all have drowned in the flood water before anything's done about it.