Meet Edward, a dedicated cyclist whose journey through Lambeth's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) has transformed not just his commute, but his entire perspective on urban living. Here we explore Edward's experiences and the wider impact of these innovative initiatives.
Edward embraces the joys of cycling through Lambeth's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Credit: J Bewley
A Dad’s cycling journey in low traffic neighbourhoods
Despite being a keen cyclist himself, the congested, polluted roads around Edward’s South London home had put him off cycling with his children.
However, a positive experience riding with his son through two local low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) designed by Sustrans has changed that. Edward explains:
“We try to drive our car as little as possible, and I cycle everywhere on my own.
“My 10-year-old son plays lots of sport. He wasn’t terribly confident cycling on busy roads, and his sports clubs are too far away to walk, so we tended to jump in the car for those trips.
“When our car broke down and we were without it for a week, we decided to try cycling together to his basketball clubs.
“Getting to Forest Hill on a bike is a horrible ride.
“There’s lots of pollution, a steep hill and no protected cycle lane, even with a child there were trucks making close passes at speed.
“It didn’t feel safe, so for this journey we went straight back to the car.
“But we had a much better experience cycling to Clapham, mainly because of the low traffic neighbourhoods on the way.
Edward's story highlights the power of infrastructure in promoting active travel. Credit: J Bewley
Much safer, more pleasant and less polluted
“It’s a similar distance but you go through Brockwell Park and the Railton and Ferndale LTNs and there are other protected cycle lanes.
“It’s much safer, more pleasant and less polluted.
“My son feels so much happier cycling this route and I do too. I’m not so paranoid about vehicles close passing him at 30mph.
“We’re still cycling this journey even though the car is fixed.
“We enjoy it and we’re not the only ones, you notice there are so many other cyclists around.
“The LTNs mean there are very few cars, so all the cyclists choose to go through here.
“It’s fun at rush hour when you’re in a little pack of cyclists, you feel like you’re in a peloton.”
“Cycling also allows for a bit more spontaneity than driving.
“When we’re on our bikes we’ve stopped in Brockwell Park to play basketball and go to the café.
“We never did that when we were in the car.”
Using public spaces as they should be used
Edward has also seen the benefits of the LTNs for people walking and wheeling, and the role they play in creating sociable outside spaces:
“You definitely see more people walking around, skateboarding and using mobility scooters.
“People are walking along in a more relaxed way as they know they’re not going to get hit.
“You see people sitting on the benches and hanging out.
“They’re using that public space as it should be used, in a way that didn’t happen before.
“And here in Lambeth you see everyone, from all different backgrounds, using the space.
“It’s a chance for neighbourhoods to be given nice things and nicer places that are there for everyone to use.”
“Cycling is genuinely a joy”
Lambeth's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods offer safe, sociable spaces for residents. Credit: J Bewley
Edward only started cycling himself a few years ago:
“I’ve always had a bike but until recently I never used it.
“I thought it was too dangerous in London or I’d get too sweaty, basically I had lots of excuses not to get on the bike.
“Then, just before COVID, I made a New Year’s resolution to commute to work on my bike.
“Partly the decision was about improving my fitness but also the train was expensive and overcrowded.
“There were delays and I’d get stressed because it’s totally out of your control.
“I found it liberating being on my bike. I loved it.
“It didn’t matter how much traffic there was, there’s always a way to weave through.
“You’re passing hundreds of cars thinking ‘what are you doing?’.
“We’re brainwashed into thinking that driving is how we get freedom but you end up sitting trapped on a clogged-up road.
“Freedom is cycling past knowing you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, without harming anyone.
“Cycling is genuinely a joy.
“On a bike you also get to see more of the city, it makes me feel more like a Londoner than just a Lambeth person.
“You don’t have to disappear underground to get somewhere so you notice things around you that you’d never see if you weren’t cycling.”
Driving behaviour change with better infrastructure
Edward’s an advocate for improving infrastructure to encourage more and different people to walk, wheel and cycle:
“It’s understandable that cycling on roads with too much traffic and no cycle lanes is a total turn off for many.
“Changing infrastructure, and making it safer to ride, will change the type of people who cycle.
“That’s certainly the case for my son.
“He’s got much more confident on his bike, really quickly, because of the LTNs.
“If we’d tried cycling in those neighbourhoods without the traffic management, I don’t think he’d have stuck with it.
“He’s much more likely to carry on cycling, and to cycle more, because he’s had a good experience using the LTNs.”
About the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’ transformation in the London Borough of Lambeth
Sustrans was commissioned by the London Borough of Lambeth to transform five temporary low traffic neighbourhoods into permanent, beautiful public spaces. The neighbourhoods are Oval Triangle, Tulse Hill, Streatham Hill, Ferndale and Railton.
LTNs aim to reduce the number of journeys made by car and promote walking, wheeling and cycling. The proposed designs also focused on adding social value, changing streets into public spaces where people can stay, talk and build a community.
Sustrans’ approach was to open up the streets to many different types of people, for a variety of uses, prioritising the needs of children, older people and disabled people. To do this we consulted with local community groups, including those often under-represented.
