The trouble is always who does studies and what the desired answer is. For specifics, the data is from January 2022, when we were in peak omnicron infection and many still WFH, travel still not reopened etc. Lots of people also avoiding public transport at that time. So we would need to see broader data over longer time periods to make firmer conclusions. Also interesting questions of what is a boundary road, what other routes should be looked at, and what is the spare capacity on these roads. We see the boundary roads of GP, A4 and A316, are often at a standstill in morning and evening peak. They may then only show a modest increase in vehicle movements, even though residents on those roads and road users experience more congestion and pollution. The scale on the chart doesnt help, it may be that a 5-10% increase in boundary traffic is sufficient to cause heavy congestion.Ed, I think you know traffic doesnt evaporate, we have traffic data for London over last 20 years plus. The only time it did in London was when there was a huge push to make public transport cheaper and more affordable. As those policies were dropped, traffic again increased. Note the final line in the article includes a call for improved public transport. Exactly the opposite of what we are seeing today in London as transport is made ever more expensive while routes are cut, and bus lanes removed. Calls for a broader and more holistic approach, as called for in this report, seem always to be shot down by cycling-focused posters. There are rarely simple solutions to complex problems. Traffic is indeed not fixed, but needs broader measures to reduce it than random local closures. Public transport is key.
Bill George ● 1566d