Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) prevent drivers using residential streets or residential areas as through routes. Residents can still drive to and from their houses.
The benefits include reducing the speed and volume of traffic, making the LTNs nicer places to live, and increasing quality of life for residents. Danger from motor vehicles is lessened, and walking and cycling increase.
To add a little more context, traffic has increased hugely over recent decades (until the pandemic temporarily reduced it in 2020).
Traffic on side streets is increasing.
Between 2010 and 2019, traffic in urban areas of England increased by 25%, and traffic on side streets went up by 33%.
This is not sustainable.
Existing LTNs in Harrogate & Knaresborough
Harrogate has historic LTNs – filtered streets that can’t be used by through traffic – which are appreciated and uncontroversial. They include:
- Rossett Drive/Richmond Avenue (pictured above)
- Hutton Gate
- Bilton Lane (Old Bilton)
- Waterside Knaresborough
At the time of writing, Beech Grove has been made an LTN. It is a bit different from a classic LTN in that a central purpose of it is to create a safer cycling and walking route into the town centre, linking new cycle routes planned on Otley Road, Victoria Avenue, and Station Parade.
Suggested LTNs
We are in favour of measures to ensure that through traffic sticks to main roads.
We have suggestions for residential neighbourhoods that could be turned into LTNs; some of these have been suggested by our Supporters. It would be up to residents whether they wanted to become an LTN or not.
Suggested LTNs: West End Park
Filtering the West End Park neighbourhood (St Georges Ward) would prevent it being used as a shortcut between Otley Road and Leeds Road.
Specifically, filtering Park Avenue would boost the safety and quality of the Cricket Ground Quietway route.
Suggested LTNs: Saints Area
The use of the Saints area (Stray Ward) as a through route is a concern to residents. Much of the traffic is parents driving their children to school at St Aidan’s.
The main through routes to consider would be:
- St Winifred’s Avenue
- Wayside Crescent/St Hilda’s Road
- Wayside Walk/Wayside Avenue
- St Leonard’s Road
- Windsor Road/Yewdale Road/Arncliffe Road
- St Helen’s Road
Suggested LTNs: Mallinson Estate
The main issue is the use of the Mallinson Estate (Oatlands Ward) as a through route between Leadhall Lane and Leeds Road, to avoid the M&S junction.
The roads concerned are:
- Mallinson Oval
- Leadhall Crescent
- Firs Crescent
The population of Harrogate is expanding, with large numbers of new houses being built. That is likely to generate more traffic and more congestion.
The busier and more congested the main roads, the more likely it is that drivers will look to avoid them by cutting through residential areas.
Suggested LTNs: Roberts Crescent & Unity Grove
This is the result of a suggestion on our Coppice Valley page. Roberts Crescent and Unity Grove are used as shortcuts by through traffic.
Modal filters here would encourage cycling to local schools.