A few months ago we had a problem with the website and many emails got delayed so we’ve been catching up. We’ve always tried to read all emails as, even if a few are not particularly complimentary, we sometimes get emails that provoke an interesting debate. As an example we got a couple of emails from an Enfield resident who clearly opposes Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (in the Enfield area these are called Quieter Neighbourhoods or QNs). She made some interesting points. In the first email she explained that there was now too much ‘displaced’ traffic and speeding on the roads around and off Hoppers Road due to the Fox Lane QN. Everyone is welcome to their observations but it is difficult to see why there would be extra traffic in this area as the post QN data shows that the traffic on Green Lanes North East of Palmers Green has, in fact, been reduced – what traffic are they trying to avoid? But the observation that the installation of a QN in one area had caused speeding vehicles in another area is intriguing.
Speeding is endemic in our society. Within the Fox Lane QN speeds of over 80mph were recorded before the implementation. It is doubtful that the speeding is done by drivers living in the area and is done by people using the roads as a cut through. Speeds of 80+mph do occur on Hoppers Road, though rarely, as this is a cut through. Our observations are that there are now very few speeding drivers within the QN and speed that was once a daily occurrence, happens rarely. Cycling and walking are so much easier and more pleasant now and in general drivers are much more courteous.
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