Campaigners protesting at the Town Hall over ‘people-friendly streets’ road closure plans

• PAM Harvey seems alarmed by people-friendly streets, (Questions for the council leader on ‘people-friendly’ streets, August 7).

Yet her fears are unfounded.

For example:

“The closure of roads will cause more crime, stabbings, muggings…”

This unusual opinion is supported by no evidence.

“Closing roads and making vehicles use main roads will close down small businesses…”

The opposite is true, research around the world shows. People walking and cycling spend more than cut-through drivers, unsurprisingly, and boost local business. All businesses can still be accessed by motor vehicles, as before.

“Traffic will be corralled into the main roads, which will cause pollution to rise in those areas.”

In fact overall traffic declines, experience shows, and traffic on main roads also eventually declines rather than rises.

“There will be missed appointments costing taxpayers money…”

As with any road changes there is a period of adjustment, but research shows reducing cut-throughs actually speeds journeys and walking or cycling short distances is much more reliable than driving.

“It is going to be extremely difficult for emergency services…”

Emergency services have been fully consulted and evidence from other boroughs shows that response times are unaffected. Congested side roads are often a major cause of delay, not removal of bollards.

“This shows no thought for the disabled, elderly, or people suffering with mental health issues…”

In fact disabled and elderly residents are among those who will benefit the most.

Most disabled people in Islington do not have access to a car (only 26 per cent of all residents do) and their journeys by mobility scooter or walking will be made much safer and more pleasant by quieter roads and cleaner air.

“It is making it hard for cabbies to earn a living…”

Satnav and ride-sharing schemes, for example, Uber have impacted taxi drivers most, not low-traffic schemes, where every home is accessible by taxi. The “knowledge” is now available on any smartphone which is unfortunate for the taxi trade.

However, reduced road danger, cleaner air, improved lung health in young children, and even increased life expectancy, (King’s College London research) are all benefits which taxi drivers and their families will gain from this scheme (if they live in Islington).

“Some people need collecting from and to their front doors…”

All homes will remain accessible by motor vehicle.

“The only people who are going to benefit are cyclists.”

Cleaner air, reduced road danger, improved child health, greater life expectancy, improved community cohesion, improved business revenues – these and many other benefits from such schemes have been evidenced around the world multiple times.

Pam Harvey and the taxi trade are clearly upset by people-friendly streets.

However, the benefits for those of us who live in Islington are so great that perhaps they will understand why the majority cannot wait for these improvements to be made so that we and our children can breathe cleaner air in quieter, safer, streets.

K FALLON,
N1