Transport for London 'suppressed' report which showed LTNs did not cut car use
The taxpayer-funded research was not published by the body because its findings showed that, while the controversial schemes had helped to increase cycling, it had failed to encourage people to drive less or walk more.
Transport for London reportedly attempted to quash a study which found low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) do not reduce car use.
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The taxpayer-funded research was not published by the body because its findings showed that, while the controversial schemes had helped to increase cycling, it had failed to encourage people to drive less or walk more.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who also chairs TfL, had repeatedly claimed that LTNs help reduce traffic.
But the University of Westminster's Travel and Places study questioned the scheme's environmental benefits.
According to The Times, TfL officials expressed their concerns about publishing the report's findings in emails to the university.
After discussing ways to present the results in a more positive light, a decision was made not to publish them, as "no one outside TfL yet knew about the study".
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Funding for the three-year project was pulled in June last year, two years after it had begun, because the data had "failed to offer sufficient new insights", TfL said.
But critics believe the real reason was that bosses did not want the groundbreaking finding - that LTNs do not reduce car use - to be made public.
John Stewart, of the campaign group Social and Environmental Justice, says the findings "could have helped inform decision-makers".
He added that councils often support LTNS "because they believe or are told that they are green and help reduce air pollution".
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting high-quality research that helps us understand how our policies and programmes are working for Londoners.
"This particular study was initially funded to explore the impacts of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), but following a review of the second year’s findings, we concluded that the data did not offer sufficient new insights to justify further investment in continuing the survey.
"We remain confident that LTNs can reduce traffic levels in the area, making streets safer and enabling more walking and cycling. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the impacts of LTNs and other active travel schemes to ensure they are delivering benefits for all Londoners."