Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

LTN? More like LTD!

Check out London’s Church Street — a main shopping strip that has been transformed into a “low-traffic neighborhood” thanks to restrictions that keep cars on the side streets so that transit, cycling and business (and lungs) can flourish.

As seen in Clarence Eckerson’s film below, Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on its own traffic — traffic that made it impossible for drivers to even shop in the area. But in 2021, local leaders instituted a “bus gate” to force cars off the roadway during the day.

There are also several all-day traffic filters that permit only pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles into the surrounding roads. Hence the much-buzzed about term, “Low-Traffic Neighborhood.”

And now, everyone is living the dream: Traffic is down. Walking is up by 16 percent. Cycling is up by 38 percent, the local borough reports.

And don’t tell us that it’s “bad for business.” According to Will Norman, London’s beloved walking and cycling commissioner, consumer spending increased 200 percent after the low-traffic neighborhood design was installed.

“We see this time and time again,” he said. “If you remove the traffic, you make it a nicer place for people to hang out, people spend money there. … If you’re driving down a street and you can’t find a parking spot, you might see a nice coffee shop, but you’ll keep driving. But if you’re walking, and you see a nice coffee shop, you grab a coffee and walk on. So it’s good for business.”

And, of course, the air quality improves. As does transit service. And quality of life.

And every storefront is still accessible to drivers if they absolutely need their cars.

So why are we praying at this particular Church? Because more and more smart people are talking about them. Our friends at Streetopia UWS even have a survey you can fill in to provide your thoughts.

And next week, the Department of Transportation will show off plans for something not dissimilar — a low-traffic bike boulevard, if you will — on Avenue B opposite Tompkins Square Park.

A copy of the presentation obtained by Streetsblog shows that the two-way Avenue B will be converted to a one-way northbound street between E. Seventh and E. 10th streets, creating a much more pleasant experience for cyclists and pedestrians.

Is it revolutionary? No. But evolutionary? Certainly. The New York version of a low-traffic neighborhood? Maybe. A full plaza block between E. Eighth and E. Ninth streets is under consideration, but not for this summer because it requires “further outreach and design conversations,” according to the DOT presentation.

So, no, the Lower East Side won’t become a low-traffic neighborhood quite yet, but maybe someday?

The Department of Transportation will present its Avenue B plans to Community Board 3 on Tuesday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. at 59 E. Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery. For more info, click here.