A handy summary of studies into LTNs and equivalent schemes.

The overall takeaway is that they have numerous benefits. The central negative concern involves poor design and lack of communication making things unnecessarily difficult for disabled people. In some cases, LTNs can exacerbate problems caused by poor provision for disabled people elsewhere. Notably, many disabled people were still very positive about LTNs, which just goes to show that 'disabled people' are not a monolith!

The studies together show that LTNs:

💨 Reduce air pollution

🚗 Reduce car dependency

🚲 Increase active travel within the LTNS...

🚶‍♀️ ... And also outside of them!

✅ Are popular among people who live in them

🚨 Reduce crime(!)

👍 Make people feel happier and safer in their neighbourhoods

⚰️ Reduce road injuries and deaths

⛽ MAY reduce carbon emissions overall (mixed picture here because it's difficult to tease out multiple factors)

🚑 Don't increase emergency response times

💰 Are better for local businesses

📈 Improve overall health outcomes

🔊 Decrease noise pollution