In Birmingham, a plan to move traffic off side streets and make areas more bike and pedestrian friendly has been made permanent. But the Low Traffic Neighborhood (LTN) in Kings Heath remains highly controversial.
Proponents say the scheme is better for the environment by getting people out of their cars, walking and cycling. But opponents say modal filters, which prevent cars from passing on certain streets, simply push traffic onto surrounding roads, increasing congestion, idling and pollution.
The Places for People initiative, to give it its official title, started in 2020. Since then, local social media groups have been abuzz with debate with claims and counter-claims about the success or failure of the scheme.
READ MORE: Low-traffic neighborhoods of Moseley and Kings Heath to be made permanent
Similar schemes in other cities, dubbed the 15 Minute Cities, have also become the center of attention, the center of conspiracy theories. Opponents say the plan is an effort to control the population and keep people from moving.
Following the decision to keep the measures in place permanently, BirminghamLive wanted to speak to people on the ground to get their point of view on the change in local design, the impact on lives and businesses. There were no conspiracy theories, but there was a level of unease.
We found that the issue remains so divisive that some were unwilling to speak up or put their name on an opinion, fearing that friends, neighbors, or members of social media groups discussing the issue would call them later to explain. . .
Jack Weston was the first to offer a view. “I hate it,” he said, these are the first words after hearing the new phrase on the block -LTN- that has taken over the town.
“I think it has decimated High St. A lot of people now choose to shop elsewhere and I just go there to buy snake food at the pet store.
“Businesses have closed or been forced to relocate and friends have moved. The division it has caused is insurmountable.”
You don’t have to look far to find a counter-view. Cllr Lisa Trickett, a vocal supporter of LTN, previously said that the scheme had, in fact, encouraged new companies to move to Kings Heath.
The representative for Brandwood and Kings Heath previously said that two bookstores and several restaurants have opened in Kings Heath, an indicator that low-traffic neighborhoods are doing well. And when the business case to make the scheme permanent was approved last month, he said: “I am very pleased with the proposals.
“We’ve been working very hard to get this done, especially with some of the harassment we’ve faced as councillors. This move will be good for our Birmingham youth and the climate emergency we’ve declared.”
Traffic has been discouraged mainly through the ‘modal filter’ which prevents cars from driving on a section of the road, but still allows residents to pass on foot or by bicycle. Bollards and planters are the new look in the area now, strategically placed in positions that make traffic difficult or even impossible.
The second phase has cost the city over £2m, and similar moves have been seen in the neighboring towns of Bournville, Lozells and Castle Vale.
Castle Vale has seen its temporary measures removed from the area after the council found that the barriers used were not the best for the area. Bournville and Castle Vale have maintained approval of their respective phase 1 stages, with more work expected this year to move to the next stage.
Jack’s stance on the matter seems to be set in stone and it appears that the council’s decision is one he has made personally. “They didn’t ask me about it,” he said, “I refuse to admit it, and since I’m on two wheels, I can and will continue to violate it.
“You can see my parents’ house from the blockade on the school road, but I have to drive almost two miles in the opposite direction to visit them?
“What used to be a 15 minute round trip to Kings Heath is now closer to 40 minutes with static traffic blocking everything with engines running, and those unable to walk or use public transport are being victims”.
For Jean Hodgson, a resident for more than 50 years, the feeling is mutual. “I have a cat sitting business in Kings Heath and Moseley, I try to walk whenever possible. The LTN means that if I have multiple jobs, I occasionally have to drive twice as far because I can no longer navigate a direct route.
“I used to work on Vicarage Road, if I needed my car for work, a five minute drive. Now it has become a traffic jam for up to 45 minutes due to LTN measures.
“My husband and I like to walk through Kings Heath and Highbury parks, but the pollution on the way to these destinations is shocking.”
These were just two of many people on the same page as the residents continued to let out moans that made their voices heard. For others, the issue has become so divisive that they were unwilling to air their views publicly. Some preferred their neighbors not to know what they thought. Others felt they didn’t want to be hit with backlash for making their point.
What roads will be affected?
Existing measures in Kings Heath, including the notably low-traffic neighborhood on York Road, will be made permanent. Several other traffic calming measures to be introduced include:
- The existing modal filter at School Road is relocated to the south and further modal filters are introduced at Greenhill Road and Oxford Road.
- Modal filters are introduced at Ashfield Road and Melton Road with diagonal filters at Valentine Road/Poplar Road and Institute Road/Melton Road.
- One-way streets will be introduced on sections of Valentine Road, Poplar Road, Woodville Road, Heathfield Road, Melton Road and Institute Road.
- An east and west bus gate will be introduced at Addison Road, enforced with two cameras, one in each direction.
- Traffic calming will be introduced along Billesley Lane with a pedestrian crossing near Westlands Road.
- A one-way turnaround system will be introduced at St Agnes Road/Colmore Crescent/Dyott Road with one-way streets at Melton Road, Institute Road and Gaddesby Road.
- Modal filters will be introduced at Barn Lane, Mossfield Road and at the Addison Road/Portman Road junction.
- Coldbath Road will go one way to the north.
- All roads within the treatment area, including border roads, will be subject to a 20 mph speed limit.
One man said that in the future it could be of benefit to the area, but more work needed to be done. “If other areas were to consider an LTN, they should weigh all the pros and cons properly beforehand. As a resident here I don’t feel like we had a chance to express our opinions, I felt like we were told it would happen and that was it.
“It has made everyday life difficult because the traffic is much worse than before and it is even more unpredictable with the works on Kings Heath at the moment.”
Another man felt that the scheme only benefited certain people. “It’s useful for people where there are bollards, as they don’t have to deal with immediate traffic and can continue with their normal routine. However, for people traveling on a main road, traffic is a nightmare.
“They should have waited for the train station to be ready first so there was at least another way for people to get around in the meantime.”
There is an overriding meaning here, the opinions of the few have trumped the opinions of the many. Local Facebook groups have seen a multitude of posts where cries of discontent and protests have filled the streets to support him.
It is clear that the LTN in Kings Heath seems destined to stay. But it looks like there’s work to be done before the whole community is on board.
READ MORE:
Teacher plunges into 4ft hole after Kings Heath bottle diggers destroy school allotment
Hit one of the best roads in Birmingham and could have spent hours exploring
I found a secret alleyway in Kings Heath full of independent ‘hidden gem’ shops and cafes