Low Traffic Neighbourhood 4 - Atherton

In September 2022, following extensive public consultation and traffic data collection, the Atherton Low Traffic Neighbourhood was made permanent. This scheme prevents motor vehicles from using the residential area as a short cut, in order to make it easier to walk and cycle, and to improve the quality of life for local residents.

The Council is now seeking your views on improving the design of the modal filter on Keogh Road (see photo above), converting a temporary wooden planter box to a permanent design. Modal filters prevent motor vehicles from driving through residential areas using CCTV enforcement, while allowing pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles and waste collection vehicles to pass through.

For more information about Newham Council's LTN programme, visit www.newham.gov.uk/ltn.

How a low traffic neighbourhood works

Here is a recap of what a low traffic neighbourhood is and how it works.

What is a low traffic neighbourhood?

A low traffic neighbourhood is a predominantly residential area surrounded by main roads in which through traffic is restricted by use of modal filters.

What is a modal filter?

Modal filters allow access through residential streets for pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles, and waste collection vehicles. They prevent other motor vehicles from driving through by use of signage, CCTV and penalty charges. This ensures that drivers cannot use residential areas as short cuts. See diagram below.

What are the benefits of a low traffic neighbourhood?

Low traffic neighbourhoods are designed to make walking and cycling easier by restricting through traffic. Benefits typically include improved road safety and community feel, reduced noise and air pollution, and come with improvements to cycling infrastructure and greenery when made permanent.

Vehicle access to all properties remains

Motor vehicles can still drive to any property inside a low traffic

A model of how Low Traffic Neighbourhoods work. The image on the left shows a simplified model of a non Low Traffic Neighbourhood. Cars can drive through the neighbourhood. The image on the right shows a simplified model of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood. Cars can access any property but must take certain routes to avoid modal filters. Pedestrians and cyclists can go through modal filters.

Atherton Low Traffic Neighbourhood map

Permanent low traffic neighbourhood

Street improvements

Now that the Atherton Low Traffic Neighbourhood has been made permanent, the Council is looking to make the neighbourhood even better for walking, cycling and disability access.

Examples of street improvements could be:

Upgrading the modal filters that are currently made of wooden planter boxes
Improving footways and crossings to reduce motor vehicle turning speeds and reinforce pedestrian priority at side road junctions
Increasing green infrastructure across the area, particularly where it can contribute to speed reduction
Assessing and improving wheeled accessibility across the area (e.g. dropped kerbs)
Creating a safer environment on Earlham Grove, outside the school, particularly during school drop-off and pick-up
Introducing a 20mph speed limit on boundary roads and adjacent residential streets.

Keogh Road modal filter - current design

As the first street improvement, the Council is looking to upgrade the look and feel of the temporary modal filter on Keogh Road, which is currently made of a wooden planter box. The low traffic neighbourhood map shows the location of the filter. The images below show how the temporary modal filter currently appears.

Existing Keogh Road modal filter. The image on the left shows an aerial view of the existing Keogh Road modal filter. It shows where Keogh Road bends from north-south to east-west, and shows a wooden planter box in the street, adjacent to the kerb. The image on the right shows a street level view of the Keogh Road modal filter. It shows the wooden planter box on the street, on the left side adjacent to the kerb. There are three signs indicating no entry for motor vehicles, and one sign showing camera enforcement.

Keogh Road modal filter - upgrade design proposal

Our design for the upgrade of the modal filter on Keogh Road is at an early stage and is shown on the drawing below. Schemes such as this will ensure that the low traffic neighbourhood improves the feel and look of the neighbourhood.

Top-down view drawing of the proposed design for the Keogh Road modal filter. The drawing shows features of the modal filter, and numbers 1-10, which are explained in the text below.

Retention of 3.75m wide road width for emergency vehicle access
Retention of CCTV enforcement to maintain compliance and safety
Better quality pavement materials
Road raised within the length of the modal filter
Short kerb height (6cm), which is the standard requirement for visually impaired people to detect a kerb and define the difference between pavement and road
Pedestrian crossings with tactile paving
Feature wall providing protection from motor vehicles for pedestrians and properties and informal play and seating facilities
Up to four new trees and up to 65sqm of new planted areas with plants and flowers, which also reduce the risk of localised flooding
Secure residential cycle parking
Blocks for informal play and seating (e.g. stepping stones, climbable features, etc)

Artist impression

The visualisation below shows how the improved modal filter could look.

A drawing showing the proposed Keogh Road modal filter from the perspective of somebody walking up to it. The image shows the street narrowing, and greenery surrounding the narrowed street, including gardens and trees between the street and the pavements. There are two signs at the entrance of the street-narrowing indicating no motor vehicle access, and that the street is camera-enforced. There are pedestrians and cyclists using the street and pavements.

Extension of the road space closed to traffic

Our early stage design proposes to extend the road space closed to traffic from 2m long (space along planter box) to 16m long (upgraded modal filter length).

The space closed to traffic would extend westwards, up to house number 101 on the north side, and up to house number 104 on the south side.

This would involve the removal of two parking bays. Our surveys have shown there are typically enough parking spaces in the vicinity to accommodate this change. See house numbers on drawing above.

Phases

Phases overview

Experimental LTN scheme survey

Keogh Road modal filter survey

December 20, 2022 - January 22, 2023

Take the survey

The survey is no longer available, since this project is no longer active.