Readers across Birmingham say they support low traffic neighbourhoods, as the issue and the cost of living crisis will weigh on voters minds casting their ballot in Thursday’s local elections.
In a survey, conducted by BirminghamLive, out of 177 responses, 65%, or 115 respondents, said they supported low traffic neighbourhoods, while 35%, or 62 respondents disagreed.
Clean air zones restrict the movement of older, more polluting vehicles to improve air quality, while low-traffic neighbourhoods are areas in which motor traffic is prevented from using residential streets as cut-throughs.
READ MORE:Every polling station in Birmingham near you in local elections 2022 with interactive map
If clean air zones were implemented across eight UK cities, they would deliver, on average, an 18% reduction in nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant, according to research by CBI Economics.
One respondent said: “We need to reduce pollution, car drivers are selfish only caring about their journeys and parking. Lots of them appear to want to help the planet but only if it doesn’t affect them.”
Another said: “I live near a low traffic neighbourhood (Kings Heath) and I have witnessed first hand the chaos it has created. LTNs won’t solve the problems, they’ll just exasperate them and move them.”
Partygate was a close race, with 86 respondents (49%) saying it would not affect the way they vote ahead of the local elections. 72 respondents (41%) said the scandal would affect the way they voted their chosen candidate.
Many respondents said their main issue driving them to vote this year included the ‘state of housing’, ‘fly-tipping’, ‘economy’ and ‘cost of living’.
One respondent said they wanted their councillor to ‘re-energise’ the high streets by reducing and removing motor traffic. “Pedestrianise and increase cycle routes to encourage walking and cycling to the local areas rather than them just being rat runs,” they added.
And another said: “I want my councillors to campaign for an integrated public transport system like London. Manchester is moving in this direction, we should be to. In the short term I want to see improvements to cycling infrastructure.”
Polls open May 5. Find your candidate here.
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