The closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motorised traffic in 2019 was not the disaster that was reported by many news outlets. Many people are delighted that they can now use the bridge in relative peace and safety.
But what's next for Hammersmith Bridge? Should it be "fixed" to allow car traffic to cross it again? Or should only pedestrians and people on bicycles be allowed? And what about e-scooters, buses, ambulances, etc?
Much of Barnes has become an accidental LTN
Since it became impossible for car drivers to cross the bridge, much of Barnes has become a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), almost by accident. Barnes is no longer choked with through traffic passing through, queuing along the relatively narrow Rocks Lane and Castelnau to cross the river at the even narrower bridge.
Read more about the accidental LTN
When the bridge was first closed to cars, there was an initial increase in traffic in surrounding areas, notably Chiswick and Putney bridges. This was caused by people who were used to driving, and simply tried to go by another route.
But plenty of people started to give up their cars, and switched to other forms of transport, leading to an overall reduction of traffic in the area.
Read more about the reduction in traffic
Next: An accidental LTN →
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