Transport for London (TfL), under the control of Mayor Sadiq Khan, has quietly buried a major study that undermines one of his flagship policies. As reported in The Times, The University of Westminster’s Travel and Places project – funded by TfL at a cost of more than £80,000 – found that low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) may encourage cycling but do not reduce car use or increase walking. In short, the schemes fail to achieve the mayor’s oft-repeated claim that they cut traffic and help the planet.
Instead of publishing the findings, TfL officials discussed how to “present the results in the most positive light” before deciding to avoid doing so altogether. Internal emails even admitted the report was “easy to follow” and “very well structured” – contradicting the official excuse that it was too “technical” for the public. Funding was abruptly withdrawn after two years, and the study quietly abandoned.
The research itself was robust, surveying more than 4,500 residents and comparing their travel behaviour against LTN coverage. The conclusion was clear: cycling increased, but car use and walking showed no statistically significant change. That fact alone should have sparked open debate, yet TfL chose silence.
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Critics argue this smacks of double standards. TfL and Khan are happy to trumpet studies that support their agenda but bury inconvenient evidence. Motorists, meanwhile, continue to shoulder the burden of congestion and restrictions based on claims now shown to be questionable at best.
The bigger issue is value for money. If taxpayer-funded research is simply discarded when it fails to suit City Hall’s narrative, what was the point of commissioning it? Transparency, not spin, should guide transport policy. Until TfL stops cherry-picking evidence, motorists will have little faith that their needs – or their taxes – are being treated with fairness or common sense.
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