Residents and businesses could be given a vote on whether to retain low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) under a plan being considered by the apparent frontrunner to become the Tory mayoral candidate.
Dan Korski says he would also review all cycle superhighways in London if he became mayor as part of a “roadside concordat” aimed at ending the “battle of wills - or battle of metal - to rule the road”.
In an interview with the Standard, Mr Korski, a former Downing Street aide turned tech entrepreneur, said he wanted to examine the case for holding a “confirmatory vote” of residents before trial LTN schemes were made permanent.
About 100 LTNs have been introduced across the capital, many during the pandemic without consultation, in a bid to encourage walking and cycling and deter through traffic, often with the use of bollards, giant planters and CCTV cameras.
But opponents say LTNs add to congestion and pollution by lengthening journeys and adding to congestion on main roads. LTNs are introduced by borough councils but often with funding from Transport for London, which is under the mayor’s control.
Mr Korski, who says he travels around London by bike, car, taxi and public transport, and cycles his children to school, said: “I would like to examine whether low traffic neighbourhoods in future need to all be pilots and have a confirmatory vote.
“I’m not saying I would do it, but I would like to examine the possibility of having a confirmatory vote on any future low traffic neighbourhoods - and that no LTN ought to be in place unless traffic is modelled and the business community affected is asked as well.”
The “roadside concordat” – which he described as “an agreement between everybody who needs to use the roads” - would also consider how road space is allocated between pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and e-scooter riders.
Rules could vary at different times of the day and between inner London and the suburbs.
Cycle superhighways were introduced by Boris Johnson in his time as mayor. On his last day at City Hall in 2016, he opened the CS3 Victoria Embankment superhighway, part of a mostly segregated flagship east-west route.
Under Sadiq Khan’s mayoralty, superhighways have been rebranded as cycleways but the cycle network has grown, though not always with the same level of physical segregation between cyclists and motorists.
Mr Korski insisted he was not planning to immediately axe the Embankment superhighway, which has recorded 11 million cycle trips between February 2018 and April this year.
But he said: “Instead of making it totally impossible for motorists to use, say, the Embankment, because you have hemmed in a cycle path that rarely gets used, while thousands and thousands of motorists are sitting running their cars idly on the road, polluting it even more, let’s come up with a smart designed way to have this roadside concordat.
“What I am suggesting is that we need to take another look at the cycle superhighway system. I don’t think that it’s right to just carry on. Let’s have another look – review the whole cycle superhighway system, not because I want to get rid of it, but because I think it’s true that it’s grown through accretion.
“A lot of things have changed in the city since the cycle superhighway system was in place. I think it’s a good time to review it. Which is not to say I’m anti-cyclist or pro-motoring.”
Simon Munk, of London Cycling Campaign, said: “London faces crises of climate, pollution, inactivity, road danger and congestion, and we know that a high proportion of Londoners either already cycle or want to and want safe ways of doing so.
“Aren’t we all tired and bored of candidates promising to rip out and tear down schemes that have improved air quality and enabled people to switch to healthier more sustainable modes?”
