[ad_1]
Traffic congestion on the outskirts of London is now much higher than last year as people have returned to their cars after the closure, according to new data.
Congestion topped 2019 levels in August and has risen to nearly a fifth on average over last year, on roads outside the capital’s central congestion charging zone, even as it has dropped dramatically in the center of the city. city.
The most congested day so far was Monday, September 7, when congestion stood at 153% of 2019 levels. That coincided with the return of many schools to classrooms and followed government messages urging people to return to the office rather than continue working from home, as millions of office workers have been doing.
Congestion within the central cargo zone stood at just over half of 2019 levels, although this is still a substantial increase in deserted streets seen in the spring when the closure was heavy. Congestion fell to just 6% of the 2019 average on its lowest day, in early May.
The data comes from the Waze for Cities program, which uses GPS data submitted by users of the navigation application. The data comes from approximately 1 million monthly active users in London and is based on their travel times automatically recorded by GPS. That is used to give a daily measure of traffic congestion, where a congested highway is one where traffic is moving at 80% or less of its free-flow speed.
The findings also reflect the impacts of congestion fare changes in central London, as higher fares may encourage drivers to switch to routes outside the fare zone. The charge was reinstated in May after its suspension on March 23 when the lockdown took effect, and on June 22 it was increased from £ 11.50 to £ 15 per day and hours of operation were lengthened.
Environmental activists said the new congestion data was concerning, as higher levels of congestion are associated with dirtier air and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Oliver Lord, Head of Policy and Campaign at Environmental Defense Fund Europe, said: “Traffic congestion is precisely what we must prevent when our polluted city emerges from closure. We need to help people get around without private cars because congestion slows down buses, interrupts essential travel, and makes walking and biking horrible. This analysis is a call to action, including safer streets for biking rather than driving, more public transportation connectivity and a concerted effort by businesses to curb the record number of trucks on our streets. “
Waze data does not measure traffic volume, and travel times may be affected by other Covid measures, such as city halls restricting traffic and widening sidewalks to make streets safer for pedestrians. It also can’t measure how much of the traffic is likely to be cars, buses, and trucks, and it can’t measure air pollution. However, vehicles on congested streets are likely to emit large volumes of local air pollutants, including particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
The data also reinforces early indicators from other sources that traffic and air pollution are on the rise after the shutdown, and reports that many people return to office work in their cars rather than using public transportation.
Stephen Edwards, policy director for Living Streets, a charity that promotes walking, said: “This troubling data should serve as a warning not to miss the opportunity to incorporate the health and environmental benefits of fewer vehicles. Better streets for walking and biking are better for everyone. We must continue with schemes to promote these behaviors ”.
On the other hand, the activists called on the government and local authorities to act on the high levels of pollution near schools. Halving air pollution near schools would also cut the number of children with poor lung function in the UK by half, according to research from Queen Mary University of London.
Geraint Davies MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Air Pollution, said: “Before the pandemic [we] He knew that air pollution can damage children’s lung capacity, hearts and mental health, reducing concentration levels and increasing anxiety in the classroom. We now know that air pollution increases rates of coronavirus infection and worsens the symptoms of the disease. We need to redouble our efforts to reduce air pollution both inside and outside of schools. “
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Toxic air contributes to thousands of premature deaths in London each year and there is now evidence linking air pollution with increased vulnerability to Covid-19.
“London’s recovery from this pandemic must be green, fair and healthy, and Londoners clearly agree. Our challenge is to permanently eradicate air pollution and ensure that the gains we have made through policies like Ulez continue. That is why the Mayor will extend the Ulez next year beyond central London and onto the North and South Ring Roads.
