Following experimental traffic orders in the Browning Road Bridge area of Newham post-scheme monitoring data has revealed a significant improvement in air quality.
The Browning Road Bridge pilot was one of a series of projects introduced by Newham Council to support the shift towards sustainable transport and active travel in the borough after a climate emergency was declared by the Council in April, 2019.
Research from Public Health England revealed that Newham has the worst air quality in England with seven out of every 100 deaths linked to dirty air, totalling 96 deaths each year. In 2019 a British Heart Foundation study found this to be the equivalent to all residents, including babies and children, of smoking 159 cigarettes each every year.
The Browning Road Bridge area scheme was put in place experimentally in August 2019 following complaints from residents about high numbers of cars travelling through the area, specifically using residential roads as rat runs from Romford Road to High Street North in East Ham.
During this time the council has monitored air quality and traffic flow, carefully excluding unrepresentative data during the Covid lockdown period when traffic flows were artificially low, as well as gathering feedback from residents. The data has revealed:
- When comparing before and after data from October 2019 to October 2020 (before and after the introduction of camera enforcement) it indicates that south of the bridge at Browning Road Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) reduced by 40%
- South of the bridge PM2.5 has also reduced by 39%. PM2.5 is atmospheric Particulate Matter with a maximum diameter of 2.5 micrometers. These types of particles are considered the most dangerous to human health
- At Essex School there has been 30% reduction in NO2 and 35% reduction in PM2.5 when comparing August and September 2019 to the same period in 2020
- Hourly pollution levels over the day and night show an overall reduction of 26% in PM10 concentration (Particulate Matter of 10 micrometres or less in diameter)
- On the north side of Browning Road Bridge in the Little Ilford area, there has been a reduction in NO2 of between 18 and 28% outside the three schools St Winefrides, Little Ilford and Kensington
- Traffic counts at Browning Road Bridge show that traffic volumes have reduced by up to 62% (3,000 vehicles per day) between 7am and 7pm. Traffic counts on Romford Road show an increase of less than 750 vehicles per day, suggesting that the traffic has not all been displaced to the main roads around the area
Following this analysis the decision has been made to make the pilot scheme permanent, except for the experimental traffic order in Rixsen Road Bridge, which remains under review.
As part of the experimental order, consultation engagement was ongoing for the first six months after the measures were introduced and a number of comments and suggestions from residents and other stakeholders to improve the scheme were received.
Councillor James Asser, Cabinet member for Environment, Highways and Sustainable Transport said: “Overall these are impressive reductions that will have a positive impact on the health of nearby residents and school children.
“As we improve our sustainable transport infrastructure we will continue to make it tougher for car drivers to use our residential streets as a convenience to shave minutes from journey times.
“We will continue working with residents on the north side of the bridge to introduce new measures that ensure they benefit from reduced traffic and further improvements in air quality.”