Developing a framework to prioritize and assess the traffic impacts of low traffic neighborhoods: A case study in Beirut

As urban planning policies and street design around the world are shifting towards more human-centric decisions and designs, it is crucial to explore and analyze schemes that aim at reducing the harm of car dependence in urban neighborhoods. This study develops a framework that defines the boundaries, prioritizes implementation, and assesses the traffic impact of low traffic neighborhoods (LTN). An LTN is a scheme where vehicular traffic is reduced in residential neighborhoods by mainly curbing through-traffic or “rat-running”. The boundaries are placed based on a set of criteria and assessed by locals and experts to fine tune them. Then, the LTNs are ranked in terms of implementation priority, relating to each LTN’s likelihood of succeeding and expected impact level based on a set of criteria. The implementability is assessed qualitatively by interviewing stakeholders, experts, and locals. The traffic impact is assessed using a traffic model. Before and after percentages of through-traffic on identified through-streets within LTNs are compared. This framework is then implemented in an area within Municipal Beirut with interventions of varying degrees of elimination of through-traffic in nine suggested LTNs based on set criteria of definition. The results show a decrease of through-traffic (up to complete elimination) in the neighborhoods where LTNs were implemented with minimal disruption to travel times to commuters still accessing destinations within the LTN.