Fuming on Beech Street

Beech Street is a tunnel under part of London's Barbican Estate. It became London's first zero emissions street. Beech Street's air pollution plummeted, when a traffic order was made, restricting its use to electric vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. That traffic order ended in September 2021, allowing petrol and diesel cars to use the street again. Predictably, levels of air pollution in Beech Street are now back well above legal limits (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/28/pollution-back-at-levels-on-former-zero-emissions-street-in-london). This tunnel now appears to be dangerous to human health, as nitrogen dioxide (from vehicle exhausts) damages lung function. Air pollution is exaccerbated in a tunnel but it exceeds legal limits on many of London's busy roads. The 'experiment' at least suggests that change is possible, even in problematic locations. This finding makes it all the sadder than some London councils appear to be distinctly anti-cycling and pro-car (https://lcc.org.uk/news/two-problem-london-boroughs-and-how-lcc-is-trying-to-win-change/). Cycling routes have to be 'joined up' in order to be viable and to work effectively.