NORTHAMPTON LOCAL GROUP
Northampton Living Streets is a group of local residents who are campaigning to make the experience of living in and moving around our town better for all.
In Northampton car use is increasing year on year. Government data shows that 6.03 billion vehicle-miles were travelled on Northamptonshire roads in 2019.
Traffic congestion makes moving around the town stressful for all of us, including car drivers, and hazardous – especially for pedestrians and cyclists.
Traffic pollution levels were regularly recorded well above the recommended levels in many parts of the town. This damages the lungs, retards children’s motor and mental development and threatens the planet’s ecosystem.
WHAT WE'RE DOING
Serious traffic accidents in Northamptonshire increased by 16 per cent and fatalities rose by 38 per cent in 2019. This was counter to national trends that saw a decrease in both.
Walking and cycling can each be a big part of a solution to these problems.
60 per cent of journeys of less than 2 miles are made by car. We want to help town residents decide that cycling and walking is their first choice for such short journeys. This will improve people’s physical health as well as reducing the traffic clogging up our roads.
We want to take the stress out of moving around the town: the noise, the endless traffic queues, and turn many more of our streets into places where we meet people, stop and chat and enjoy a sense of community life.
But for people to walk and cycle Northampton’s roads need to be made safe.
We are campaigning for:
1. Low traffic, child friendly neighbourhoods, free of rat runs.
2. Safe and well maintained cycle routes throughout the town.
3. Clean, hazard free streets
4. Safe, pedestrian friendly road crossings
5. School Streets and 'park and stride' schemes
If you would like to receive updates on our campaigns, join us at our meetings to discuss aims and methods, or simply alert us to a problem in your area of the town, please contact us by any of the means given below.
Please note: you will be contacting a local volunteer not the national organisation.