theboybilly
Well-known member
I realise you are fishing but, in case not, what then?
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Travel] Cars and congestion
- Thread starter chickens
- Start date
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,622
Well after that, there are plenty of parks you could demolish to get another route into town. And what's the point of letting all those libraries and sure start centres close if you're not going to use the space for city centre parking?
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,622
And the rivers. They're polluted to hell anyway. Surely there's a way of routing them somewhere else, concreting over the bed and lets have the road system which is the envy of Europe.
chip
Well-known member
More motorbikes, smaller cars. I live out in the sticks and taking the bus can be problematic. I don't think increasing the frequency of buses is realistic here as there are insufficient users. Tax bigger cars more or incentivise smaller ones.
scooter1
How soon is now?
I guess a lot of the public transport problems go back to privatisation and need for these 'services' to become profitable. Same can be said for the postal service, etc....
As soon as they start to become run as a business, the service element becomes secondary(or lower). And the NHS is heading that way too.....
I'm presuming that the European cities with a far better public transport infrastructure are government/local authority run and therefore subsidised?
As soon as they start to become run as a business, the service element becomes secondary(or lower). And the NHS is heading that way too.....
I'm presuming that the European cities with a far better public transport infrastructure are government/local authority run and therefore subsidised?
Tight shorts
Active member
If I cycled more on shorter journeys it would reduce congestion but the roads are so busy and congested I don't feel safe cycling a lot of routes. Proper cycle lanes like you see more frequently in Europe would help me to reduce congestion.
- Jan 19, 2010
- 1,368
I find the concept of the 15-minute city interesting (and 'yes', I acknowledge that not everyone lives in an urban environment, and of those who do, not everyone is able to walk or cycle).
www.15minutecity.com
15-Minute City
The 15-Minute City Project is an information resource designed to help access-focused urban transformations be ambitious, inclusive, measurable and effective.
www.15minutecity.com
- Oct 12, 2022
- 2,689
- Thread starter
- #48
Have owned an original Nissan Leaf and have friends with Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. That is absolute nonsense. Range definitely drops in winter, but it’s never been worse than the 20-25% mark. The A/C in all three vehicles is on all year round, coz we like to be kept cool in summer and kept warm in winter.
Range degradation is usually more around 10-15% unless the weather conditions are really extreme for the U.K.
There’s a real undercurrent of FUD surrounding electric cars. The oil companies are doing their best to keep their meal ticket in play as long as possible.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Inexplicably we spent tax payers money on removing cycle lanes.
Cheeky Monkey
Well-known member
- Jul 17, 2003
- 23,867
For this exact reason I've started taking the train for the part of my cycle commute that feels quite unsafe, getting off with my bike a few stops up the line and cycling the rest of the way. Obviously not an option for most, but fortunately for me the rail line follows the road I take.
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 16,027
Sure, if you want to completely bugger up the supply chain for pretty much everything that goes into shops, supermarkets and businesses, that's a great idea. Not to mention the goods that are bought and sold by private individuals.
What happens to all the commercial vehicles that set out North or South at, say 4am, when it gets to 7am and they have to kick their heels for two hours? There aren't enough truck stops to support them all and it will play havoc with the scheduling done by transport managers who are trying to make their fleets as efficient as possible and maximise uptime. Each one of their vehicles that are off the road for four hours a day will push up their costs and those costs will ultimately – eventually – be passed onto consumers.
southstandandy
WEST STAND ANDY
- Jul 9, 2003
- 6,046
Don't get me wrong. I'd like one but doing a fair distance on my journeys worries me at the moment as to whether there are reliable recharging points (especially in more rural areas) and want to do my research and ask advice from other EV drivers what are the pro's and cons (not taking into consideration the environmental benefits).
Regular runs of over 200 miles, so any solid recommendations would be great.
- Oct 12, 2022
- 2,689
- Thread starter
- #53
Polestar 2 long range single motor. Official range 406 miles. Realistic max range more between 360-380 miles, winter range more like 310 miles. Providing you’ve got the ability to charge overnight at home, you’ll save money and probably have more go than your existing motor.
The most irritating faff when first getting an electric car is every charger provider has their own app and wants you to be set up with them via their app or website. Once registered they’re mostly straightforward, but I’d definitely do the registration for places you visit regularly in advance of being stood at the charger swearing.
Also be aware that the ZapMap app allows users to put their own home charging points on there, and whether they’re amenable to strangers rocking up and plugging in.
EDIT: spec the heat pump (comes with the plus pack) - it will minimise the range drop that comes from colder conditions.
Last edited:
West Hoathly Seagull
Honorary Ruffian
I realise that I am describing a historical problem rather than offering a solution, but I don't think you can underestimate the effect the Beeching cuts to the railways had. For example, you had a railway going from Shoreham to Horsham, then on to Guildford, as well as the main London lines. How much of the congestion in Brighton, say, is local, and how much from outside for leisure, shopping and work? Some of these lines if still there today would give very good access to the city - Henfield and Partridge Green, to take two places on that route, are now large settlements, and both are miles from a station. Steyning was also on that line, though of course is still reasonably close to a station at Shoreham. Over in East Sussex, we have the example of the closure of the Lewes to Uckfield line. Yes, you've got the 28/29 bus, but it's relatively slow, and the frequency is very poor in the evening and at night - my own experience using those buses for midweek games, having parked in Lewes, bears this out.
Where I am, in north Sussex close to East Grinstead, the main business centre is Gatwick Airport and Crawley. The line from East Grinstead to Three Bridges was ripped out just as Crawley was being developed as a New Town. The line can never be rebuilt, as it's been breached at Crawley Down and Maidenbower. The result is that the only way between these locations is by road. Buses are slow and not especially frequent. Houses keep being built in this area, whatever anyone says about our needing so many more of them (Crawley Down, on the route of the old line, was a small village when the line closed - it's now many times larger), and nearly all those buying/living in them will drive/have no alternative but to do so. There was a proposal to extend the Fastway bus route from Crawley to East Grinstead. How, I don't know, as there isn't any room by the A264 to add bus lanes, but nothing seemed to come of it.
Like it or not, there is also still something of a cultural dislike to going by bus away from the major cities. Not from my part I might add. I very happily travelled by bus from Solihull to Birmingham when I went to the Commonwealth Games last year, but it isn't a practical option round our way. I live a mile from the nearest bus route in a rural area, and they only go from Crawley to East Grinstead.
Then you've got cost. I used to go to a fair number of gigs in Brighton before lockdown. I found the most convenient way was to drive to the Dripping Pan, park there and take the train (I think it's about £5). I once decided to drive all the way and use the theatre car park. Never again. It took almost 45 minutes to get out. So, from the convenience point of view, in my example public transport wins. However, I used to take my parents to the Theatre Royal. Neither could walk that far, and by the time you've paid three train fares (the theatre car park was only about £6-6.50 for the whole evening) the cost adds up, in addition to other issues such as accessibility. That needs sorting before major changes in travel habits will occur.
Where I am, in north Sussex close to East Grinstead, the main business centre is Gatwick Airport and Crawley. The line from East Grinstead to Three Bridges was ripped out just as Crawley was being developed as a New Town. The line can never be rebuilt, as it's been breached at Crawley Down and Maidenbower. The result is that the only way between these locations is by road. Buses are slow and not especially frequent. Houses keep being built in this area, whatever anyone says about our needing so many more of them (Crawley Down, on the route of the old line, was a small village when the line closed - it's now many times larger), and nearly all those buying/living in them will drive/have no alternative but to do so. There was a proposal to extend the Fastway bus route from Crawley to East Grinstead. How, I don't know, as there isn't any room by the A264 to add bus lanes, but nothing seemed to come of it.
Like it or not, there is also still something of a cultural dislike to going by bus away from the major cities. Not from my part I might add. I very happily travelled by bus from Solihull to Birmingham when I went to the Commonwealth Games last year, but it isn't a practical option round our way. I live a mile from the nearest bus route in a rural area, and they only go from Crawley to East Grinstead.
Then you've got cost. I used to go to a fair number of gigs in Brighton before lockdown. I found the most convenient way was to drive to the Dripping Pan, park there and take the train (I think it's about £5). I once decided to drive all the way and use the theatre car park. Never again. It took almost 45 minutes to get out. So, from the convenience point of view, in my example public transport wins. However, I used to take my parents to the Theatre Royal. Neither could walk that far, and by the time you've paid three train fares (the theatre car park was only about £6-6.50 for the whole evening) the cost adds up, in addition to other issues such as accessibility. That needs sorting before major changes in travel habits will occur.
European cities can go cap in hand to their public transport providers because all the profit those companies are making from UK commuters.
Algernon
Well-known member
More polluting cars allowed on the road to expediate a warmer changed climate then just as it looks like there's no recovering from impending doom ban all cars and get people to rely on cycling in the lovely weather.
Our country's climate at the minute is not conducive to encouraging the masses onto bicycles. It's far too cold and wet (unless you're already a cycling geek). Only if the weather gets better will there be a partial exodus from car to bicycle.
Our country's climate at the minute is not conducive to encouraging the masses onto bicycles. It's far too cold and wet (unless you're already a cycling geek). Only if the weather gets better will there be a partial exodus from car to bicycle.
RexCathedra
Aurea Mediocritas
Nobby for the win!
Yank here. Since you've borrowed our funding mechanism for post-secondary education, and started in on doing the same for health care, and having converted the PM into a president, let me suggest our all-American metropolitan-area transport policy for your consideration:
One man, one car, one hour, each way. Burning hydrocarbons.
If you come to the States for the tour this summer you can see it in action in its perfected form in Atlanta.
gazingdown
Well-known member
- Feb 26, 2011
- 1,071
Had the line stayed, all villages on the line would have greater appeal, attracting more people to those villages - thus they would be towns by now and a lot MORE congestion as a result.
Ultimately, you need to reduce the number of people needing to travel - so more WFH, no more house building, more road/train/cycle/bus infrastructure, no more growth of the areas (so not adding to congestion). That will reduce congestion. All of which is not realistic and won’t happen.
More people gradually move to area (general population growth) and roads/public transport won’t get much/any better so problem is only going to get worse.
In towns, make many roads locals and cycles ONLY– so someone could cycle all the way into centre of towns barely meet and cars - that will encourage take up. This means that you can make those roads that cars DO use more efficient/faster/safer/etc. so people are on the roads for less time. The slower the traffic, the greater the congestion as spending more time doing the same distance……
buses are far too expensive, I understand they need profit but why would you use it if you've got a car outside your house. unless their is proper investment into a jump on jump off service that is reliable and quick or a proper park and ride for daytrippers then not much is going to change. its all well and good to say put yellow lines everywhere or ban cars but when you need to drive for work or pure necessity your just making things worse
jessiejames
Never late in a V8
Intresting point, please explain more as im intrested in your small tweak to tachograph and how deliveries will be made to stores.