[Albion] Green Party attempt to ban cars in Central Brighton

[Hotchilidog]

See. I knew I wasn't the only one.

Never gonna happen though. NIMBYs and BANANAs would kick off about some aspect or other they don't like. Taxi drivers and the bus companies would have a grizzle. Someone won't think of the children.

Nothing ever gets done in this city, it'll still be rotting away come the end of the century.

Well I'm local to the area and I would be an IMBY!

 

[blue-shifted]

Because it's a bus lane.


Anyway I'm just the ideas man.

We need to rip the plaster off and not piss around like a bunch of pathetic grizzling old tosspots.

This country needs go-getters like me, not held back by the but but but brigade.

Well yes. The point of encouraging bus use is because buses encourage multiple people to travel at the same time. A taxi is just a car, which you pay someone else to drive. No reason at all they should be allowed into bus lanes.

There is some arguments for (and some against) allowing purely electric cars to use bus lanes, but none at all for a taxi, other than the fact that historically they've been quite a powerful lobby group

 

[Chicken Run]

Because it's a bus lane.


Anyway I'm just the ideas man.

We need to rip the plaster off and not piss around like a bunch of pathetic grizzling old tosspots.

This country needs go-getters like me, not held back by the but but but brigade.

So your suggesting a total ban on cabs in the city centre?

 

[Hamilton]

Brilliant idea! When's it happening?

 

[Stat Brother]

So your suggesting a total ban on cabs in the city centre?

Do you require 3 identical answers to every question you ask?

Yes.

Just in case it's actually 4 identical answers:-

Yes

and here's a cheeky 5th one for you as well:-

Yes.

 

[Easy 10]

Well I'm local to the area and I would be an IMBY!

Sadly this city is not blessed with a plethora of such enlightened souls.

Arse-holes, but not enlightened ones.

 

[Machiavelli]

I have to admit I don't know. I generally believe in progressive ideas and vote for people or ideas who can demonstrate progressive values. Frustratingly I'm in a minority at a national level, and a only in a reasonable (and not overwhelming) majority at local level.

Something like this needs large support to go through. On a broad brush level there really aren't any valid objections other than those the ones made up because people are a bit dim or selfish. However once the detail gets put in it will become very easy for politicians proposing it to become mired by attacks from interest groups and nimbys, and proposals to be watered down to the level of pointlessness

I don't disagree with any of this.
Alongside your 'dim and selfish', terms that we'd probably both agree are best avoided, there is the hostility to change. This is a bit of a paradox, because the call for policy shifts is in response to change, the change in the climate. Sure, there are different levels of intelligence (and education), but the dimness charge won't ever convert anyone. The selfish one, however, can be addressed by appealing to (what we might call) 'the broader self', which includes family, friends, colleagues, etc -- especially those of younger generations.
You're spot on about the broad brush versus policy detail issue.

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't disagree with any of this.
Alongside your 'dim and selfish', terms that we'd probably both agree are best avoided, there is the hostility to change. This is a bit of a paradox, because the call for policy shifts is in response to change, the change in the climate. Sure, there are different levels of intelligence (and education), but the dimness charge won't ever convert anyone. The selfish one, however, can be addressed by appealing to (what we might call) 'the broader self', which includes family, friends, colleagues, etc -- especially those of younger generations.
You're spot on about the broad brush versus policy detail issue.

In my mind this is the sort of scheme that will be resisted and resisted until it eventually comes to fruition, then 6 months later all you'll hear is 'we should have done this much sooner'.
Very much in the same mould as how our beloved AMEX is now viewed upon by the residents of Falmer Village.

 

[Gwylan]

Taxi drivers would have a grizzle.

You can ignore them: taxi drivers would moan about anything. If the council laid on a cafe solely for taxi drivers that offered free rump steak and chips and a blow job from a selection of blondes, drivers would whinge that the steak wasn't T-bone and there weren't enough brunettes. Taxi drivers are matched only by farmers and Newcastle supporters as Britain's biggest whiners

A pedestrianised Queen's Rd is a great idea. It would need some transport for those who can't walk easily but rather than the cost of a tram, there could be electric mini buses operating as a shuttle between the station and Churchill Sq. There would also be a bus stop at the side of the station serving Seven Dials and Hove.

I'm in....how do we get it built?

 

[beorhthelm]

Well yes. The point of encouraging bus use is because buses encourage multiple people to travel at the same time. A taxi is just a car, which you pay someone else to drive. No reason at all they should be allowed into bus lanes.

There is some arguments for (and some against) allowing purely electric cars to use bus lanes, but none at all for a taxi, other than the fact that historically they've been quite a powerful lobby group

the days of the taxi are numbered, to be replaced by auto-driving electric "uber" vehicles. there will be no one to lobby.

 

[blue-shifted]

You can ignore them: taxi drivers would moan about anything. If the council laid on a cafe solely for taxi drivers that offered free rump steak and chips and a blow job from a selection of blondes, drivers would whinge that the steak wasn't T-bone and there weren't enough brunettes. Taxi drivers are matched only by farmers and Newcastle supporters as Britain's biggest whiners

A pedestrianised Queen's Rd is a great idea. It would need some transport for those who can't walk easily but rather than the cost of a tram, there could be electric mini buses operating as a shuttle between the station and Churchill Sq. There would also be a bus stop at the side of the station serving Seven Dials and Hove.

I'm in....how do we get it built?

I feel limited by only being able to give one thumbs up.

 

[Stat Brother]

It's a shame bus access to the train station from the East is all but impossible.

If not you could all but figure of 8 a one way loop through the heart of the city, that would be almost perfect.

 

[blue-shifted]

You can ignore them: taxi drivers would moan about anything. If the council laid on a cafe solely for taxi drivers that offered free rump steak and chips and a blow job from a selection of blondes, drivers would whinge that the steak wasn't T-bone and there weren't enough brunettes. Taxi drivers are matched only by farmers and Newcastle supporters as Britain's biggest whiners

A pedestrianised Queen's Rd is a great idea. It would need some transport for those who can't walk easily but rather than the cost of a tram, there could be electric mini buses operating as a shuttle between the station and Churchill Sq. There would also be a bus stop at the side of the station serving Seven Dials and Hove.

I'm in....how do we get it built?

Buses could be routed from Churchill Square up Dyke Road then across to the station, either via 7 dials, or quicker down Buckingham Road, Upper Gloucester Rd, Surrey St

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]1216969698484662272[/tweet]

 

[Triggaaar]

The flip side of that is it may make it easier. Given many current through streets may become dead ends, then there would be opportunities to actually increase disabled street parking allowing closer access than they currently can.

I can't see the logic there. If someone with a disability can drive to a place, then all of us can. And we'd all want to park, so why would they then increase disabled street parking?

The key is once you eliminate most of the traffic, then access to those that most need it can be made available.

What do you mean - how can it be made available? Presumably you're not suggesting blue badge holders can drive in the no car zone, so what can they do?

If accessibility for disabled persons, pushchairs etc. is people's main concerns, then the current arrangements are nothing short of a disgrace in some areas.

Due to council planning, rather than cars.

As [MENTION=435]Stat Brother[/MENTION] above points out, the arrival to our city from the station with a 2m wide pavement on both sides is embarrassing. Accessibility could be one of the fundamental points for doing it.

Pedestrianising the area outside the station sounds good, and wouldn't stop physically disabled people from driving to town. There's a big difference between that and pedestrianising a much larger area of the city.

 

[Chicken Run]

Do you require 3 identical answers to every question you ask?

Yes.

Just in case it's actually 4 identical answers:-

Yes

and here's a cheeky 5th one for you as well:-

Yes.

What if they are electric taxis you sarcastic twiat?

 

[blue-shifted]

I can't see the logic there. If someone with a disability can drive to a place, then all of us can. And we'd all want to park, so why would they then increase disabled street parking?

What do you mean - how can it be made available? Presumably you're not suggesting blue badge holders can drive in the no car zone, so what can they do?

Due to council planning, rather than cars.

Pedestrianising the area outside the station sounds good, and wouldn't stop physically disabled people from driving to town. There's a big difference between that and pedestrianising a much larger area of the city.

The disability issue does have to be thought about, but I just keep coming back to (and thankfully I'm not an expert) surely it's easier for people with mobility issues to get on and off a bus than it is for them to get in and out of a car.

That said there will always have to be provision for some cars. As has been said earlier, some people who own cars live in the centre of town. So extra provision for disabled parking would have to be made near the limits of the no drive zone

 

[Bold Seagull]

I can't see the logic there. If someone with a disability can drive to a place, then all of us can. And we'd all want to park, so why would they then increase disabled street parking?

What do you mean - how can it be made available? Presumably you're not suggesting blue badge holders can drive in the no car zone, so what can they do?

Due to council planning, rather than cars.

Pedestrianising the area outside the station sounds good, and wouldn't stop physically disabled people from driving to town. There's a big difference between that and pedestrianising a much larger area of the city.

I'm not the appointed urban designer on this one, I'm merely throwing ideas out there on what might happen and what has happened elsewhere. Don't have any 1:50 scale plans for you at this point. A few posts back I posted some videos from other cities, might be worth watching.

 

[blue-shifted]

Something which hasn't been mentioned which could be done relatively quickly and cheaply is congestion charging. Say a tenner to get closer than Palmiera Sq, Seven Dials, or Upper Bedford Street

That way, the council get a much needed boost to the coffers, if you really need to drive to town for whatever reason it's possible, blue badge holders would be exempt, you could also exempt fully electric cars if you chose, buses would run faster, delivery drivers could still drop off their wares with only a modest increase in cost being passed to the customer, and if I did want to spend a 4 grand on a TV which would barely fit in my living room it is was vitally important to me that it should only come from the Curry's PC World near Churchill Square I could do so and the congestion charge would only add 0.25% to the purchase cost.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the roads paved over, trees planted and the café chairs where the vehicles used to be. Congestion charging would be a 2nd place option

 

[Stat Brother]

What if they are electric taxis you sarcastic twiat?

No.

Now is that no your fourth yes or have you used them all hence flipping the question requiring a 'no' answer.

Do you require a further 2 more 'no's' for the same message to stick?