[Travel] Large areas of London to be car-free (6 week timetable)

[Stat Brother]

More of the same, but it still doesn't stop me from being amazed:-

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news...e-as-lockdown-eased?__twitter_impression=true

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

More of the same, but it still doesn't stop me from being amazed:-

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news...e-as-lockdown-eased?__twitter_impression=true

I think that is great, genuinely. However, how does that fit in with not taking public transport? Not everyone is young enough or physically able to walk or bike, or live nearby?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think that is great, genuinely. However, how does that fit in with not taking public transport? Not everyone is young enough or physically able to walk or bike, or live nearby?

Obviously they will use public transport. He is looking to reduce public transport numbers, not eliminate them.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Obviously they will use public transport. He is looking to reduce public transport numbers, not eliminate them.

Fair enough. I am unaware how many would be displaced into public transport by this. However, it is apparent, particularly after the disaster this year, that we need to change things more than ever. Who knows, something good may come out of this mess?

 

[Stat Brother]

It's a shame it could never work in Brighton.

I guess London isn't a tourist destination!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Fair enough. I am unaware how many would be displaced into public transport by this. However, it is apparent, particularly after the disaster this year, that we need to change things more than ever. Who knows, something good may come out of this mess?

I’ve always felt there’s plenty of unnecessary journeys in the system from commuting to short school runs to runs to the shops to hopping on a bus or tube for a few stops. Hopefully the new found love of cycling, walking and work-from-home will replace a lot of this.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I’ve always felt there’s plenty of unnecessary journeys in the system from commuting to short school runs to runs to the shops to hopping on a bus or tube for a few stops. Hopefully the new found love of cycling, walking and work-from-home will replace a lot of this.

That may well be the case, but to be fair, HT, you take more flights than the rest of us put together.

 

[beorhthelm]

wonder how this will impact constuction and trades in central London, main users road other than cabs. congestion on periphery and secondary routes will soar.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's a shame it could never work in Brighton.

I guess London isn't a tourist destination!

Valley Gardens project is suddenly starting to look a bit VISIONARY eh?

 

[cloud]

Not everyone is young enough or physically able to walk or bike, or live nearby?

Or have somewhere to keep all the household bikes

 

[Palacefinder General]

Or have somewhere to keep all the household bikes

Wall mount them, as they do in New York and other cities. A bike or two on your living room wall is visually preferable to a print of a wooden jetty running out to sea or a Banksy-esque print of an Imperial Stormtrooper using an ATM or similar ‘TK Maxx’ Home shite.

 

[AmexRuislip]

wonder how this will impact constuction and trades in central London, main users road other than cabs. congestion on periphery and secondary routes will soar.

If all these routes are going to be free of traffic, it'll be the perfect opportunity for the local councils to repair the roads and potholes such alike........

 

[BN9 BHA]

That may well be the case, but to be fair, HT, you take more flights than the rest of us put together.

 

[Motogull]

One thing I think that will increase are working from home numbers. Not necessarily a full week, but certainly more half and half stuff. This ought lighten congestion to some degree. As noted on another thread, we don't have the climate for year round walk/cycle commuting.

 

[Bozza]

If all these routes are going to be free of traffic, it'll be the perfect opportunity for the local councils to repair the roads and potholes such alike........

Schapps, I think it was, announced a c£2bn pot-hole fixing budget just a few days ago.

 

[highflyer]

Or have somewhere to keep all the household bikes

I have no doubt it will be a bit messy initially, and there will be complaints from the usual sources as well as some genuine problems that will require adjustments, but it will work out (as noted, it's about reducing use of public transport, not eliminating it, and it has been done successfully elsewhere). And it will serve as a HUGE step forward. I worked in that area of London for five years, until quite recently, and it will be vastly improved if this can be made to work - once people have adjusted they won't want to go back. And it could create so much future opportunity for small shops, businesses etc.

I hope the same level of vision can begin to be applied to other areas of our lives and economy. eg:

- Shift to electric vehicles (subsidies, investment in charging infrastructure, scrappage scheme)

- Reduced flying (frequent flyer taxes, improved and affordable rail, and something - don't know what and maybe not even needed - to encourage businesses to maintain and increase use of technology for meetings)

- Big push on encouraging people to work from home long term (increased pressure on big corporations, and incentives for SMEs, to make this possible for any staff for whom it is as possible, and who want it, plus a requirement that if it is requested the onus is in the employer has to show why it cannot be done)

- Big push on tree planting/rewilding (replacing incentives for low productivity farming with incentives to rewild and plant)

- Big push on alternative energy (bring back subsidies at household level, increase offshore wind capacity, large scale solar and major incentves for new technology development)

All of these, plus many more ideas already floating around, can both help re-start the economy, support smaller businesses, create employment and move us towards a better, cleaner future. The focus on small business and employment makes it politically viable for the Tories, just as long as they can ignore the desperate whispering in their ear from their rich donors, media barons and corporate sponsors pushing for a new era of austerity and financialization.




This was a party political broadcast on behalf of the Greens and the green wing of the centre, the left and one-nation conservatives

 

[Gwylan]

As noted on another thread, we don't have the climate for year round walk/cycle commuting.

I'm self-employed now but when I worked in an office, I cycled in pretty much every day - I did so for about 20 years, 50 weeks a year. Many of my colleagues did to. Our climate is not noticeably different from Denmark, Netherlands or Germany and they have many more cyclists than we do

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Schapps, I think it was, announced a c£2bn pot-hole fixing budget just a few days ago.

The pot-hole situation in Brighton has improved noticeably since lockdown. Can only assume the council have utilised the rare opportunity of fewer cars on the roads.

 

[Motogull]

I'm self-employed now but when I worked in an office, I cycled in pretty much every day - I did so for about 20 years, 50 weeks a year. Many of my colleagues did to. Our climate is not noticeably different from Denmark, Netherlands or Germany and they have many more cyclists than we do

Nice in theory. I have an 18 mile commute. No way am I doing that if wet and/or dark.

 

[Bozza]

Nice in theory. I have an 18 mile commute. No way am I doing that if wet and/or dark.

The walking/cycling thing is fab, in the most part, this time of year.

In the middle of the winter when it's freezing and pissing it down - not so much.