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

[Stat Brother]

Lovely to watch but quite something to listen too.
The car at the end, is just being a car, probably a nice quiet one, certainly being driven 'quietly', but all of a sudden it so fudging loud.

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Or

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It’s a mindset though isn't it? Cycle commuting year-round is fine with the right gear, waterproof overshoes, thermal gloves or mittens etc.. You’d never do anything in this country outside of a 3-4 month period if you need beach weather to do it in.

In a 12 month period of commuting I'm roughly 90% on the bike, 10% on the train.

I think it goes a bit beyond mindset though. For starters I don't wish to turn up to work all hot and sweaty. Equally, after a hard day, I'm not keen on the idea of having to jump on my bike. That said, there's no way I'd do the 40 miles to Havant to be at work for 6.30am on a bike anyway ! Quite accept if you live locally to your work then cycling might be an option ( although even if I worked in the centre of Brighton again I'm buggered if I'm cycling up the hills to Hangleton after a day at work ! ) but the almost preaching of 'use a bike regardless' does get a bit tiresome.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think it goes a bit beyond mindset though. For starters I don't wish to turn up to work all hot and sweaty. Equally, after a hard day, I'm not keen on the idea of having to jump on my bike. That said, there's no way I'd do the 40 miles to Havant to be at work for 6.30am on a bike anyway ! Quite accept if you live locally to your work then cycling might be an option ( although even if I worked in the centre of Brighton again I'm buggered if I'm cycling up the hills to Hangleton after a day at work ! ) but the almost preaching of 'use a bike regardless' does get a bit tiresome.

But it's not a preaching of 'use a bike regardless', though is it?

If you insist on calling it preaching then the 'preaching' is:-

'do you actually need to use a car for that journey?'


The average journey in the UK would suggest the answer to that question is frequently 'no'.

The planet has been given a small window to make other forms of mass transportation viable, as a car driver you should be wholeheartedly embracing this preaching.

You should be at the front of this campaign, not sniping at the back.

 

[blue-shifted]

So which other Brighton roads are in the firing line to become car free in the next few weeks?

I'd go Palmeira Sq to Montpellier
The road that leads from the south of Preston Park to Preston Circus
All the Lanes area
St James St
Queens Road to West St

 

[Westdene Seagull]

But it's not a preaching of 'use a bike regardless', though is it?

If you insist on calling it preaching then the 'preaching' is:-

'do you actually need to use a car for that journey?'


The average journey in the UK would suggest the answer to that question is frequently 'no'.

The planet has been given a small window to make other forms of mass transportation viable, as a car driver you should be wholeheartedly embracing this preaching.

You should be at the front of this campaign, not sniping at the back.

OK, my post might have been badly worded. I'm all for reducing negative human impact on the planet and I'm not at the back sniping. It does sometimes feel like preaching though when it comes to the idea everyone should cycle though. That car drivers are 'bad' and that every journey could be made bike. The council don't help. Just build a decent joined up cycle network then those who are interested and willing will use it - it doesn't need the demonisation of those that choose to use a car. There's plenty that can be done to deal with climate change well beyond and more effective than trying to convert everyone to cycling.

 

[blue-shifted]

OK, my post might have been badly worded. I'm all for reducing negative human impact on the planet and I'm not at the back sniping. It does sometimes feel like preaching though when it comes to the idea everyone should cycle though. That car drivers are 'bad' and that every journey could be made bike. The council don't help. Just build a decent joined up cycle network then those who are interested and willing will use it - it doesn't need the demonisation of those that choose to use a car. There's plenty that can be done to deal with climate change well beyond and more effective than trying to convert everyone to cycling.

It goes way beyond climate change. It's just as much about local air quality and reducing the associated health problems which are being caused. That's before your start talking about other issues such as people's physical health and the type of environment we'd all like to live in.

 

[Stat Brother]

OK, my post might have been badly worded. I'm all for reducing negative human impact on the planet and I'm not at the back sniping. It does sometimes feel like preaching though when it comes to the idea everyone should cycle though. That car drivers are 'bad' and that every journey could be made bike. The council don't help. Just build a decent joined up cycle network then those who are interested and willing will use it.There's plenty that can be done to deal with climate change well beyond and more effective than trying to convert everyone to cycling.

Again only you are saying that cars are bad and all journeys should be made by bike.


Many journeys are under 3 miles and should be made by alternative means.
Thereby freeing up road space for people who need to be driving 40 miles.

When we all, and until a while ago I'd be including myself, needed to pop out, we'd grab the car keys and go out irrespective of the journey.
I'm going to stick my neck out and say you do that now, no shame, no stigma, that's just what you do.

That's where the change needs to happen and in the words of that great song this is our moment.

The Netherlands became The Netherlands in 1973 during and in the aftermath of the OPEC crisis.
Guess which country is frequently voted the best for driving - that's right The Netherlands, because their roads aren't clogged up with unnecessary car journey's.

You complain about being stuck in traffic completely oblivious to the fact you are traffic.


Also this isn't just about climate change.
Stand around clapping for the NHS while not exercising is so two-faced.

People moaning that your weighed down by mental health issues while not giving your endorphins a run out is costing them their health.


If we're lucky there's a 4 month window to remove unnecessary car journeys.
That might just be long enough to have people notice a positive change in their physical and mental health, not to mention bank balance.

It might just be enough to have people buying weather appropriate clothing, even a winter bike!!


There's no harm in trying and there's no better time than now to start on a potentially generational change.

 

[1066familyman]

OK, my post might have been badly worded. I'm all for reducing negative human impact on the planet and I'm not at the back sniping. It does sometimes feel like preaching though when it comes to the idea everyone should cycle though. That car drivers are 'bad' and that every journey could be made bike. The council don't help. Just build a decent joined up cycle network then those who are interested and willing will use it - it doesn't need the demonisation of those that choose to use a car. There's plenty that can be done to deal with climate change well beyond and more effective than trying to convert everyone to cycling.

To be honest, I think we now need a bit more demonising, along with a bit more...wake the **** uppery.

Leaving change to individual choice hasn't worked and isn't working. We've ****ed the planet up with that route and at the moment, unless Governments/politicians step in to force change, we can also completely write off any slim chance we have left of reversing the mess we've got ourselves in.

 

[Bold Seagull]

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.

This is so true. I remember the first time I walked back from Lords to Victoria Station and it was like a revelation that many journeys across the capital could be easily walked. Even when I lived in London I was always surprised by people who lived there but didn’t realise walking was as easy it was, I used to drink around Angel a lot and the amount of people who’d get the tube to to Kings Cross - it was only a walk down the friggin hill!

 

[Gwylan]

I used to drink around Angel a lot and the amount of people who’d get the tube to to Kings Cross - it was only a walk down the friggin hill!

TBF, it's one of the most polluted roads in London, it's like walking in a fume cupboard. I know it's only a 10/15 minute walk but it's truly horrible

 

[Palacefinder General]

I wasn't remotely ‘preaching’ more suggesting cycling as a potentially viable year-round option as opposed to something able bodied people couldn’t possibly countenance due to weather hardships. The air quality where I live is generally pretty poor, as it is in several Sussex towns and we should all take responsibility for doing out bit rather than hopping in a car for countless unnecessary journeys, commuting or otherwise. A couple near my folks in Seaford, both in their 80s, raised a family, both commuted to work, did the supermarket shopping, and still do, having never owned a car, somehow managing to raise two sons who never had access to mum or dad’s ‘taxi’. Suggest that to many on here and the Internet shutters come down, as though it’s an impossible notion, an unthinkable one. That mindset surely needs to change.

 

[Bold Seagull]

TBF, it's one of the most polluted roads in London, it's like walking in a fume cupboard. I know it's only a 10/15 minute walk but it's truly horrible

Take Donegal and Collier Street, nicer at least.

 

[narly101]

Whilst I find this admirable, I wonder what happens when its pissing down in a gale and minus 2....

 

[Motogull]

Whilst I find this admirable, I wonder what happens when its pissing down in a gale and minus 2....

And dark.

I'm hoping the wfh option will spare me some car commutes in those days. I hope to wfh and cycle enough to help reduce congestion and pollution and save a few quid.

 

[clapham_gull]

This is so true. I remember the first time I walked back from Lords to Victoria Station and it was like a revelation that many journeys across the capital could be easily walked. Even when I lived in London I was always surprised by people who lived there but didn’t realise walking was as easy it was, I used to drink around Angel a lot and the amount of people who’d get the tube to to Kings Cross - it was only a walk down the friggin hill!

It's very common even with people who have lived here for years.

Balham for example is very near Clapham Junction and I very often walk between the two. It's different for work I guess because it takes longer, but if I need to go to Clapham Junction at the weekend I would never get the train unless it was pissing down.

When I lived in Clapham North years ago, in the summer I would routinely walk to the West End.

I'm currently 6 miles away from work and won't be walking that anytime soon. Much has been made of the new cycle lanes in London, but won't help me.

I'm not sharing the roads with either motorists or cyclists either. There is no comparison with Amsterdam for instance, many on high performance racing bikes are often attempting to keep up with the cars !!

The roads as they stand are gonna get much busier, congestion charge or not.

 

[Gwylan]

Whilst I find this admirable, I wonder what happens when its pissing down in a gale and minus 2....

As mentioned earlier, I cycled to work for about 20 years, 50 weeks a year - it wasn't always sunny or dry!

More than 40% of journeys in Copenhagen are made by bike - Scandinavia is of course known for its tropical climate

 

[pastafarian]

'do you actually need to use a car for that journey?'


The average journey in the UK would suggest the answer to that question is frequently 'no'.

.

Out of interest what has been determined to be an "average journey" ?
Is that simply an average journey out of the home? Does this average journey differentiate between people living in cities and those living in towns and villages?

 

[Saunders]

As mentioned earlier, I cycled to work for about 20 years, 50 weeks a year - it wasn't always sunny or dry!

More than 40% of journeys in Copenhagen are made by bike - Scandinavia is of course known for its tropical climate

Work in Brighton and yes it is wet sometimes just buy some decent waterproofs like motorcyclists do. This spring is really pissing me off though as i am working from home after the wet winter and early spring we had.

 

[Saunders]

Out of interest what has been determined to be an "average journey" ?
Is that simply an average journey out of the home? Does this average journey differentiate between people living in cities and those living in towns and villages?

People commuting long distances out of towns and villages should be assessing if they can work from home and if not why are they living so far from their work if it doesnt come under an average journey.

 

[Stat Brother]

Out of interest what has been determined to be an "average journey" ?
Is that simply an average journey out of the home? Does this average journey differentiate between people living in cities and those living in towns and villages?

I'll hazard a guess you have access to Google.