The Lewes Road bus lane/traffic congestion

[The Large One]

What would you call it then I drove my CAR to Worthing today and parked for 6hrs plus so we wouldn't get ripped off in Brighton, hence all our money spent which was a tidy sum was lost to the B'ton shops

Brighton is pretty full up with shoppers.

It was heaving again on Saturday.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Brighton is pretty full up with shoppers.

It was heaving again on Saturday.

As an aside, today, I followed a cyclist riding directly on top of the wide white bus line immediately after the Coldean junction all the way to the Falmer turnoff into the University---this was despite a million pound cycle lane a couple of yards away. Needless to say he did not have a helmet or lights
I hoped he would give me the opportunity to point out the error of his ways but I did not get close enough to--------------------deck him

 

[portslade seagull]

But cyclists can do what they want because they don't pollute the air

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well done. To achieve the same my sister could have divorced her husband and moved to somewhere with a station or a regular bus. Different people, different situations.

I'm not passing judgement on anyone's circumstances. People have their reasons; but there is a choice.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Yes I can.

You, however, are very clearly anti-public transport. In fact, you've made it plain you're very anti-public.

In that case everything you say has to digested with caution to point of laughing at you, greens are not anti car increased parking charges, 20mph reducing car numbers in city centre etc etc.

I'm not anti public transport at all when its more convienent and cost effective. Unfortunately it's neither for me on a day to day basis.

I can't earn a living using public transport due to the equipment I need to carry to out mY daily tasks.
If I'm out for the evening or a trip to London etc public transport is ok.
But when these scheme inpedes and restricts my livelihood then I'm upset.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I'm not passing judgement on anyone's circumstances. People have their reasons; but there is a choice.

I don't like to nitpick with someone I agree with a lot of the time but the amount of choice people have depends on their circumstances. You may well find it quite straightforward to adjust your lifestyle to avoid driving. My circumstances mean that I sometimes avoid driving for days on end but at other times I have to drive quite often. And very many people, from salesmen to the wives of rural clergymen, have to drive almost every day. Given that some people have to be salesmen and some people have to be rural clergymen's wives (or, indeed, rural clergymen), a proportion of people in this lovely country of ours must have no choice at all about whether they drive or not.

For others to say, as they have, that cars have damaged village life, is irrelevant. They may be right but that doesn't help people get to work in the morning.

 

[Brovion]

I'm not passing judgement on anyone's circumstances. People have their reasons; but there is a choice.

No there isn't. I don't own a car now and the reason for that is because my circumstances have changed. I no longer have to ferry car fulls of kids around. (Or their equipment which for my teenage son was a drum kit). Also my Dad and stepmother, who lived in a remote cottage in Somerset miles from even the nearest bus stop, are both now dead. Five years ago though a car, and a big one at that, was essential. There was no choice, not if I wanted to function efficiently as a son and a father. (Although strangely we used the buses a lot more when the kids were little as the fares were a lot cheaper!)

 

[Albumen]

As an aside, today, I followed a cyclist riding directly on top of the wide white bus line immediately after the Coldean junction all the way to the Falmer turnoff into the University---this was despite a million pound cycle lane a couple of yards away. Needless to say he did not have a helmet or lights
I hoped he would give me the opportunity to point out the error of his ways but I did not get close enough to--------------------deck him

Riding without a helmet is personal choice. It's not against the law or in the Highway Code. I agree with you on lights though, stupid idea not to use them, stupid.

 

[Gwylan]

Riding without a helmet is personal choice. It's not against the law or in the Highway Code. I agree with you on lights though, stupid idea not to use them, stupid.

I was cycling behind a woman last night who had cycle lights on: when she stopped at the lights, she leaned over to switch them off. Why would someone do that?

If my light is broken, I won't cycle. Full stop. It's not worth the risk

 

[The Large One]

In that case everything you say has to digested with caution to point of laughing at you, greens are not anti car increased parking charges, 20mph reducing car numbers in city centre etc etc.

You're quite naive when it comes to local politics aren't you? You've got this ill-considered point of view that an administration (or even an individual) being pro-public transport is anti-car. That's total gibberish. Similarly, if the Greens were anti-car, the city would be closed off to traffic and sod the consequences. And yet how many roads have the Green administration banned the private vehicle from?

Secondly, you're making out that 20mph is a preserve of the Green Party. Brighton & Hove was the 48th council (almost all the others were Labour-controlled or Labour minority-controlled) to adopt a 20mph speed limit, and couldn't have been achieved without the connivance of the Conservatives on the council. Labour only opposed it locally because they believed taxi drivers (GMB members) would be beaten up.

Thirdly, increased parking charges, while introduced by the Green administration could not have got through without the support of another party. Labour have wanted to increase local parking charges for years, but haven't had the balls to do so. Now someone else has done it, the next administration will almost certainly not decrease them. And, as pointed out by Lord Bracknell, Brighton isn't really suffering on the back of it.

I'm not anti public transport at all when its more convienent and cost effective. Unfortunately it's neither for me on a day to day basis.

I can't earn a living using public transport due to the equipment I need to carry to out mY daily tasks.
If I'm out for the evening or a trip to London etc public transport is ok.
But when these scheme inpedes and restricts my livelihood then I'm upset.

Taking the point of you needing your car/van is not the point, it's fair enough that you need your vehicle to function. No-one is criticising that, and in fact it's irrelevant to the point being made.

It's a separate issue from whether you're anti-public transport. It just so happens that your posts, and your ongoing posts stating your dislike of using public transport (you said you hate sitting among other people) suggest you are anti-public transport across the city, and that your considerations on this issue are about you - and you only.

Others are taking a more holistic view.

 

[teaboy]

How is a 20mph speed limit (and, by extension any speed limit for that matter) 'anti car'?

 

[portslade seagull]

Maybe you need to attempt to drive a car at 20mph, the emissions will be higher as you cannot achieve the highest gear which will be very pleasing for all the residents and pedestrians now caught in the daily jam caused by near empty bus/cycle lanes. It will now be interesting to see if cases of asthma increase in these area's now

 

[Albumen]

Maybe you need to attempt to drive a car at 20mph, the emissions will be higher as you cannot achieve the highest gear which will be very pleasing for all the residents and pedestrians now caught in the daily jam caused by near empty bus/cycle lanes. It will now be interesting to see if cases of asthma increase in these area's now

Why the hell would you want to go into 5th gear in the town centre??

 

[Canonman]

Brighton is pretty full up with shoppers.

It was heaving again on Saturday.

North Laines seem ever more popular with shoppers from out of town, no wonder, I went to Worthing a couple of weeks ago, I'm sorry to our friends over there but it is a very poor shopping experience. Brighton is lively, has quirky and interesting shops, people look happy as well, I couldn't wait to get back home. Worthing just seemed to be full of miserable looking pensioners.

 

[Buzzer]

You're quite naive when it comes to local politics aren't you? You've got this ill-considered point of view that an administration (or even an individual) being pro-public transport is anti-car. That's total gibberish.

Whether there is any truth to it or not, there is a very clear perception around Brighton that the Greens are anti-car. They also give the appearance of being very dogmatic about a lot of things and (once again this is the perception as I observe it) that they refuse to listen to people about the problems this 20 mph restriction is causing. They are going to lose the next elections and lose them very heavily thanks to the likes of Kitcat and some of his fellow zealots.

 

[The Large One]

Whether there is any truth to it or not, there is a very clear perception around Brighton that the Greens are anti-car. They also give the appearance of being very dogmatic about a lot of things and (once again this is the perception as I observe it) that they refuse to listen to people about the problems this 20 mph restriction is causing. They are going to lose the next elections and lose them very heavily thanks to the likes of Kitcat and some of his fellow zealots.

I don't totally disagree with the last part of your statement - their PR in countering these perceptions is dreadful.

But what will almost certainly be evident is that when the next administration is formed (and ALL permutations are on the table), the city-wide 20mph zones won't be rescinded with any great hurry. Some streets, yes - citywide, no.

 

[Buzzer]

I don't totally disagree with the last part of your statement - their PR in countering these perceptions is dreadful.

But what will almost certainly be evident is that when the next administration is formed (and ALL permutations are on the table), the city-wide 20mph zones won't be rescinded with any great hurry. Some streets, yes - citywide, no.

I don't doubt it. It's cost way too much in the first place, altering it will cause more money and disruption and any reversion will inevitably cause problems to one or more stakeholders. Why would any future council want to consider that? Far easier to do nothing and blame previous administrations.

If Caroline Lucas wants to keep her seat though, the Greens need to up their game with engaging with the public. Let's not forget that a lot of her constituents are directly affected by this seeing as they live on or very near the Lewes Road.

 

[Buckley's Mad Eye]

I don't doubt it. It's cost way too much in the first place, altering it will cause more money and disruption and any reversion will inevitably cause problems to one or more stakeholders. Why would any future council want to consider that? Far easier to do nothing and blame previous administrations.

If Caroline Lucas wants to keep her seat though, the Greens need to up their game with engaging with the public. Let's not forget that a lot of her constituents are directly affected by this seeing as they live on or very near the Lewes Road.

Have the Greens improved the lives of the people of Brighton? have they fu.....!

 

[The Large One]

Have the Greens improved the lives of the people of Brighton? have they fu.....!

I don't think they have made it worse, though the Argus and others might try to convince people otherwise. The things that people scream about involving the council are age-old screams that will never go away. 'My road needs gritting / my bins need emptying / where are the police? / why are there so many police? / why are the roads being dug up / why are the buses late? / why are there leaves on the pavement...' etc.

This 20mph / cycle lane stuff really is a red-herring as far as I am concerned. It had cross-party support, and was part of a long-term council strategy. It was going to happen at some point or other.

Point is, I don't think Brighton is suffering - not to the extremities some people are on about.

Shop closures aren't at the level of other places; business start-ups, if the press are to be believed, are still strong; IT companies from the US are coming in; Amex have continued their investment in the city; the Universities are continuing their investment with two major projects in the city centre; hotels are still being built (two in the city centre right now); there is still an (albeit intangible) buzz around the place that hasn't really dissipated; it still has 6' trannies who are really by day estate agents called Keith or Eric prancing around...

Regarding Caroline Lucas and the Greens, if by 'engage with the public', you mean more consultations, the Tories and Labour on the council regularly take the piss out of them for consulting on virtually everything. If you mean 'explain their decisions better', I couldn't agree more. Looking wider, I think she is playing a political game of gradually and subtly distancing herself from elements of the council. I certainly get the impression she has little time for Jason Kitcat.

 

[Biffer]

Brighton is pretty full up with shoppers.

It was heaving again on Saturday.

All this does is highlight turnover rather than a more accurate way of looking at things which would be whether the businesses can actually make money to keep trading.
With business rates going through the roof this year ( rates are north of £30k in North Street !) virtually everyone I speak to at networking events and functions is struggling.
So many businesses live or die according to the number of tourists that can come and spend money in the city. Like it or not they'll need to be able to get in and out (often by car) efficiently and enjoy their stay whilst here.
Don't forget that with hardly any parking machines taking cards, tourists need to have £22 in loose change to pay for a day's parking in the Summer.
It's a bloody fiasco.
I guess Churchill Square is pretty busy still as parking is cheap and there's a host of shops to visit when there, but to pretend the rest of the city is thriving is very different to what small business owners are telling me.