Road Closures

[Simon_Warren]

This is good news. They have finally twigged the damage these schemes have done to local businesses and the massive traffic problems and resultant pollution and the impact it has had on local residents trying to go about their daily lives.

The council are also doing their best to be elusive and not respond to my freedom of information requests on the number of fines issued by the camera controlled “closures” - I wonder why that is?

Luckily I have two motoring journalists on the case - one whom has been collating data from the businesses in the commercial estate off Manor Lane and is helping me to get the fine data from the council.

Time to end these sorry schemes and accept that people need to drive. If you want to get people out of their cars, try waiting until the pandemic is over and try not implementing ill advised schemes under “Covid-19 Maintain Social Distancing” when it is blatantly an attack on motorists. Or maybe try and encourage people to drive electric cars by finding a solution for people to be able to park and charge their cars at home.

[anon5422159]

@Simon_Warren

blatantly an attack on motorists.

And the sad thing is that the ideologues have succeeding in pitting non-motorists against motorists, as is evident from some of the unpleasant comments above.

Even after the LTNs are gone, the resentment will probably remain.

This should never have become a tribal “us vs. them” stand off, but zero-sum policy-making has that effect unfortunately.

[clausy]

@Simon_Warren

try not implementing ill advised schemes

It was actually statutory guidance from the government to implement the schemes. This is the basis for the so called ideology… direct from the Secretary for Transport.

Traffic Management Act 2004: network management in response to COVID-19

[NewtoSE]

The execution of these plans, rather than the actual principle behind them, is surely what is causing the issues here? The key way to getting people to start cycling is surely to introduce proper cycle lanes, proper facilities for cycle storage, and perhaps even cycle lessons for the less confident. This surely needs to happen before anything else? In SE23 people will inevitably use cars more than ever before at the present time because at weekends we have almost no public transport options.

[ForestHull]

Yes, it’s somewhat clear the Councils implemented something other than the Transport Secretary’s vision - seeing the problems it caused, he later threatened to remove funding:

Grant Shapps tells councils to stop abusing £250m fund meant for green...

@NewtoSE

This surely needs to happen before anything else?

Small steps such as this would have been an excellent start. The head-on approach has probably needlessly set things back a fair bit

[clausy]

That’s behind a paywall, so I used the next google result which (coincidentally) is

Transport Secretary tells councils to stop "abusing" emergency active travel...

This part of course I agree with:

“But as you’d expect with things which are trials, not everything has worked. That’s why they’re trials – so they can be changed.”

However the examples he cites are then regarding ‘random one-way systems’ and plastic pavement widening barriers which ‘narrow the carriageway for traffic, causing congestion and increasing danger for cyclists’ so it’s nice of him to be concerned about safety issues and totally appropriate to review these for those reasons.

I can’t see from that road.cc coverage whether he cited road closures as a bad idea in the original article but it doesn’t appear that they’re the reason he threatened to remove funding.

[anon5422159]

@clausy

That’s behind a paywall

I shared the article earlier in this topic

Some key quotes:

Grant Shapps has told councils to stop abusing the £250 million fund meant for a green transport revolution by installing pointless one-way systems and barriers that offer “no benefit to anyone”.

…

His comments come after a series of petitions attracted thousands of signatures from people across the country who fear councils are pandering to the cycle lobby.

Many have claimed traffic congestion has been shifted elsewhere, while pollution has increased and many high street shops are struggling to emerge from lockdown because parking spaces have disappeared.

In some London boroughs, planters closing off roads have been vandalised amid concerns emergency vehicle response times have plummeted as firefighters and paramedics have encountered new road layouts.

[ForestHull]

Yes, it’s quite clear that Shapps doesn’t want to choke off all access by motor vehicles. From the same article:

The minister said that while many green activists claim the car should “die”, he believes it should instead “evolve” to help save the planet.

As an electric car driver himself he added how he was an “electric head” rather than a petrol head, a description for those obsessed with fossil-fuelled motor vehicles.

He also said it was essential to “keep the main arteries of our economy flowing” at this pivotal time as Britain emerges from lockdown and prepares for Brexit.

He adds: “For those who say we shouldn’t be building roads, I say there’s nothing green about standing still in traffic, pumping out CO2 and pollution.”

This seems somewhat more pragmatic and a bit more realistic than just closing roads with the expectation that traffic will simply ‘evaporate’ without any negative effects.

[NewtoSE]

This is a map of cycle storage facilities, taken from Lewisham Council’s website.

Search | Cyclehoop

You can see the lack of facilities between Catford, Horniman and Sydenham, south of the A205.

The cycle highways map is another eye-opener.

Cycle

If we can get cycle highways and cycle storage sorted, people may be inclined to give cycling a go.

[NewtoSE]

Here is an image of cycle route options in London, and SE seems to have fewer options than other parts…

[clausy]

This is not an ‘us and them’ thing pitching motorists against non-motorists as others have suggested. I’m both a motorist and a cyclist and it’s perfectly possible to blend both together where it makes sense. I definitely cycle more miles than I drive in London every year. That means I’m making space for other people who need to drive and reducing congestion and pollution. The more people that can do that the better. As you said the more people that switch to electric the better too.

Shapps did say in his opening paragraphs of the statutory guidance page intro:

And millions of people have discovered, or rediscovered, cycling and walking. In some places, there’s been a 70% rise in the number of people on bikes - for exercise, or for safe, socially distanced travel.
When the country gets back to work, we need them to carry on cycling, and to be joined by millions more. With public transport capacity reduced, the roads in our largest cities, in particular, may not be able to cope without it.

Anyway as I’ve said before I agree with the implementation of the closures initially being rushed which is what made them somewhat divisive. I do think that they’ll now roll them back initially, then come back with a better more well thought out approach, hopefully including more technology like cameras and speed checks and ANPR based residential access.

Nobody wants more pollution from congested main roads, but also not many people want to switch.

[ForestHull]

@clausy

This is not an ‘us and them’ thing pitching motorists against non-motorists as others have suggested.

Unfortunately that’s the sad effect of some of the LTN policies which have been very divisive. Taking roads away from cars and giving them exclusively to cyclists is bound to create bad feeling when cycling isn’t practical for every journey or person. Similar divisions are created by making some streets quiet for residents while others nearby have seen an increase in traffic, congestion and pollution.

Statements dismissing opposition to the schemes as a ‘vocal minority’, or calling motorists ‘lazy and selfish’ or only wanting consultation processes where it may benefit themselves also don’t help bring the sides together.

[clausy]

I think it’s a little bit unfair to say that I’m suggesting roads should be given exclusively to cyclists. Way way back to my original point this is about reducing car journeys not eliminating them or declaring war against the car - we simply looked at the 30% of journeys under 2 miles where walking or cycling might be an option for some people.

But I don’t want to go around in circles, I think we’ve pretty much covered it a few times over. Statements by people describing those they disagree with as idealogues also don’t help bring 2 sides together.

[ForestHull]

@clausy

I think it’s a little bit unfair to say that I’m suggesting

Sorry, where did I suggest you were suggesting anything? I’m critical of the way LTN policies have been implemented and their effects. I think that’s clear from my post above, sorry if it’s not…

@clausy

Statements by people describing those they disagree with as idealogues …

Also not me.

[EmmaJ]

One thing that is often forgotten about cycling is parking at your destination. This is fine a lot of the time especially for many if they are commuting, pre-covid, I had underground controlled parking at work which meant that my bike was out of the rain and relatively safe. At home, I have it locked outside in the elements.

The problem I find though is locking my bike when going shopping. The FH Sainsburys is fine, bike racks outside the shop in very visible location. The Bell Green Sainsburys bicycle racks are beside the trolleys far away from the visibility of the entrance rendering it relatively vulnerable. I see the odd person just walking their bike inside. I think we need shops to do more to encourage cycling. If there is no safe parking then I am likely to take the car or not bother.

I agree with the blended life approach. I walk, cycle and drive and think you can balance road use appropriately. It is awkward sometimes but for the general good.

[applespider]

Totally agree. If you are nipping down to the shops on a bike, if just for a few items, you need somewhere secure to leave it. Appreciate you do for a car too but that’s about finding a space. A bike you need to have something to lock it to. I nip to Dulwich Library on the bike and it’s great because there are multiple cycle hoops to put it on. There are times that I’ve resorted to Google Streetview to try to identify potential parking if I’m going somewhere unfamiliar.

[NewtoSE]

My work has a secure underground cycle park, but I am loathe to leave my bike anywhere else, except for proper storage facilities.

There is a Cycle Hub at Peckham Rye Station, that is great for anyone it is convenient for.

Also, Waltham Forest Council have a cycle storage units at several stations, and they are very good.

Cycle hubs at stations | Enjoy Waltham Forest

One in Finsbury Park too, https://cyclehoop.force.com/RentalsCommunity/yourcycleparking?id=a0h0O00002OCDo8QAH

You need these kind of facilities if people are to take a serious look at the potential for them to invest in a bike and then use it regularly.

With the LTN in Lewisham it was kind of like we just woke up one day and there they were! Did they do a small scale trial to iron out issues that come with any new initiative?

People need to be communicated with, google maps etc need updating, proper cycle facilities need putting in place…

[clausy]

It seems like Lambeth managed to do it right - Railton Rd closure resulted in 90% increase in cycling.

Call for ‘many more’ Lambeth LTNs

It will be good to see this planned properly next time around. I hope Lewisham figure it out. It’s interesting because there are no bollards blocking the road so there is easy access for emergency vehicles and yet it doesn’t seem to get abused. I wonder if they have cameras and residents’s cars registered via a scheme?

[anon5422159]

Lambeth’s petition against the LTN gathered over 3,000 signatures:

Paige (PaigeLDN__)

Councillor calls for reversal of low traffic neighbourhoods

Lambeth recently implemented its fifth LTN in Tulse Hill, following Railton, Oval Triangle, Ferndale, and Streatham Hill.

One of the main aims of the LTNs is to promote active travel such as cycling, walking, and public transport, which many residents support.

But many other residents have also raised concerns about traffic displacement, lack of consultation, increased journey times, and the division of communities.

In the motion, Cllr Briggs wrote: “All councillors want to encourage more cycling and walking.

“But the temporary low traffic neighbourhood schemes closing roads and bridges are causing chaos across Lambeth, and without emergency action being taken to mitigate their effect, will ruin lives and shut down businesses.”

Cllr Briggs used a host of comments collected from residents, some of whom said they need to use cars to get around, such as disabled and elderly people, tradespeople, those delivering goods, and parents of SEN children.

People spoke of increased traffic and pollution in their streets, longer journey times, road-rage incidents stemming from congestion, concerns about emergency services access, and vehicles mounting pavements to avoid the barriers.

“The lack of any proper consultation in Lambeth has led to the opposite of what the schemes were intended to achieve,” Cllr Briggs said.

He also referred to the displacement of traffic onto some roads from others.

“Traffic and pollution are being displaced onto residential roads such as Coldharbour Lane with large BAME populations living and working on them, who are disproportionately affected by Covid, with pollution thought to be a factor in disease severity and mortality rates,” Cllr Briggs said.

He asked that the council resolves to “end the low traffic neighbourhoods trial immediately, with all road blockages removed” and for the council to “go back to the drawing board and consult residents in an unbiased way that does not presume an outcome, to see where low traffic neighbourhoods or restrictions are actually wanted, or required to solve a problem”.

Revealingly, a freedom of information request showed that sixteen Lambeth councillors live within LTN-closed roads:

Paige (PaigeLDN__)

[clausy]

Gosh, is it a surprise that councillors live in the areas they represent?

Railton Rd is one of the main routes from FH to the West End. It’s great cycling along there now, and my son cycles up and down twice a day on the way to Vauxhall so I’m glad he has a decent portion of the journey as a safe route. He’s also a big fan. So from personal experience, I think it’s great.