Hi All,
I hope you are all safe and well!
I've recently requested from the Council that, following relaxation of rules regarding temporary road closures, they consider closing roads to traffic across Haringey to allow more space for walking and cycling.
You can see my letter to the Council here: Letter to Council
This has already happened on my mum's street in Vienna, where it has been a huge success. It’s also been rolled out in Berlin, Bogota, New York, Vancouver and Washington, amongst others cities. Now Brighton is showing it can happen in the UK too.
if you have any suggestions for roads in Alexandra Park Ward then please drop me a line.
best wishes
Nick
Replies
While it's great to walk or bike if you're able to, the needs of disabled or less mobile shouldn't be forgotten. Both tube and our local rail services are inaccessible to wheelchair users. Many people (and even more in current circumstances) rely on deliveries, which are impossible to make via bike or walking. Also remember tradesmen who can't carry heavy/bulky equipment around. Absolutely speed limits should be enforced and traffic stops to check insurance etc are a good idea, but to totally close roads to all traffic would cause real hardship for many people.
Mi Ho,
Yes, I understand what you are saying. An important aspect of promoting cycling and walking is that it leaves space on the roads for those who cannot (or do not want to) use these means of travel. Cars take up so much space, that encouraging some drivers to shift to cycling or walking, by making streets safer, would leave space for others - including wheelchairs - as well as enhancing our streetscape and making
it healthier.
Yes, deliveries are so important - no way would anyone consider preventing them.
I guess the proposed lifts at Ally Pally station are now definitely off the agenda. That is dreadful for so many people.
best wishes Annabel
Diagram is from Living Streets (pre-lockdown, of course - fewer people would fit on a bus now!).
Hi Mi, making streets safer for vunerable road users applies for all vunerable road users - including those with disabilities. The idea is to reduce non essential journies by car not to stop the use of motor vehicles. Filtered roads i.e. ones with less motor traffic are a bonus for everyone and especially local commerce which thrives in pedestrianised areas. Regarding 'hardship' - I would refer you to the roads around Rhodes Ave School which are closed. I don't think there is any hardship there - a house was recently sold for over 2 million on Grosvenor Rd! Filtered roads improve the quality of life.
It's not like that. All areas with lving streets (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) such as Waltham Forest or Ghent/Belgium still allow for residential and priority vehicle access, and bus gates. They are just closed to through traffic to enable ALL residents to share the streets without danger - wheelchair users, blind residents, the elderly, children, cyclists and pedestrians.LTNs have been documented to cut pollution and related health problems drastically and to make for a more pleasant environment.
This looks interesting:
Living Streets After Lockdown with Cat Kenyon
Thursday 21st May, 8.15pm (via Zoom)
Meet Cat Kenyon, Co-Chair of Haringey Living Streets to discuss ‘Living Streets after Lockdown’
- Why are walking and cycling so important to Haringey’s Covid-19 emergency transport plans?
- After lockdown, how can we bring life back to our communities without the pollution?
- What do liveable streets look like in practice?
This illustrated talk will discuss why liveable streets in Haringey are urgently needed not only to enable safe social distancing, but to provide clean air for vulnerable lungs, to reduce carbon emissions, and ultimately ensure a fairer borough for our residents.
Plus a chance to ask questions and air your views.
Join us this Thursday - please book here and we'll send a Zoom link before the webinar.
Great initiative Nick and not a moment too soon. It's been very noticeable since the lockdown was partially lifted that cars and the like are reasserting their assumed right to dominate roadspace, with a concomitant decrease in safety to non-motorised vehicle users. With central government now voicing support for cyclists and walkers, we have to seize the spirit and not allow road behaviour to slip back to 'business as usual' where the car is king and those of us not using engines to move are shunted into the gutter as second-class citizens. The harm of car use as the default mode of transport of course goes way beyond road collisions: the diseases resulting from inactivity are legion and especially prevalent in the UK, with Haringey ranking high in several of them. I'll email you as you ask with road closure suggestions.
The peaceful environmental group Extinction Rebellion is planning a pro-cycling weekend this coming WE:
No Going Back: Reclaim the Streets!
This weekend, Extinction Rebellion UK rebels say:
There is No Going Back: Reclaim the Streets!
Full info is here https://www.facebook.com/events/2605702599748337/
They are inviting rebels to make their streets bike-friendly by adding a cycling lane during their daily excersise and then to start using it — All you need is a piece of cardboard, a pair of scissors and some chalk paint.
Template PDF here: https://tinyurl.com/y7xnvmqj
Eco-friendly chalk spray: https://tinyurl.com/y939n9bx
From #XRUK rebels:
Only last month the Govt announced over £27 Billion to invest in new road building programmes
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/11/chancellor-announces-27bn-for-roadbuilding-in-budget
We refuse to see our clean, empty streets alive with birdsong returned to the poisonous and polluted roads designed to prioritise cars not people.
This weekend we will creatively implement the future we want and need - Streets designed for people, open space for everyone to access.
Using the bicycle, our symbol for a better future, we will #ReclaimTheStreets for people and the good of the planet.
See the Action Guide for more details >> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jBUhJMj59L5XbaJACYyZwekrm29rEYj1exHeBo2ry4Y/edit
Join the Event:
>> https://www.facebook.com/events/2605702599748337/
Join the Telegram group to get INVOLVED:
>> https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAFZT52p6oFOpUshEUg
#NoGoingBack #AnotherWorldIsPossible #ClosedForGood
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Music: Blue Dot Sessions: https://www.sessions.blue
People in central London will be able to breathe again - but what about Haringey? https://t.co/31Ym0OBF9q
Nick, do you have any specifics from Haringey as to which roads will have cycle lanes created and where there will be road closures and additional traffic management measures? This is now urgent and is happening quickly in some other areas.
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