Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

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Bmblbzzz
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Stevek76 wrote: 1 Apr 2021, 10:40pm It's electioneering mode in Bristol at the moment and Labour are claiming freezing RPZ fees as something they've delivered! :?
Late reply, didn't see this earlier. But – fair enough, it's something they (not sure at the councillor level, but certainly the then-prospective mayor) announced they (or rather he) would do if elected, back in 2016. He was elected and he kept this promise. So it's a totally fair claim. However, this time around, this was something I raised with a Labour councillor candidate who came to our door, and he said he wasn't aware that promise had been made or action taken back then. He was pretty young so possibly wasn't involved back then. Anyway, he (the councillor in my ward) wasn't elected. (Two Greens were, which probably says something)
Jdsk
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Jdsk »

There's a Guardian article describing the findings of "research" from BikeIsBest:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... dy-existed

Does anyone know to what it's referring, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

PS: What is BikeIsBest? https://www.bikeisbest.com
Stevek76
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Stevek76 »

Bike is best is a cycle industry backed campaign started last year.

I've not seen the actual research, if it's published at all.

Probably a bit of GIS work with either OSM or OS data, you're mostly just looking for short lengths of non car roads & paths connecting car allowed roads.

I doubt it is accurate enough to quote to single units but the broad size of the number does not strike me as unreasonable, assuming connections in all the post war housing that was built as LTNs from the start is included. Perhaps the only difference with the new LTNs is that they've been added as coherent neighborhood wide schemes while, other than a handful of exceptions, it was only (then) new build housing done like that with most filters on existing roads added on a much more ad-hoc basis.
Last edited by Stevek76 on 17 May 2021, 5:34pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jdsk
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Jdsk »

Thanks

Jonathan
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Jdsk wrote: 25 Mar 2021, 11:27am Long Read: "Traffic wars: who will win the battle for city streets?":
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/m ... ty-streets

Jonathan

PS: I don't like the title, but it is often discussed in those terms.
Loved this bit:
This group of anarchists and radicals wanted to take back space from cars and promote walking, cycling and public transport for everyday use – the same ideas that would resurface 25 years later among the policies of a Conservative government. Geffen, now director of policy at advocacy group Cycling UK, exemplifies the way car reduction policies have gone from a fringe belief to the mainstream: his march through the institutions took him from illicit raves and squatting to Buckingham Palace, where he received an MBE for services to cycling in 2015. “It’s been an interesting trajectory,” he said.
even though I'm not sure it's entirely accurate or surprising.
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Reclaim the Streets as art: http://thirdtext.org/reclaim-the-streets
The Reclaim the Streets London group disappears one year later, after a mass Guerrilla Gardening action on 1 May. What makes its events fascinating is that they occupy the ambiguous meeting space between aesthetic creativity, social imagination and political action. Their discourse and praxis borrow something from each of these three fields while simultaneously belonging to all of them.
Stevek76
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Stevek76 »

Bmblbzzz wrote: 17 May 2021, 4:11pm He was elected and he kept this promise. So it's a totally fair claim.
Oh I wasn't suggestion it wasn't a fair claim (though I'm not really sure you 'deliver' a freeze as such :)), was more just in relation to what mjr was saying about council reluctance partly to do with funding. Was just pointing out that there are revenue streams within the control of councils but very few are prepared to tap into them. Not entirely sure why there is the reluctance amongst many labour councils either, car owners are statistically higher income so it is really quite 'socialist' to tax them and spend on sustainable transport. Between controlled parking, congestion charge and workplace parking levies, all of which councils can, in theory, implement largely unhindered should they so choose there's fairly significant cash to be tapped into which can also be used as leverage to fund bids for bigger pots, as Nottingham showed with its tram extension that was part funded by its WPL.
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Jdsk
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Jdsk »

Stevek76
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Stevek76 »

Ealing appears to have had a leadership coup and has swiftly removed one LTN, ostensibly due to some roadworks.
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ratherbeintobago
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by ratherbeintobago »

Stevek76 wrote: 23 May 2021, 2:58pm Ealing appears to have had a leadership coup and has swiftly removed one LTN, ostensibly due to some roadworks.
It’s not clear from Twitter what’s going on in Ealing, as the residents apparently seem largely in favour.
Stevek76
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Stevek76 »

Internal politics seems to have gone on. The previous leader of the council, Julian Bell, who was in favour of the schemes was challenged and replaced by a chap called Peter Mason who is much less keen. I'd figure this is a combination of some councillors being personally opposed as well as others scared into opposing by the usual vocal minority. Many politicians are a very poor judge of public opinion, particularly those lower down who rarely have any experience or knowledge in statistics, nor anyone to advise them in such matters, and polling and so over-value the opinions of the noisy mob. They won't realise they've messed up till they suffer at the ballot box.

A local Labour MP, Rupa Huq, has also been bizarrely opposed to them which likely hasn't helped. To the point that she has made a number of speeches in the commons on them, largely full of conspiracy level lies and misinformation.
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ratherbeintobago
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by ratherbeintobago »

Stevek76 wrote: 31 May 2021, 10:20pm A local Labour MP, Rupa Huq, has also been bizarrely opposed to them which likely hasn't helped. To the point that she has made a number of speeches in the commons on them, largely full of conspiracy level lies and misinformation.
It’s always really disappointing when Lab politicians get this so wrong. See also Khaled Mahmood MP getting involved in a bizarre argument about LTNs on Twitter.

Useless fact of the day: Huq is the sister of Connie Huq who used to be on Blue Peter.
Stevek76
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by Stevek76 »

Both Bell and Mason are Labour too, Ealing Council is labour controlled, there were no elections there this year (one or two by-elections possibly), leadership change just from Bell losing the support of the labour group.

Labour politicians not getting it is more common than some seem to realise, not as common as conservatives perhaps but not rare at all.
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ratherbeintobago
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by ratherbeintobago »

Stevek76 wrote: 31 May 2021, 10:33pm
Labour politicians not getting it is more common than some seem to realise, not as common as conservatives perhaps but not rare at all.
I’d argue even the Tories can be better on green issues, when the mood takes them at least. Lab do seem to shift themselves in the foot on environmental issues on a regular basis, while wondering why it is they’re haemorrhaging ‘youth’ votes to the Greens.
pwa
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Re: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods?

Post by pwa »

Stevek76 wrote: 31 May 2021, 10:20pm Internal politics seems to have gone on. The previous leader of the council, Julian Bell, who was in favour of the schemes was challenged and replaced by a chap called Peter Mason who is much less keen. I'd figure this is a combination of some councillors being personally opposed as well as others scared into opposing by the usual vocal minority. Many politicians are a very poor judge of public opinion, particularly those lower down who rarely have any experience or knowledge in statistics, nor anyone to advise them in such matters, and polling and so over-value the opinions of the noisy mob. They won't realise they've messed up till they suffer at the ballot box.

A local Labour MP, Rupa Huq, has also been bizarrely opposed to them which likely hasn't helped. To the point that she has made a number of speeches in the commons on them, largely full of conspiracy level lies and misinformation.
Are you completely sure that Labour voters fully back this idea? Remember, it may only take the loss of the support of a modest percentage of them for Labour to lose seats. And I imagine there will be Labour voters who for one reason or another do not (yet?) think this will work in their area. I can understand Labour, locally and nationally, seeing this idea as a big risk politically, because it gives the Tories a stick to beat it with.
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