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My response to this article:
1. Cars are expensive. Bicycles are very cheap. It& #39;s an extremely egalitarian form of transport.
2. An obvious point. Liveable Streets do not prevent you from owning a car. https://twitter.com/DaveHill/status/1290304555297767424">https://twitter.com/DaveHill/...
1. Cars are expensive. Bicycles are very cheap. It& #39;s an extremely egalitarian form of transport.
2. An obvious point. Liveable Streets do not prevent you from owning a car. https://twitter.com/DaveHill/status/1290304555297767424">https://twitter.com/DaveHill/...
3. "Oh no, you& #39;ve made my neighbourhood nicer and my rent will go up". As a private renter, I sympathise, but I know gentrification and high house prices are caused by lack of localised supply. We can& #39;t use this argument to prevent public realm improvements. It& #39;s self-defeating.
4. It misses the strategic longer-term goal. Yes, cycling is a transport choice for the affluent in London but it isn& #39;t & #39;naturally& #39; that way. In Amsterdam, Copenhagan, Paris there are no "cyclists" - with good infrastructure and healthier road culture, cycling just becomes a norm
5. I don& #39;t really buy the argument that cars are & #39;necessary& #39; for large families. We need to build a 15-minute city to help tackle climate change and for longer journeys, public transport is often faster and more efficient.
6. Finally. The elephant in the room.
1/3 car journeys in London are under 2km! Another third are under 5km (approx 20-minute cycle ride) Livable Streets are about disincentivising car use for short journeys. 1/
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/technical-note-14-who-travels-by-car-in-london.pdf">https://content.tfl.gov.uk/technical...
1/3 car journeys in London are under 2km! Another third are under 5km (approx 20-minute cycle ride) Livable Streets are about disincentivising car use for short journeys. 1/
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/technical-note-14-who-travels-by-car-in-london.pdf">https://content.tfl.gov.uk/technical...
Once upon a time, the wealthy of London lived on the main roads... and then cars came along. The wealthy then moved to & #39;quieter& #39; streets. Now it is poorer residents left to cheaper homes on busier arterial roads. It& #39;s the cars that damage these roads.
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Liveable Street close rat runs. If the same number of people try and drive from A to B, they will get clogged on arterial roads. It& #39;s then their choice. Do they want to get stuck in traffic or do they want to change their behaviour, walk, cycle, or hop on a bus?
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People& #39;s behaviour will change when they realised they cannot rat-run from A-B across London and they will move to other means of transport (the stick). Because of liveable neighbourhoods, we will have a network of roads which are pleasurable to walk and cycle on (the carrot) 4/
Once car users stop using their vehicles for short journeys, our arterial roads will become clearer. All in all, this is a gradual process of making London a greener and more liveable for all.
London& #39;s working-class have the most to gain from improving air quality.
Ends.
London& #39;s working-class have the most to gain from improving air quality.
Ends.
