Now here's an idea, ban cars basically

[User16625]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-40016218/the-capital-city-banishing-cars

Surprised I couldn't find this posted somewhere.

Anyway what do you think of this idea and how would you imagine it to work in London?
Sounds like a decent idea, closing certain roads to cars. Many roads are so congested as to make motoring impractical anyway. The downside would be for people taking loads. I guess delivery times would have to be arranged for quieter times, god only knows how that will turn out tho.

The move from fossil fuels to green fuels won't do anything to solve the congestion crisis, something needs to be done and this seems like a good step.

 

[mjr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-40016218/the-capital-city-banishing-cars

Surprised I couldn't find this posted somewhere.

It's only a picture and a message that media playback is unsupported. What's it about?

Anyway what do you think of this idea and how would you imagine it to work in London?

As you say, it's a good step but needs care to keep business deliveries/pick-ups flowing. I'm disappointed it's not happened more in London yet. The current situation of small islands of no-motoring roads stranded among many traffic sewers should be changed to a walking/cycling-friendly city with motor-access roads by the first mayor to actually go outside and smell the tailpipes.

(edited to fix formatting blooper)

 

[simon.r]

It's about Santiago, Chile, where they shut about 40km of city roads to motorised traffic.

But it's only once a week, on a Sunday, until 2pm.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I'd give it ten minutes before an angry person in a large 4WD drove through the lot screaming about their imagined road tax and rights.

 

[KneesUp]

I'd love to see this done here. On a similar note, Snake Pass was closed the other year for maintenance and in the evenings it was full of cyclists and horse riders and so on. I thought then that it would be an amazing thing if they could close it one Sunday a month in the nicer weather - not for a 'sportive' or anything, but just so people could ride what it a lovely road in peace.

 

[Drago]

Brilliant idea. We should try it here, but some self entitled Audi driver would complain. Nice to see a positive cycling story presented in a positive light.

A sad state of affairs when supposedly advanced countries like ours lags behind places like Chile when it comes to this sort of thing. Well done to them, I hope it succeeds and spreads.

 

[Globalti]

Why not take it further and have a rolling programme of seasonal closures? For example every city could close inside the ring road for one Sunday a month in summer.

 

[Sixmile]

They mention that the idea came from Columbia where I believe their event is called Ciclovia. This year sees Belfast's 3rd Ciclovia event. I made the 1st one but wasn't well last year but we're planning on returning this year. Sure, it's just one Sunday morning in the year but the event is growing and hopefully the routes will increase as time goes on. From what I hear, the cafes are very happy to see the event happening too!

 

[adamhearn]

Shutting down a set of roads on a Sunday morning so 40Km of streets may be used for recreation isn't quite how the title comes across

We [sadly] live in a society where everyone wants to be able to do anything, any time and anywhere. Remove any such liberty and there'll be complaints. As with everything infrastructure related that changes how we live it should be done in harmony with what it affects. Better cycling facilities should not be at the expense of pedestrians or vehicles for that matter. Besides I don't think the push was for better cycling it was more for less cars thus a reduction in pollution and noise.

For me the follow on article was:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-38895435/superblocks-barcelona-s-war-on-cars

That paints a polarising view of a vehicle-less area - one with no signs of life after a certain time with one individual citing reduced security as an issue. Anyone fancy carrying in their weekly shopping from a car parked a couple of streets away?

 

[Flying Dodo]

Doesn't Bristol have a monthly Sunday when they close some roads?

 

[Jason]

I'd give it ten minutes before an angry person in a large 4WD drove through the lot screaming about their imagined road tax and rights.

no we don't

 

[mjr]

For me the follow on article was:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-38895435/superblocks-barcelona-s-war-on-cars

I think some motorists may have just struck back at Barcelona

That paints a polarising view of a vehicle-less area - one with no signs of life after a certain time with one individual citing reduced security as an issue.

Well there's always some who have been inhaling what's come out of their tailpipes. What security is there next to a busy road? It's not like many motorists will stop their car and question someone with a ladder up to a window. Walkers and cyclists are much more likely to.

Anyone fancy carrying in their weekly shopping from a car parked a couple of streets away?

Sure. I wouldn't mind - I'd just put it in my trolley and push it along. I already wheel most of my shopping in from shops in neighbouring villages and the nearest town over 4 miles away. Why do people act as if moving fairly small stuff without an engine is such a bleeding hardship?

 

[KnackeredBike]

What I never understand is

If you attend an event where they have closed the road everyone always says how lovely it is to be able to walk around freely, so much quieter, so much less polluted.

Then the event ends, the road is re-opened and suddenly people are squeezed to the sidelines again.

Does no-one ever put two and two together and realise that roads are there to serve peolple. You can close roads when you want. Every evening if you want. You just need to stop accepting that cars should be allowed access to everywhere unless it is "pedestrianised" with fancy paving and street furniture

However - there is a but - you do need to provide a proper alternative, which for many places will be a ring road, away from the centre, otherwise you are forcing some road somewhere to be the de facto main route.

 

[NorthernDave]

Anyone fancy carrying in their weekly shopping from a car parked a couple of streets away?

No need - a nice man (or occasionally a nice lady) in a big yellow van delivers it at a time of my choosing after I order it online. Not only does it mean that I don't have to drive my car to the supermarket and battle through the crowded aisles on a weekend, but it gives me more time to get out on my bike.
Closing the roads to traffic some of the time just means I'd choose a delivery time when the road wasn't closed. No great hardship.

 

[growingvegetables]

Far and away my fondest memory of the TdF in Yorkshire - riding the closed-to-traffic A61 Leeds to Harrogate. Absolutely brilliant.

Nowt but other bikes - from freaked-out racing guys, to kids on stabilisers, via family groups herding half a dozen kids (ineffectively, but who cared!), a couple (dad on a tandem with disabled son, and mum), and an elderly grandmother very obviously out for the first time on a bike in MANY years. Oh, we had to dodge football games and cricket matches in the Leeds stretch.

Mile after mile ... of bliss.

Still think that closing one such road in Yorkshire, just for one day every summer, would have been an appropriate TdF legacy.