Protest at 'unsafe' shared road

[Jake]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8049365.stm

 

[thomas]

meh. I like the idea of shared space to a degree.

I like it, that as a ped you get more equal rights to cross the road where ever and cars don't just get automatic priority. Though, it would probably annoy me having to slow down on the bike

It does seem a bit odd that their little demo picture doesn't actually have any cars on it though...

 

[HLaB]

The shared space concept isn't dangerous, infact it the opposite the uncertainty should make folk more cautious. Its the muppets using them that make them unsafe.

 

[CotterPin]

Interesting that the bloke from the local residents' association talks about "an accident waiting to happen" whilst the local councillor says there have been 100 "accidents" in the area over the last few years in the current system

 

[thomas]

Interesting that the bloke from the local residents' association talks about "an accident waiting to happen" whilst the local councillor says there have been 100 "accidents" in the area over the last few years in the current system

Local residents, typically, hate any sort of change or use of money for anything other than a few of their closed minding views.

Well, that's not true, but you get some local people who just can't see the benefit in anything that is different.

 

[Jake]

i think it is a good idea in principle. Cycling around there on monday evening, it is crazy. I'm not sure if it will push traffic elsewhere so people avoid it or not. Its a good place to get a taxi though. I dont know how patient drivers will be though, its really busy with peds and if they are just walking about all over the place as is wished, cars wont be moving, and in london when time is everything, maybe drivers will start to push back a bit

 

[John the Monkey]

Changing the roads, not the drivers is where we've been going wrong for the last (pick a big number) years, ffs.

People drive unsafely in the shared space? Punish the bastards. For that matter, punish the bastards wherever they're driving unsafely. And not with points or derisory fines either.

 

[Jake]

thing is, there are no police any more. Why do you think people drive with no seat belts, go through red lights, talk on their phones while driving, speeding, pulling into ASL, driving in cycle lanes. (thats just on the roads, i could go all political about crime on the rise etc, but wont). So, as there are no police about, people know they wont get caught and punished, so will push the boundaries. Its human nature. If there were more visual police about, people would not do crime (as much), simple as. Think about it if you were a criminal or just a car driver, if you knew there were no police about, like at home where i originaly come from, you know you can drink drive, have 20 people in a car that is not taxed or insured, as the chances you will get stopped are pretty much nil. And if you do get caught, the law is so lax you will get off with it if you said you needed your car for your job and you needed the loo real bad, thats why you were doing 110mpg in the slip road!

 

[CotterPin]

Local residents, typically, hate any sort of change or use of money for anything other than a few of their closed minding views.

Well, that's not true, but you get some local people who just can't see the benefit in anything that is different.

We don't loike change 'round these parts. It's bin like this for years. We don't want to go mucking around with summat wot works.

It's probably only a handful of people but they are punching above their weight in getting their voice heard. Hopefully, no-one will pay attention at this stage of the works (I believe they started in February). However I noticed that you can submit comments (of support?) at http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/exhibitionroad/contact.html

 

[thomas]

It's probably only a handful of people but they are punching above their weight in getting their voice heard.

Has anyone seen this big art thing? Some of the locals on that are fussing about having a piece of public art. Half the time they just fuss for the sake of fussings sake. In Woking lots of people complained about the Lightbox. It's an art gallery, housed inside a really contemporary and attractive building. Uproar that it would actually cost money and people didn't like how it looked it...I've never been inside, but I'm quite happy for the money to have been spent just so I can have a look at the building everytime I go past.

 

[Blackandblue]

Have you been through the shared area at Sloane Square? It's very disconcerting. I've been through on the bike and in the car. It's a lot easier on the bike as you can weave through pedestrians but in the car it's a nightmare. You have to slow right down!!

Chances of doing 20mph along Exhibition Road when it's shared use are next to nothing.

I reckon it's a good idea (not all over London but in certain areas) but it makes me shudder to think of the carnage that some idiot could cause because he thinks the rules don't apply to him and drives through at speed expecting everyone to get out of his way (you see this on the roads already - directed at peds, cyclists and other road users).

 

[Jake]

of course, there aer the time when drivers loose control of their cars through a technical or health issue and just plough through people, usualy have to mount a curb though, this would be worse. Plus kids learn that beyound the curb is danger, cars. I am in two minds now. Maybe just ped' it only, and only loading and unloading veichles can use it between certain times.

 

[skrx]

Local residents, typically, hate any sort of change or use of money for anything other than a few of their closed minding views.

In this case, the local residents are either
a) First-year students studying at Imperial College (like me, a few years ago). They all cross the road at least twice a day, probably four times. Their views are pretty much ignored by the council.

Super-rich men who own Lamborghinis (the London Lamborghini shop's a couple of minutes walk from here) and a Lexus 4x4 for the wife.

I hope this plan works. Crossing that road was always annoying, mostly because of parked cars and drivers faster than appropriate, and the pavements were often full with groups of children queuing up at the Science Museum. However, the same effect could probably have been achieved with a couple of "20" signs and the removal of the parking.

 

[CotterPin]

Have you been through the shared area at Sloane Square? It's very disconcerting. I've been through on the bike and in the car. It's a lot easier on the bike as you can weave through pedestrians but in the car it's a nightmare. You have to slow right down!!

Chances of doing 20mph along Exhibition Road when it's shared use are next to nothing.

I reckon it's a good idea (not all over London but in certain areas) but it makes me shudder to think of the carnage that some idiot could cause because he thinks the rules don't apply to him and drives through at speed expecting everyone to get out of his way (you see this on the roads already - directed at peds, cyclists and other road users).

I think that's the idea.

 

[Blackandblue]

I think that's the idea.

Yes, that was my point. Suggestions that cars can do 20mph are misleading IMO. You really have to crawl along.