Ask your MP.

[tom73]

Not looking good though to date no manifesto has any credible plan to sort this mess out.
Carrots will only get us to a point to really sort it we are going to have a few sticks along the way.
Which no party has the balls to do.

 

[annedonnelly]

Living Streets is asking potential candidates a similar question though their emphasis is a little more on walking & residential streets.

 

[Slick]

Living Streets is asking potential candidates a similar question though their emphasis is a little more on walking & residential streets.

I liked this as well.

https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/ban-pavement-parking-in-scotland

 

[Slick]

Too right what's worse is the traffic figures and journey times have been shown to made up. inc using bus timings of buses that don't even run at the times given. A Treat of action from the Highways Agency over traffic backing up which FIO shows they never made or will be.
But never mind the clowns will out in force come photo op smiling at the gleaming new road all 2 hectares of it.

That's the bit that I find particularly galling. I have a new stretch of cycle path on my morning commute which I was delighted at for about 5 seconds as it immediately became obvious that whoever designed it has never used one as I reckoned it has now tripled my risk on that stretch. It had ticked a box for developer and council alike though and somebody somewhere will be patting themselves on the back.

 

[tom73]

@Slick totally having been around plenty of them. It's like a bunch of magpies they love shiny things bigger the better.
Never mind if it's crap as long as it holds up long enough for the camera to come out.

 

[lane]

I think a major factor often overlooked is working patterns. Travel to work distance has increased so many people now have to travel a long way to work. Many people work on edges of towns or other non central areas where buses go to town centre. So would need two buses to get to work (at least) would take ages and be expensive. Not really sure the best way of fixing this issue. People I know who cycle to work mostly seem to have a job not too far away with a commute not too unpleasant in terms of route. Not those on here just those in real life.

 

[snorri]

Travel to work distance has increased so many people now have to travel a long way to work.

Many choose to travel a long way to work.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Many choose to travel a long way to work.

Many don't have a viable alternative

 

[lane]

Many choose to travel a long way to work.

Yeah very predictable response. To be honest if that is the level of debate on this issue we will get nowhere.

 

[annedonnelly]

I liked this as well.

https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/ban-pavement-parking-in-scotland

Me too - and I think there's a similar proposal for England.

 

[annedonnelly]

Many don't have a viable alternative

True, but lots of employers could do a lot more in terms of letting people work from home.

In a previous job we could, with permission, work from home on special occasions - wiating in for a delivery, etc. It was an IT role and we could be signed in to our office PC remotely and work completely as normal. The job involved little face-to-face discussion - we worked across three sites and virtually all communication was via e-mail and a chat program.

It made no difference where we were. But this was only allowed on special occasions - if the employer had been more trusting people could have worked from home everyday. I know it's not true of all jobs but with a bit more trust people could have much better work-life balances and much reduced commuting.

 

[lane]

The best easiest first step would be to cancel all work on road improvements which cost many billions and ultimately achieve nothing and spend the money quickly producing what would be the best cycling infrastructure in Europe.

 

[tom73]

A start would be a statuary requirement for any highway works eg resurfacing , re deigns , adding parking spacers ect.
To have to review / plan / consult and include active travel infrastructure to a nationally agreed standard as part of any planned works.
If it's really is effective and not just seen as going it and publish all the findings with a formal process to challenge if required.
But that take a bit common sense and the balls to take on the love of the car.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

True, but lots of employers could do a lot more in terms of letting people work from home.

In a previous job we could, with permission, work from home on special occasions - wiating in for a delivery, etc. It was an IT role and we could be signed in to our office PC remotely and work completely as normal. The job involved little face-to-face discussion - we worked across three sites and virtually all communication was via e-mail and a chat program.

It made no difference where we were. But this was only allowed on special occasions - if the employer had been more trusting people could have worked from home everyday. I know it's not true of all jobs but with a bit more trust people could have much better work-life balances and much reduced commuting.

Which is what I do now 3 days a week, I can work from anywhere in the world with access to the Internet, it helps to have multiple screens but not essential. I only go into the office Mon/Tues now for the human interaction of other people in the company although that is only 3 other people in the UK, as I never physically meet the other 3 in the USA & the 4 in the Philippines.

But trust is an issue knowing human nature.

 

[snorri]

The best easiest first step would be to cancel all work on road improvements which cost many billions and ultimately achieve nothing and spend the money quickly producing what would be the best cycling infrastructure in Europe.

This would require a change of thinking in the corridors of power, which shows little sign of happening. Only when the public demonstrate a wish for change will change occur.
In the meantime we should all vote Green as they are the only party genuinely supportive of active travel issues.