Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Car ownership in Harringay
An interesting fact from the How well do you really know Harringay? thread was that 62% of households in Harringay do not own a car or van.
Given this, I struggle to understand why it is accepted that it is OK that cars cause so many problems in the area. Be it the the constant congestion on Green Lanes (including the fact that half of it turns into a car park for half of the day), the permanently full parking spots on the Ladder roads, the difficulty of closing a road for one day a month for kids to play, cars bombing up and down Wightman Rd making it generally unpleasant, pedestrian crossings in dangerous places, etc.
Given the initial statistic it seems that cars should really be taking a backseat to the needs of the majority of the community rather than the other way round.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rosie Tharp on
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Hello again neighbours. Just to give you an idea, Islington Cyclists have produced this map showing where bollards can be used to 'filter traffic': https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/edit?mid=zZ8upSjCjkd0.k6h0NA6...
Now a lot of people are talking about their indiviudal journeys, it being cheaper to use a car and 'what about me and my journey'. well in my mind that's just fairly selfish. Yes public transport should be cheaper, and connections should be improved. it would be fantastic if people used the energy that have fighting against limiting motor movements to campaign for improved services and cheaper fares rather than the right to continue to drive a car, daily, and for short journeys, through residential streets where pollution levels are high and often in breach of EU regulations, obesity levels are exacerbated by the lack of active travel and the unwelcoming conditions, and everyone sits frustrated in traffic anyway. you are not stuck in traffic, you are traffic. Nobody is suggesting that cars should be banned, just that it shouldn't be the norm to drive them for journeys that could easily be cycled or walked. Even in the US they have initatives that encourage people to drive less or more environmentally- for example 'fast lanes' for cars with 3/4 passengers (along with pick up points for people without cars). Neil, you talk about getting doctors and nurses to work in the easiest fashion- there are cycle paramedics becuase people on bikes are often the first to get to an emergency. this is not becuase roads are blocked to through traffic by bollards but because they are stuck in traffic- probably behind hundreds of people with only one person in the car driving to sainsbury's to get some shopping. doctors and nurses know first hand what a cost obesity and inactivity is to the NHS so they should be supporting measures that encourage more healthy lifestyles. And the fact is that most journey times under 8 miles in London are much quicker by bike than car so in fact, we could even be doing people a favour. Neil you talk about having a nice car but i feel like you've never had the joy of the wind in your hair and riding a bike- I'll happily give you a backy or lend you some wheels. You never know, you might like it
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Permalink Reply by Ruben on
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Rosie, I am afraid you are at least as selfish as the people you criticise (I think that asking me to be stuck in public transport -which by the way I hate with a passion- for 4 hours a day and having to part with a lot of my money so you see a car less in the street is up there in the list of selfishness). You have nothing to lose by limiting cars in certain roads but you are quick to support measures that would make people's commute worse.
I personally know of nobody who drives into central london for their daily commute other than out of necessity. For one, there is nowhere to park (or the cost is extortionate), plus there's the congestion charge. I had to commute to SW18 for 3 years and I had no option that to go by motorbike or tube (technically walk-tube-tube-train-walk). Car was not an option.
I wish I could walk or cycle in to work, but it is not feasible for everyone.
What more advanced countries do is build their infrastructure considering ALL types of road users and what we seem to do is just patch things up one after another in knee-jerk reactions:
- The shopkeeper complains: let's put pay and display
- oh, we've lost two lanes and traffic is a nightmare: YAY, let's make the pay & display only certain hours in the day
- But what about the bus? Let's slap some paint and do a bus lane.. on the part-time parking
- what about bicyles? let's also make the bus/parking also a cycle lane. Why not?
- and the residents? let's CPZ and put some bollards!
- pedestrians? oh put isles
- but now the bus does not fit when is overtaking a car parked and it blocks the road.... let's change the pavement! for no good reason but let's do it
Sounds familiar? that's green lanes for you. Wonder why people do not want to drive down it? Your only proposal is good for some, at the expense of others. The council should take everything in consideration and draft a holistic plan of transport around the borough.
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