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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.

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Permalink Reply by John D on July 25, 2014 at 14:27

This would also benefit car drivers as less people driving frees up road space for other driversAnyone else puzzled by this ?

And many of the sections of the Highway Code are expressions of mandatory regulations .

Permalink Reply by SarahC on July 25, 2014 at 14:39

I took it as meaning that if some people stop driving, the driving experience is better for the remaining drivers.

I seriously think you need to physically separate cars and cycles, though, for it to work. I won't cycle because I'd have to go up Green Lanes and dice with death, but I would if I had a segregated route to do it on.

Permalink Reply by Noots on July 25, 2014 at 14:55

In my experience, Green Lanes really isn't *that* terrible for cycling - I certainly thought it would be much worse before I started cycling along it. The bus lanes help hugely, and there's that much congestion if you travel during busy hours that you spend most of your time pedalling past stationary cars/vans/buses. Having said that, I'd much rather have proper segregated cycling facilities.

Permalink Reply by John D on July 26, 2014 at 8:02

As long as I am one of the remaining drivers

I suspect I will not be the only one to say that.

Permalink Reply by Eddy on July 25, 2014 at 15:42

i dont own a car but I do drive my partners - I am included in the 62%?

I do occasionally drive outside of the borders of Harringay, and so accept the right of those outside of harringay to drive within its borders.

I shop locally and accept that the local shops have to transport produce by road, in cars, or vans. 

There are lots and lots of other perfectly desirable reasons why "outsiders" want to drive their cars through our streets

Permalink Reply by Toni Ramon Gallo on July 25, 2014 at 21:47

Andrew,the reason Green Lanes is too busy and agreed often a car park is partly due to the 

Council cutting off all routes from Green Lanes to St Annes rd,When the people  in these turnings

moaned about their roads being a "rat run "to St Annes rd the Council should have put in "traffic calming measures" NOT TURN THEIR ROADS INTO A LOVELY SEMI GATED COMMUNITY IN SPLENDID ISOLATION"  THEREBY TURNING GREEN LANES INTO A CAR PARK OVERNIGHT!

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on July 26, 2014 at 8:10
When we first moved here in the 80s, the Gardens was open to all traffic. What happened in the morning rush was that instead of traffic either feeding in from the north of Green Lanes and from Salisbury Road, it came in from every Garden Road. Every junction was a traffic jam and the traffic crawled in a way you just wouldn't believe now. It could easily take 30 minutes (half an hour!) to get from the Salisbury to the railway bridge at Harringay Green Lanes station. What we have now is by no means perfect but a least the traffic controls at the junction of Salisbury Road and GL regulate how much traffic gets on to the main drag.
Permalink Reply by Richard Woods on July 25, 2014 at 23:10

Blimey! Should have seen it in the 50s then.

Permalink Reply by Toni Ramon Gallo on July 25, 2014 at 23:16

Cranking handles and all that eh mate!

Permalink Reply by Richard Woods on July 26, 2014 at 0:07

Indeed but what is surprising is that by 1960 there were not that many parking places left! We had one car and one motorbike (mine!) by 1960 and 2 cars by 61!

Permalink Reply by Neil on July 27, 2014 at 12:27

Cars are an essential tool for so many and an important part of the economy as they support jobs and allow workers to get to important jobs efficiently. Doctors and nurses in Warham Road can get to the North Mid hospital much easier by car than bus and train, especially in heavy rain on a winter's night. 

Most of the time traffic passes well through Harringay and the system is a success. You are focussing on the few difficult moments which are part of a free society. 

If you had a nice car and were to use it for the benefit of your friends and family, you would see what a good service it provides, along with a lot of pleasure and convenience. 

Permalink Reply by LSquared on July 27, 2014 at 19:22

Goods vans etc I can just about see the economic case for, but for just shifting individuals without tools and materials in London between home and work almost anything is more sensible than a private car. Next to your doctor or nurse is 3 empty seats doing nothing but blocking road space!

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