Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Pavement Parking Damages Communities
Living Streets have just released a resource pack on pavement parking. In summary, they say it's a bummer.
This is an interesting resource pack and worth having a look at. Lots of good reasons to start thinking about Wightman Road Phase 2.
Living Streets say:
Thanks to the GRA for alerting us to this one.
This is an interesting resource pack and worth having a look at. Lots of good reasons to start thinking about Wightman Road Phase 2.
Living Streets say:
We believe that streets should be more than traffic corridors. They are important for the vibrancy, economic health, and safety of neighbourhoods; they can help to improve community cohesion by bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together in a shared space; they are outdoor gyms which people can use to get active through walking and cycling; and they are potential playgrounds for children – particularly those that do not live close to parks and playing fields. Excessive numbers of motor vehicles, both parked and on the move, have drastically damaged the social function of our streets..
We want to see an end to pavement parking, particularly where it inconveniences pedestrians or puts them danger. Pavement parking is anti-social. We have an ageing population with increasing levels of mobility and visual impairments. People with disabilities, and parents with children in pushchairs are those most affected by vehicles blocking the pavement.
Thanks to the GRA for alerting us to this one.
Tags for Forum Posts: Wightman Road, parking, pavement
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Can they really not park on the road? I know it might make it dicey for traffic etc but at the moment it's dicey for pedestrians.
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Permalink Reply by Guy Bentham on
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Matthew Cuthbert also replied to my enquiry about pavement parking on Wightman Road. I should report on what he said also, though as he replied at greater length than the others and gave a more complex answer the task is harder.
Matthew suggested using an urban design study to consider the different needs of different users of Wightman Road, including disabled people, elderly people, car owners, bicycle users, walkers, etc, and gave some quite detailed suggestions as to how that study might be organised.
Matthew appreciated my concerns about pavement parking, and suggested that above all whatever solution is proposed should be generated as a result of a 'dialogue' among all those with an interest - something far beyond what might be involved in a 'statutory consultation' and which I would guess HarringayOnline discussions could be a part, though only a small part.
Another thoughtful reply, from someone clearly not given to demagoguery.
(I never heard back from the Greens.)
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Yes, the council should be employing someone like Matt, not getting him on a discount as a councillor. He'd certainly give Mr Kennedy a run for his money.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Isn't "pavement parking" a misnomer - especially in streets which are pretty much permanently parked-up? It seems to me that having cars on pavements - with or without marked bays - really means pavement narrowing. (As well as cracking and smashing, of course.)
But there's a problem with saying: "We will win back our pavements". There may not be a consensus about what 'We' want. Many people who are pedestrians a lot of the time, also want to park outside their homes. And they'd like their visitors - family, friends, home help, church sisters, plumber, etc, to be able to park outside their homes. Two into one won't go.
So the answers from both Gina Adamou and Karen Alexander are hard-headed. If we take away legitimate pavement parking where are these drivers (currently known as voters) going to park?
I'm less convinced by proposals for a future review. I'm sure this was genuinely meant by both Gina and Karen. But I've yet to see any evidence that Haringey's Parking Service is up to this task. (To be fair, this may have been due to the 'leadership' of Cllr Brian Haley; though the LibDems seem to want him back again.)
My own suggestion for a Citizens' Jury may seem like a cop-out. But this could have a big advantage. Potentially at least, it could bring together local people with divergent views and interests to discuss the problems. They'd have the opportunity to listen and learn - from one another and the professionals. And to negotiate a better arrangement; possibly agreeing on a future plan.
(Labour councillor & candidate Tottenham Hale ward.)
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Pavement parking is an unsatisfactory compromise. Some observations: the built environment is not going to change and nor is the width of the road. If the road could be widened it would have been done long ago. So these are givens.
The variables are the quantity of traffic on Wightman Road and the level of car ownership of same. I can't see how the traffic level can be altered: and it may naturally increase.
Is it too rash to say there are some places where it makes more sense to keep a car than others? In the same way that in some densely built up areas, people need to think carefully about keeping a pet, the givens at Wightman Road make it questionable to want to keep a car there at all.
I feel sorry for long-time WR residents who have seen this nasty compromise arise, but anyone who has moved in in recent years could see for themselves the general difficulty of parking. Any change needs to be phased in slowly in order to allow residents time to adjust.
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If all the airports of N.W.Europe can instantly close down all air traffic because of a little healthy volcanic ash, why can't we close down all WR traffic to allow me clear my old lungs of the 9 tons of carbon dioxide, c.monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur etc emitted by my neighbour's two car family every year - thus restoring to Wightman Road its original function of skittle playing, hopscotch and taking the air, once we get rid of all car parking ?
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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Probably a mad idea but, in terms of numbers of cars parked, how would it work if only allowed parking down one side of Wightman, but actually on the road? You'd then have more road space than you do now, plus two proper full size pavements. I know this would involve losing a lot of parking, but not as much as half if you did something intelligent like get rid of the traffic islands ...
Is Wightman a CPZ? Would that be another way of reducing parking?
We had this debate some time ago and someone's even more radical idea was make Wightman one way ...
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