Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Green Lanes the second most polluted street on Haringey

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 19, 2013 at 7:59

Non-shopping pedestrians wishing to move along this axis can avoid the worst effects by using the Harringay Ladder, that runs roughly parallel and between 150m to 300m west of the polluted road. By this means one can walk most of the way between Turnpike Lane and Harringay Green Lanes in significantly cleaner air.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that the same polluted road also generates one of the bigger parking revenues for the council.

It is a pity that the council does not do more to encourage cycling. One thing that I understand might help, would be to join up token, disconnected cycle lanes.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on July 19, 2013 at 11:20

You mean the passage Clive :)

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 19, 2013 at 11:24

Oops! Yes, of course! Harringay Passage. Well spotted.

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Permalink Reply by 1z2jx5szo7f9o on July 19, 2013 at 9:19

When we draw the scientific link between poor air and health costs (and costs and anxieties to families) then we will realise that investing in prioritising cycles over cars will make people in the borough happier and healthier. Short term economy wins again! Who votes for these people?

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 19, 2013 at 9:40

Agree about the short-termism. It is not in the council's short-term interests to discourage cars, parking or motoring.

Streets with parking 'offences' represent orchards to be harvested.

A Haringey Mayor once said to me pithily "money is short-term".

Cars and motoring represent jobs, cash and taxation. Bicycles represent less of all of these things and represent no taxation, as compared with the £6,000,000 profit on the Parking Account.

I would like to see the council take serious, meaningful measures to promote healthier, more sustainable transport, rather than token efforts.

For example, many more secure places to lock bicycles (that will not generate income for the council).

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Permalink Reply by Joe Bailey on July 20, 2013 at 14:28

How about bike parking that is charged for? A win / win, surely?

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 20, 2013 at 15:07

It's an interesting idea, but what would you charge and what form would payment take?

I might add that a few weeks ago, someone made a determined effort at theft near Lidl's by Finsbury Park: not a bike, oh no, it was the bicycle securing stand itself (for the metal value) and several big paving slabs were uprooted.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Bailey on July 20, 2013 at 15:28

I'd charge a quid fifty an hour, to be paid only via some obscure telephone or SMS based system that has opt out additional charges. Cheaper than parking a car but the same "fair" method of payment that motorists have to enjoy, so the same rules for everyone...

And your bike is towed or clamped if you overstay, with obscenely high fines...

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Permalink Reply by linka on July 20, 2013 at 17:27

that would definitely help with the pollution problem. :-|

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Fowler on July 19, 2013 at 9:30

It's apparent no-one in government, national, London Mayor, local, cares about our health and wellbeing. It's all about money. Banning all private motorcars on Green Lanes (excepting electric powered ones) would be a good start. At least the buses are moving over to electric power. The money wasted on Johnson's vanity project, the "new Routemasters" would have been better spent on more electric powered buses. Delivery vehicles should all be electric too. Get the cars out and make things safer for pedestrians and cyclists!