Forum Topic

Conflicted over CS9 and LTNs

Is it just me with this stance?  I generally sit on the left, liberal views and vote Labour.Normally I agree with environmentally friendly schemes.  They tend to think of the many rather than the few.  But why is it that the newly implemented LTNs and Cycle Way schemes annoy me so much?The proponents of these schemes all seem to express their left-wing credentials, but they seem to fit better with the hard right.  Mostly middle aged, middle class, white men and women demanding their way is the only way.To be clear I am middle aged, middle class, white man, I want safer streets for my children.But if they rip out CS9 and the LTNs I will be laughing at the people who told us to boycott shops because the anti-scheme posters scare their children!I am totally conflicted.  Rip them all out to p*ss off the left/right wing cycling mob, then maybe put them back in a more thoughtful way later?Who knows?

Kieran Fox ● 2050d17 Comments

'The proponents of these schemes all seem to express their left-wing credentials'Not in the case of Johnson and Schapps.

Ken Munn ● 2050d

I think 'Putting them back in a more thoughtful way' is the key here. I like the idea but the implementation of the current cycle lane is awful and looks totally out of place.

Chris Blackwell ● 2050d

This issue shows how defunct the old left / right divide is. LTNs and similar  controls, appeal to what has been dubbed the ‘liberal elite’, a largely illiberal ideology that believes it knows what’s good for us, and has little time for any who disagree.

Russell Pearson ● 2050d

I liked the suggestion made in another thread that we should consider removing the cycleway and instead providing lanes for buses - let perhaps call them bus lanes. Cyclist could also use them. I believe this solution was trialled successfully in a number of locations including Chiswick High Road in 2020.But seriously, the section of Cycleway 9 by Kew Bridge looks as though it could actually be quite good so we can keep that.

Francis Rowe ● 2050d

"Not in the case of Johnson and Schapps"Oh, Ken. Ken, Ken, Ken, Ken, Ken.The point of this is what? To distance yourself from all your evangelical support for these idiot plans? Blame it on them when its been you all along who defend them?To Kieran's point, it always amused me the party of many not the few advocated for these cycle lanes that serve the few not the many. In fact, the revenue spent is for the smallest percentage of road users. I get modal shift. I get evolving urban infrastructure. But what has happened is not the way to achieve. I'm sorry, we just removed the bus lane only to have central government roll out a plan to improve bus service and dedicate more bus lanes. WTF?

David Lesniak ● 2050d

Agreed Chris. That whole junction around Chiswick High Road and Goldhawk Road is a mess. Witnessed a woman pulling a buggy type thing on the back of her bike go through the lights on amber, headed West yesterday morning, but she realised she wouldn't get through the lights onto King Street, so stopped, literally in the middle of the West bound traffic lane. Lights changed for cars coming out of the Goldhawk Road and all had to take swift action to drive around her driving west to save squashing her. I took a picture, but only to see the last car trying to come through the junction. As my other half said when he used the cycle lane a few weeks back (first and last time), you need to be a member of MENSA to work out what is going on with the cycle lane. Said he will be using the road in future as he just didn't feel safe in the bike lane.

J Morse ● 2050d

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/12/europe-cycling-post-covid-recovery-plans?

Philippa Bond ● 2050d

Would this be the same Laura Laker who has been working as a freelance journo, for the Militant Cycle Lobby for over a decade?https://www.lcc.org.uk/articles/coming-soon-the-big-ride-minute-by-minute-live-blog

Russell Pearson ● 2049d

Kieran; "I generally sit on the left, liberal views and vote Labour"Nobody's perfect!!(sorry could not resist).  A more serious answer is that the issue of cycle lanes and LTNs has become extremely divisive - there was even a video article on the BBC news web page about that a couple of days ago - and worse than that both sides seem to have become entrenched in the most extreme versions of their respective views.  In Chiswick we have seen death threats from one side and clear agism from the other.In Chiswick we have a situation where both CS9 and the LTNs have been poorly designed and it does not appear as though LBH have had any thought about the cumulative long term effects - essentially they grab some cash from central govt and slapped down anything that was necessary to justify the cash.With CS9 there are significant issues around safety at junctions, the traffic light arrangements and traffic flow especially with buses.With LTNs there has been little thought about the cumulative effects - the obvious example being closing Fisher's Lane and TGT to traffic has resulting in all traffic travelling north/south having to either use the one remaining local route or taking a very long diversion.There is a middle ground.  There would be broad support for well designed schemes which took into account likely long term effects and did not penalise people who for a variety of reasons (including age or physical disabilities) need to use a car to do a regular shop.  Sadly I do not think that LBH has any interest in the middle ground

Justin Stephenson ● 2049d

While LBE have the fixed camera on fishers lane LBH had a serco car up on the left with the camera pointing over a parked car at the underpass the other morning. So i guess on that day your be getting double bubble penalty notices

Julian Pavey ● 2049d

“ The Tories have abandoned Sadiq Khan's London to a doom-spiral of permanent decline”...The usual checks and balances of democracy have broken down. The worse mayor Sadiq Khan’s record, the higher his support, partly because the Government has repeatedly bailed him out, starting long before Covid with his incompetent management of Crossrail.The reality is that while the Tories will happily take your tax money, they won’t lift a finger to help you. They prefer to help Khan: refusing to criticise the Met Police’s deplorable performance, which the mayor is ultimately responsible for; handing over billions for Transport for London, chaired by the mayor, without seizing genuine control; and promoting Low Traffic Neighborhoods and anti-car measures that infuriate Tory voters. Covid should have been a chance to force an insolvent London mayoralty into special measures, and engineer a renegotiation of the dysfunctional devolution settlement; instead, Labour has been handed victory on a plate.”https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/17/tories-have-abandoned-sadiq-khans-london-doom-spiral-permanent/

Russell Pearson ● 2049d

Perhaps someone thinks it is very useful to have a scape goat? Who was it said you should always make the best use of a crisis?

Philippa Bond ● 2049d

‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’ is usually attributed to Churchill at Yalta. It was reused by Rahm Emanuel in the banking crisis.

Russell Pearson ● 2049d

"...promoting Low Traffic Neighborhoods and anti-car measures that infuriate Tory voters."Yesterday's polling on LTN's:To what extent, if at all, do you support or oppose the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London?First preference Shaun Bailey: Net support 31%Strongly support: 18%Support: 28%Neither support or oppose: 23%Oppose: 11%Strongly oppose: 14%First preference Sadiq Khan: Net support 40%Strongly support: 17%Support: 35%Neither support or oppose: 30%Oppose: 8%Strongly oppose: 4%https://redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com/steady-support-for-for-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-in-london/

Tom Pike ● 2049d

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Julian Pavey ● 2049d

First preference Shaun BaileyBhahahahahahaha good one.

Matthew Swain ● 2049d

I'd have Bill Bailey over Mr Hindsight Khan any day!

peter king ● 2049d