Forum Topic

C9 still temporary

I discovered today that C9 is still temporary

Maggie Dodge ● 1088d20 Comments

Badge of honour for maggie getting the scoop of the day .[URL=https://www.animatedimages.org/cat-fireworks-492.htm][IMG]https://www.animatedimages.org/data/media/492/animated-fireworks-image-0065.gif[/IMG][/URL]

Julian Pavey ● 1088d

Julian Pavey ● 1088d

Maggie, you are becoming more cryptic with every post!

Claire Moran ● 1088d

Well at some point the sun will become a red giant which will swallow the Earth, so isn’t everything temporary?

Francis Sheehan ● 1088d

I thought it had happened and it hasn’t. No biggie.

Maggie Dodge ● 1087d

Maggie, this has been discussed before. The designation of temporary was given by the council to indicate that the cycleway was enabled by an Experimental Traffic Order. This is due to expire in November and it will be replaced with a standard Traffic Order which means there will be no requirement to formally review and the order has no expiry date. There will be a statutory consultation on the new order but this is a formality. In any real world sense, the cycleway was permanent when they started digging up the roads.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1087d

Thank you what a helpful reply.  I think it becomes permanent in October but that’s not important.  I was triggered I think by PC constantly posting that it was permanent, for the last two years it feels like. Always likes to give the impress he’s in the know,  which grates. So I was surprised to find it’s still not officially permanent. Got a bit carried away 😂 I take it from what you say that it was called temporary so that it was monitored rather than it ever being removed. No one has made me understand that before. Do you agree perhaps that making it permanent, while still needing work is inappropriate? Thanks again 👍

Maggie Dodge ● 1087d

I do agree that it shouldn't have been made permanent but for reasons you may not like. The report produced by TfL wasn't very convincing particularly in terms of safety and usage of the cycleway. It may well prove to be the case that enhancements made more recently will reduce collision rates and the number of cyclists using it will be shown to have grown steadily in 2023. Another experimental order would have allowed time for these factors to be confirmed and given the cycleway a more solid base by TfL being obliged to publish a more up to date report.The risk for Cycleway 9 is that there is a very serious accident or a even a fatality, the current evidence supporting it is not that strong and a hasty decision might be made about its removal now that it is 'permanent'. If it was still subject to review, then there is leeway to say that time should be taken for a proper assessment which is already underway. This risk grows with a Mayoral election approaching. Susan Hall seems to me a terrible candidate but she will make an issue of C9 and perhaps even have its removal as a manifesto commitment. Arguably she can do that for a permanent scheme but would find it more difficult to justify one that is still effectively a trial.The situation we have now is that pressure on TfL and Hounslow Council to enhance cycleway 9 is reduced with would not have been the case if the new traffic order was 'experimental'.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1087d

Hopefully Jeremy Corbyn will stand.

Mark Talbot ● 1087d

I think I’m genuinely past caring Jeremy , Chiswick as I knew it has gone and I’m finding pastures new. I appreciate you going to that much trouble. You are such a gentleman! I think I’ve told you that before .I enjoy watching Susan Hall take on Khan but he’s Teflon and I think we need someone stronger. A but if integrity might be nice 😊

Maggie Dodge ● 1087d

What a load of drivel.

Paul Campbell ● 1086d

Susan Hall will be able to remove Cycleway 9 in the same way as Sadiq Khan can build it through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. I realise she will attract votes from Londoners with a deficit in critical thinking and nostalgia for Enoch Powell.

Paul Campbell ● 1086d

Paul, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s early, have a coffee.

Maggie Dodge ● 1086d

It is entirely possible that Paul is right. A lot of this is very speculative and ultimately the decision on Cycleway 9 is down to Hounslow Council and LBHF.However, (and I appreciate there are a lot of ifs here), if Jeremy Corbyn stands for Mayor, if Susan Hall has a manifesto commitment to review or remove some active travel infrastructure and wins and then if there was a serious incident on Cycleway 9 (which actually is statistically probable and not necessarily an indication of lack of safety) then the situation becomes fluid. The new Mayor could offer the council's the funds needed to remove the Cycleway as a public relations coup and they might find it difficult to say no. To me this would be an terrible waste of public money as, although the case for the benefits of C9 is weak, so is the argument that it has caused harm.Another period under an experimental order would allow time to confirm that the latest upgrades have indeed improved safety and confident predictions about a surge in usage in 2023 are true.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1086d

Jeremy, who is predicting the increase in cycling ?

Maggie Dodge ● 1086d

Jeez, talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to inventing scenarios.You forgot to include that an asteroid strike in the middle of Chiswick might prompt discussion about how to rebuild the entire area and the cycle lane debate would come up again.

Michael Robinson ● 1086d

The Jeremy sock puppet is at least slightly more sophisticated in its trolling than others on this forum. But it is mind-numbingly tedious contrived drivel. He really sounds like David Giles!

Paul Campbell ● 1086d

Thank goodness the same can’t be said for you and Michael. Are you one and the same person. Only one idea between you cycling and more cycling

Maggie Dodge ● 1086d

It's not a big leap to assume that Susan Hall will have an anti-cycling manifesto. She has promoted ideas such as licences for cyclists in the past. The Tories think they can exploit wedge issues like LTNs and ULEZ to pull off an unlikely win in London. That's why they switched to FPTP because they calculated that they would never win under the previous system. If the Magic Grandpa was to stand the Conservatives would probably be favourites and, personally I think he will find it impossible to resist the temptation.

Mark Evans ● 1086d

The bookies still see Sadiq as odds on to win and, even with Corbyn on the ballot papers, the Conservative brand is so toxic that this is probably right. If the contest looks like it will be close, Greens and Lib Dems will fall in behind the current Mayor as people will quickly realise the new system means this is basically a choice between two candidates.The Tories smell blood after the Uxbridge result and, although I personally supported ULEZ there are some grounds to the claims that the cost of it has fallen disproportionately on working people on lower incomes. This seems to be informing Conservative policy on a national level with a new hostility to measures to tackle climate change and policies such as LTNs. To me this is a major miscalculation as ULEZ was badly conceived in a way that was unique and generally people recognise that action has to be taken on climate. However, to dismiss totally the notion than Susan Hall might win is an example of the complacency that might enable it to happen. People aligned to other progressive parties won't vote for Sadiq Khan if they think there is no risk of him losing.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1085d