Who is doing the Math?
Please just bear with me on this for a bit.It’s a given that everyone wants a cleaner and better natural living environment. One where cost effective, efficient, reliable, affordable and safe connectivity is available for all as we go about our daily lives.Now please take a moment to examine the following basic statistics:Along the section of Chiswick High Road between Acton Lane in the west and Turnham Green Terrace in the east, 8 bus routes operate all week. These services connect not only areas to the east and west but also those to the north and south and visa versa.5 of the routes employ double deckers and 3 are single deck. The maximum passenger capacity of a “double” is 87 and a “single” is some 47. All buses have assisted access facilities for passengers with mobility issues (Ref. TFL and Wikipedia).Therefore, based upon TFL’s timetables, on any weekday, these routes have the capacity to carry up to 86,528 passengers. Yes, over eighty six and a half THOUSAND. What a fantastic resource! This already exists and should be made even better. It is being paid for indirectly through our tax contributions (via local council and national taxation), as well as from direct ticket sales.As with the rest of the UK, we have financial constraints, environmental priorities and in this area of London, rapidly increasing changes to the demographic distribution and density of population. Both Ealing and Hounslow have been leading an increasingly rapid charge towards a high-density, high-rise, inner-city-living environment. This is self evident — it’s happening all around.So here’s a question that I would like to pose to any incumbent or aspiring local council councillor in the upcoming local elections. Why is so much money and energy being consumed constructing an experimental infrastructure project that is used spasmodically by what can only be considered as a tiny and therefore privileged minority?Why create an anastomosing tangle of channels, chicanes, kerbs and ramps with lights, tactile pavings and eyot-styled bus stops? It’s a situation where confused priorities are leading to increased congestion, confrontation and above all a clear and present danger to life.If anyone has any ACTUAL statistics (not hearsay), on cycling numbers and additional lasting environmental and health benefits coming from this project please let us hear them.Ealing council’s old chestnut about cyclist increasing 100% from pre-COVID numbers is not a statistic. It’s just obfuscation and meaningless. For starters 100% of what exactly?So Statistics please, not “Opinions”Quite frankly, on this topic when it comes to “Opinions”, I’m right up there with Dirty Harry!PS. I do have a bike.
Steve Lewis ● 1612d37 Comments ● 1600d