Image of busy urban Street with shops and people walking. Text says “Wait, we’re afraid of walkable distances now?“ via Urban Truth Collective.
“Wait, we’re afraid of walkable distances now?”*
*best response ever to the manufactured conspiracy theories about “15-Minute Cities” and the simple idea of having more things we need nearby. #UrbanTruth
“Albert Bridge to remain accessible to cycles and pedestrians for the next year.”
Fixed it for you, BBC.
(This local resident is fucking DELIGHTED! It’s a joy to cross right now - children & runners & people on bikes & even dogs all smiling across the full width.)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I chuckled earlier today reading conspiracy theorists saying that you never intended for restrictions on private car use to be part of the 15 Minute City concept 🤭
I think that was from an old ES article when the bridge closed for more minor repairs in 2012.
This looks unplanned and probably much more serious.
No info yet on cycling across this time.
But how could RBKC stomach creating a car-free crossing of the Thames for bikes on their patch?
Crossed Hammersmith bridge on my bike earlier & honestly only sociopaths who live nowhere near here would think it’s a good idea to bring 25k cars back over this bridge every day
Sound on for a rant about the Putney politicians demanding exactly this based on convenient lies & political cowardice
These people construct a prison in their minds.
Chiswick is one of the most privileged areas in one of only two truly global cities in the world.
If they can’t appreciate living here they will never be happy anywhere.
Hogg is a very disappointing politician who has totally wasted his short opportunity to make a difference in Wandsworth.
As soon as these people are elected they start panicking about the next election and succumb to the siren call of populism by overpivoting to the loud complaints of drivers.
We will now post only here on Bluesky. We aim to ramp up our campaign for safer, more accessible and more climate resilient streets in West Dulwich whilst sharing inspirational measures introduced elsewhere.
We remain grateful for your support 💚
What is the borough actually doing to facilitate the shift from private motoring to active travel?
The reality is that Hammersmith Bridge has inadvertently created the most successful LTN in the UK. 25k vehicles per day gone, reductions on the nearby bridges, massive rise in cycling and walking.
Labour politicians in Wandsworth are out of control with their quite deliberate spreading of misinformation about Hammersmith Bridge.
It is time for them to accept it will never open to cars again and start working on solutions to traffic problems in Putney.
Try some cycle lanes and LTNs.
In what universe could you look at this and think yeah let’s reopen this to cars.
Another great starter pack—highly recommended.
It’s worth noting that more of us need to work on multiple important issues simultaneously. Making a city more walkable isn’t just placemaking; it also improves mental health, combats loneliness epidemic, reduces crime, AND helps tackle #climatechange.
It is about time that Fleur Anderson and the leader of Wandsworth Council, Simon Hogg, grasped the nettle and took action to reduce traffic in Putney by revisiting their policies on LTNs and by investing in infrastructure that gives residents viable alternatives to the car.
Sadly Fleur is continuing to deliberately mislead Putney residents by claiming that the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to cars is increasing traffic in Putney.
The reality is that traffic is down on all surrounding bridges since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.
Trust in politics 🧐
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Somebody appears to have forgotten to mention Adam Wharton …..
They create an illusion of safety which gives inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security. So it gets worse because novice cyclists are the innocent victims of false cycling infrastructure I.e. paint and bike stencils
Your Comeback Guide to all the Anti-Cycling Arguments You’ll Hear This Year.
momentummag.com/your-comebac...
The TCCG group behind this petition are simply the latest astroturf front for the local H&F car lobby, and are absolutely riddled with local tories who are implacably opposed to any and every measure to reduce motor traffic, improve air quality or support cycling and walking.
Embarrassing stuff
Very disappointing to see a London Labour MP support a climate-change denying astroturf group for the H&F Tory Party.
Local residents have worked with a Labour Council to gradually calm traffic and make WBR safer primarily for pedestrians. This group is opposing zebra crossings!
No not Boris. Enlightened Councillors
City of London and Westminster Boroughs both have huge networks of contraflow cycle lanes. Basically all one way streets have a cycle contraflow. They are used by many thousands of cyclists daily, are often on quite high traffic roads, and there is zero evidence of any negative safety consequences.
Interesting research on attitudes towards & use of e-cargo bikes in the UK.
Particularly noteworthy for demonstrating the level of interest in e-cargo bikes nationally and the extent to which they replace car journeys. In a trial in suburban areas over 50% of the distance travelled replaced car use
A tiny number of aggressive belligerent narcissists suffering from main character syndrome. You are far better off away from that cesspit.
If your not willing to give up car lanes for bus lanes your equity is performative
This is brilliant! Well done for such a comprehensive and clear articulation of the benefits of this car reduction scheme in Oxford.
Much is replicable in all of our towns and cities. It is extraordinary how often disingenuous people claim to support buses by maximising car use.
The author taking a selfie while eating outside at Fatto a Mano on Saint Martin's Lane with fellow councillors and restaurant workers
As of 11am on Friday, al fresco dining has come to St Martin's Lane in the West End, with Rupert Street market arriving in Soho later that day. It's a huge step towards making our city more people-friendly. This street is now free of general motor traffic 11am-11pm daily until end of October
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Labour drops plans to restrict LTNs in ‘secret war on motorists’ Ministers quiety ditch reforms that would have constrained local councils’ powers
This latest 'secret war on motorists' is.... the govt confirming it won't go ahead with Rishi Sunak's 2023 'Plan for Drivers', a half-baked and panicked series of measures to make it harder for councils to introduce LTNs and 20mph zones which not even the Conservatives ever really believed in.
Screenshot of oped: “A policy focused on shorter trips, almost certainly made by a more diverse demographic, would have a different emphasis: much less cycling on "main" roads; the creation of cycle-friendly side streets; the development of safe routes to school; the provision of more secure cycle storage facilities, particularly in low-income areas; and an emphasis on junctions — according to Transport for London research in 2023, 84 per cent of cycle casualties occur at junctions.”
JOHN STEWART Give short-distance cyclists priority over speedy commuters The majority find a bicycle useful for shorter rides: the trip to school or to visit friends locally, or journeys where public transport may be complex
Great to see my old friend @johnjohnstewart.bsky.social making the case for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) to support local active travel journeys in yesterday’s Times www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
“The efficacy of the measure can no longer be credibly questioned, so it’s time we started implementing them across London and at pace. With so many lives at stake we cannot afford not to.”
#LTNsAreGoodActually Chapter 847
Cartoon showing street scene with lots of cars, some of which are on or blocking pavements. One bike is also parked on a pavement. A couple are saying ‘Look - someone’s left a hire bike on the pavement’.
New drawing: Hire bike
Notes on this cartoon: open.substack.com/pub/diagramc...
