Dartmouth Road Improvements: Consultation

[_HB]

Before I put your election poster up in my window, perhaps you could reassure me that I could and, if so, where.

Drive down Thorpewood Ave, turn left, drive down Dartmouth, go straight ahead. You're on the S.Circular. Have a nice time in Lee.

If a system like this is designed properly (like in the Netherlands) it is not the residents that suffer, it is the rat running through traffic (like Rachael sorry couldn't resist).

[Rachael]

I'll take that first comment as a joke.

No, not a joke.

And no, you can't ask. Well, you can, but I can choose not to get into that discussion.

OK. I'm not asking to pry or be confrontational. A huge amount of the traffic problems we face in London are people taking private car journeys when they don't need to. 40% of private motor vehicle trips in London are less than 2 miles, 60% are less than five miles. Finding alternatives is a big part of the solution.

By asking me why I use my car for that journey, the implication is I have not thought about alternatives. I have. It is necessary.

[_HB]

By asking me why I use my car for that journey, the implication is I have not thought about alternatives. I have. It is necessary.

OK - It was not my intention to imply that. It is an important part of any debate on this subject. If your car use is necessary then that's fair enough. You may just have to accept being one of the losers from a scheme like this. Or sensible exemptions can be arranged e.g for blue badge holders or residents or loading at certain times.

[Rachael]

By asking me why I use my car for that journey, the implication is I have not thought about alternatives. I have. It is necessary.

OK - It was not my intention to imply that. It is an important part of any debate on this subject. If your car use is necessary then that's fair enough. You may just have to accept being one of the losers from a scheme like this. Or sensible exemptions can be arranged e.g for blue badge holders or residents or loading at certain times.

As I said, I wouldn't mind that, if for the greater good. I was just pointing out umpteen threads ago that there is another current use of Dartmouth Road that would need to be considered if priorities were changed.

[_HB]

Excellent, so that's your vote in the bag. Just waiting for Robin now

[Rachael]

Excellent, so that's your vote in the bag. Just waiting for Robin now

Not until you give us a detailed assessment of how it would work, showing exactly where traffic would be diverted (especially as you will be diverting it via residential streets), and taking into account ALL impacts on both residents and passers-through. I'd like maps, graphs and a PowerPoint presentation, please. You can ask Tim if you'd like some help with the graphs.

In the meantime, we should probably get back to what will realistically be the outcome of the current consultation and what we should be pressing for given the timescale and budgets proposed.

[_HB]

[parker]

We need to encourage better transportation. We need to make places nicer to encourage walking. We need to make streets safer to encourage cycling. We need to make public transport cheaper and more reliable to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

People will always have cars. Banning them, making them more expensive etc is'n the way to change behaviour in the long term. Making the alternatives more convenient, cheaper and better is the way forward.

I have to agree with some of this here, though this part of London doesn't have efficient enough public transport links to warrant people living here not to use a car and I doubt it ever will. If this was Balham there would be little need for a car for many reasons.

Look how long it would take to get to Bromley from Dartmouth Road by bus. Also you wouldn't catch me carrying 5 or more bags on the bus to Upper Sydenham from Sainsbury's in Forest Hill, we need our cars living here, there is not enough to do in this borough to warrant not having our cars on our doorstep to get out of it!

Also if Lewisham Council are anything to go by the street regeneration will not meet the mark needed or desired to ensure the high streets and public areas are nicer to encourage walking.

As long as there are double decker buses, lorries and trucks on the road people should not be expected to risk their lives and start cycling everywhere just so the government can brag to opposing future governments of a reduction they've made in carbon emissions in such tick box culture.