London Banter - View Single Post - Plan to pedestrianise London's Oxford Street scrapped

Someone Somewhere · June 8th 18, 12:01 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 08/06/2018 12:37, wrote:
On Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:11:01 +0100
Recliner wrote:
On Fri, 8 Jun 2018 09:00:05 +0000 (UTC), wrote:
That depends if the traffic levels remained the same or whether people who
would have driven find an alternative instead. I was in Nantes last week and
while it was a PITA navigating the car through all the one way systems and
blocked off roads in the centre, once you were on foot it was very pleasent
with the pedestrianised and restricted streets with just trams and buses
passing by and not much other traffic apart from occasional delivery
vehicles.
People adapt.

I suppose it's the usual thing: those who will (or think they will) be
adversely affected know who they are in advance, and complain loudly.
Those who may in the future benefit from the change don't know they
might, and don't applaud loudly. In particular, future tourists don't
get a vote.

True. Thats where politicians are supposed to come however and look to the
common good. Sadly with the spineless pillocks in this country in all parties
there's little chance of it happening. Unless its $14 billion being flung at
the spanish owner of heathrow of course - some nice non exec directorships
no doubt on the cards for various members of the cabinet in the future.

I recently took part in a walk around my local area with some
representatives from the council and other interested residents who were
trying to put together a plan to improve air quality, improve the street
scene and reduce rat running and so on.

The council were actually very reasonable and tolerant, but a lot of the
local residents seem to take the view that they needed a private
motorway straight to their front door, and any level of inconvenience
(we're talking seconds or maybe driving 200m extra) was utterly
unacceptable even if it reduced the traffic outside their homes (and the
fumes in their lungs etc) by a significant proportion.

They also had their own pet issues and were unable to listen to reason
over why the design of e.g. lighting on private property was not in the
remit of the particular council personnel who were there.

In the face of such vehement opposition I can see why local officialdom
backs down and accepts the view of the shouty mob.