On 18/2/06 20:23, in article , "Paul Terry"
wrote:

This *WILL* be the pattern over coming decades - there is a pressing
need to reduce car travel for environmental reasons. I am all in favour
providing that public transport or cycling can offer a more attractive
alternative (and it already does for many of the journeys I undertake).

Me also. I make very few car journeys in London. I cycle. I use the boat. I
use the bus almost daily. But taking away car parking spaces does not reduce
people's desire to use cars and there is no evidence that your going to get
modal shift from car to bus but putting in schemes like the one proposed.
And if I need to shift heavy goods from shop to home, I'm going to use the
car. And if there's no space outside, who wouldn't be tempted to double
park? And, as a cyclist, one of the banes of my life if crappy half-arsed
bus priority measures that are unnecessarily inconveniently and/or dangerous
to other road users.

I think the environmental cost of cars[1] should be applied to users by
means of (a) road pricing and (b) taxes on fuels based on their polluting
harm. We might find shifting the whole cost of motoring on to motorists
causes a great sea change in their behaviour. Bricking up the odd parking
space and 'build out' bus stops just ****es people off without necessarily
providing an alternative for the car user.

[1] and taxis, buses, lorries etc. for that matter.

--

U n d e r a c h i e v e r


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