John Rowland wrote:
wrote:

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, plans to replicate Paris
Plage, the beach created on a highway alongside the Seine each
August, on the four-lane Victoria Embankment beside the Thames.

It's been quite a decent place to go for a while. There's always stuff
going on between Tower Bridge and County Hall, particularly in summer.
And the Royal Festival Hall redevelopment has done wonders for one of
the area's most unsightly buildings.

Okay, but is it full up? Are there so many people sunbathing there that the
North Bank needs to be pedestrianised too?

What does that mean John? Transport schemes aren't only based upon
when something's "full up". Improving the quality of the local
environment is also a laudable aim. I grant you that the needs of
other road users must also be considered, but having filled other
pedestrian locations isn't the prerequisite for opening a new one.

On 15 Nov, 20:33, Tom Page wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
wrote:

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, plans to replicate Paris
Plage, the beach created on a highway alongside the Seine each
August, on the four-lane Victoria Embankment beside the Thames.

It's been quite a decent place to go for a while. There's always stuff
going on between Tower Bridge and County Hall, particularly in summer.
And the Royal Festival Hall redevelopment has done wonders for one of
the area's most unsightly buildings.

Okay, but is it full up? Are there so many people sunbathing there that the
North Bank needs to be pedestrianised too?

What does that mean John? Transport schemes aren't only based upon
when something's "full up". Improving the quality of the local
environment is also a laudable aim. I grant you that the needs of
other road users must also be considered, but having filled other
pedestrian locations isn't the prerequisite for opening a new one.

Its pretty full as well. The northbank is important but road capacity
could be reduced as its a really fast road (relatively) and
comparitively underused. St Martins Lane would get my vote to be
pedestrianised as well as thats mainly a black cab rat run these days.

kytelly wrote:

St Martins Lane would get my vote to be
pedestrianised as well as thats mainly a black cab rat run these days.

I imagine the road is mainly used by car drivers following their TomToms,
which don't realise there is a forced left turn into William IV Street, and
so erroneously suggest St Martins Lane as the shortest route from much of
North London to much of South London. Black cabs wouldn't use it as a rat
run because they know about the forced left turn - they use St Martins Lane
because it's full of hotels and pubs and theatres to which people wish to be
taken.

On 2007-11-16, John Rowland wrote:
kytelly wrote:

St Martins Lane would get my vote to be
pedestrianised as well as thats mainly a black cab rat run these days.

I imagine the road is mainly used by car drivers following their TomToms,
which don't realise there is a forced left turn into William IV Street, and
so erroneously suggest St Martins Lane as the shortest route from much of
North London to much of South London. Black cabs wouldn't use it as a rat
run because they know about the forced left turn - they use St Martins Lane
because it's full of hotels and pubs and theatres to which people wish to be
taken.

They use it as a rat run - take the forced left then u-turn. I have
experienced this, and seen it done on other occasions.

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:05:55 +0000, Eric Junkermann
wrote:

On 2007-11-16, John Rowland wrote:
kytelly wrote:

St Martins Lane would get my vote to be
pedestrianised as well as thats mainly a black cab rat run these days.

I imagine the road is mainly used by car drivers following their TomToms,
which don't realise there is a forced left turn into William IV Street, and
so erroneously suggest St Martins Lane as the shortest route from much of
North London to much of South London. Black cabs wouldn't use it as a rat
run because they know about the forced left turn - they use St Martins Lane
because it's full of hotels and pubs and theatres to which people wish to be
taken.

They use it as a rat run - take the forced left then u-turn. I have
experienced this, and seen it done on other occasions.

Correct but we still have day long traffic jams into Cranbourn St as a
result of the blocking off of St Martins Lane. Lower St M Lane is a
more pleasant place to be these days as traffic is light. I can
certainly recall taking up to 20 minutes [1] to ride my motorbike [2]
down there in the evening when it was jammed solid with taxis and
delivery vans.

[1] assuming, of course, that the taxis had given me any space to turn
out of the bike parking space into the traffic itself.
[2] in the days when I commuted in by bike.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

In article ,
(John Rowland) wrote:

kytelly wrote:

St Martins Lane would get my vote to be pedestrianised
as well as thats mainly a black cab rat run these days.

I imagine the road is mainly used by car drivers following their
TomToms, which don't realise there is a forced left turn into
William IV Street, and so erroneously suggest St Martins Lane as
the shortest route from much of North London to much of South
London. Black cabs wouldn't use it as a rat run because they know
about the forced left turn - they use St Martins Lane because it's
full of hotels and pubs and theatres to which people wish to be
taken.

Ho, ho! They just turn right illegally (well, some of them anyway). I use
it on my bike and find it a fantastic (and lightly trafficked)
alternative route. Unfortunately there is no Northbound equivalent.
Perhaps the answer is to make it (and Upper St Martin's Lane and Monmouth
St) two-way for cyclists.

--
Colin Rosenstiel