| Topic: | Re:Terrific new proposal for the High Street | |
| Posted by: | Nicholas Symons | |
| Date/Time: | 27/01/13 11:27:00 |
| We would all agree that reducing HGV vehicles, controlling delivery vehicles blocking the High Street to reduce air pollution is a good step. However, David Irwin's scheme is deeply flawed. Putney High Street is a trunk route into and out of London and the width of the road reflects traffic needs. The council said that 85% of traffic using Putney High Street were passing through the town. They also added that the amount of traffic using the High Street had not diminished in the past 10 years unlike in other parts of London. It is invalid therefore to compare the needs of motorists with those of pedestrians. Has anyone surveyed the bus users also in a proper scientific survey to establish their needs? Visually impaired people are very concerned about the idea of bringing in a sloping curb whereby traffic can just slide easily up onto the pedestrian area and knock people over. Are the council really going to succeed in stopping delivery lorries blocking the road? There are very many people against this scheme. We do however welcome the council's intentions to improve the High Street in other ways. On a very simplistic level, somebody who has studied town planning should realise that on the principle of a venturi tube to narrow the High Street will cause the traffic at the narrow point to slow down completely and therefore increase pollution. It will also cause people to speed up once they have got through the restricted area. It is simple to realise that if you don't like traffic go and live in North Wales. It appears to me that this has been brought about by people who obviously have nothing better to do with their time. The Putney Society appear to be desperate to endorse this ideologically unsound scheme to justify their existence. |