Cities around the world that are reducing car access

Zebra3

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/phoenix-park-cars-2-5366285-Feb2021/

Phoenix Park asking people to leave the car at home this weekend. The usual rabblers wont like that, I mean the only people who drive are the elderly and disabled anyway.

But I want to park my car on a footpath or bicycle lane in the park this weekend!!

AndrewJRenko

Imagine the response from Manics Flynn if we tried to do something like this in Dublin;

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/paris-parking-spaces-greenery-cities/

Duckjob

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Imagine the response from Manics Flynn if we tried to do something like this in Dublin;

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/paris-parking-spaces-greenery-cities/

I'm sure he would fully support such initiatives, just not right now, and just not done this particular way :pac:

Zebra3

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/11/london-teenagers-road-signs-highlight-effect-of-toxic-air-on-people-of-colour

Another good piece there on a campaign to reduce car usage/air pollution in London.

Thelonious Monk

I was in town for a dental appointment today but happened upon this scene, a huge Range Rover parked right up on the new widened footpath, while 2 useless Gardai walk right by, I don't think they even glanced at it, but had just made 2 girls sitting on the ground drinking coffee get up and move on.

JohnC.

Probably an owner or manager of one of the businesses. I see that a lot. They park just anywhere because they feel entitled to.

is_that_so

Zebra3 wrote: »

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/11/london-teenagers-road-signs-highlight-effect-of-toxic-air-on-people-of-colour

Another good piece there on a campaign to reduce car usage/air pollution in London.

They do need to think about separating those two arguments. Once we start to see far larger numbers of low emission vehicles you'll still have the congestion, just cleaner.

Amirani

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I was in town for a dental appointment today but happened upon this scene, a huge Range Rover parked right up on the new widened footpath, while 2 useless Gardai walk right by, I don't think they even glanced at it, but had just made 2 girls sitting on the ground drinking coffee get up and move on.

That image is actually infuriating.

It's exactly the reason why we need to have those stupid polls and bollards everywhere too, there's just no enforcement and that's not likely to change.

Concrete planters would do the same job and look better.

donvito99

Deleted User wrote: »

Concrete planters would do the same job and look better.

They take up an enormous amount of space though.

We just need people to be slapped with fines left and right for pavement parking.

Seth Brundle

in fairness, there is space on the right hand side of the road for them to stick the car for a minute (although it is a marked clearway).
The driver obviously just doesn't give a crap about other people and is choosing to suit themselves.

Thelonious Monk

Seth Brundle wrote: »

in fairness, there is space on the right hand side of the road for them to stick the car for a minute (although it is a marked clearway).
The driver obviously just doesn't give a crap about other people and is choosing to suit themselves.

I was in the area for about half an hour and it didn't move. I mean if citizens like ourselves know it's wrong and bad for the city, how do the Garda not know this?
Is there maybe some sort of unwritten rule about leaving cars parked on footpaths alone whispered to them in Templemore?
On a lighter note, the area around there just looks fantastic, they've done resurfacing work on a few streets and added street benches etc. It's really really nice.

magicbastarder

the owner of the pharmacy near me parks his range rover half on the footpath all the time. even though there's parking spaces literally 2m from the door.
i've mentioned before how a fairly large truck from a construction company was ignored by gardai, parking on the footpath, till i noticed the tyres were bald, and called that to the attention of a garda. it's OK to block the footpath with your lorry, unless the tyres are defective.

but it's not the individual gardai's fault. they get told what to police.

bb1234567

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I was in town for a dental appointment today but happened upon this scene, a huge Range Rover parked right up on the new widened footpath, while 2 useless Gardai walk right by, I don't think they even glanced at it, but had just made 2 girls sitting on the ground drinking coffee get up and move on.

The entitlement :mad:

Ugh, looks like comical floppy bollard maze is our only actual viable future for a pedestrian city. So much for any shame, or any sense of personal or civic responsibility.

spacetweek

I agree the SUV on the path is enraging, but police have a fairly big distinction between "traffic stuff" and "other stuff" e.g. covid enforcement. They don't generally head out of the station on the beat and just look for random violations. They're told what's on the agenda for today.

Thelonious Monk

It's just the fact that they didn't even clock it or it didn't seem to register with them

magicbastarder

spacetweek wrote: »

I agree the SUV on the path is enraging, but police have a fairly big distinction between "traffic stuff" and "other stuff" e.g. covid enforcement. They don't generally head out of the station on the beat and just look for random violations. They're told what's on the agenda for today.

as per my post above, this approach was common long before covid. and we can still assign blame up through the gardai because it's their superiors who assign weight to what they should be policing. yes, you could continue raising the blame to higher levels and end up with the minister for justice or the taoiseach, but you end up with an 'everyone's to blame so no one is to blame' scenario so useful at actually avoiding blaming anyone.

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

It's just the fact that they didn't even clock it or it didn't seem to register with them

That's not their job, that job is for the traffic wardens (if they're any).
Might have a different attitude if it was a getaway car for some robbers!

Padre_Pio

bb1234567 wrote: »

The entitlement :mad:

Ugh, looks like comical floppy bollard maze is our only actual viable future for a pedestrian city. So much for any shame, or any sense of personal or civic responsibility.

Brand new SUV parked on a cycle lane? That guy must have balls of steel.

Zebra3

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not their job, that job is for the traffic wardens (if they're any).
Might have a different attitude if it was a getaway car for some robbers!

AGS are meant to deal with vandalism and that's what it is when someone parks a vehicle on a footpath.

Zebra3

Zebra3 wrote: »

AGS are meant to deal with vandalism and that's what it is when someone parks a vehicle on a footpath.

Anything factual to back that up?

Peregrine

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not their job, that job is for the traffic wardens (if they're any).
Might have a different attitude if it was a getaway car for some robbers!

Illegal parking is definitely AGS's job. There's some duplication with DSPS but AGS can and do enforce it when pushed. Just not often enough. It's possible that they do it so rarely that people have come to think that it's not their job.

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1309121079814819842?s=20

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1208653562642915328?s=20

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1269741452420136961?s=20

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1348222160372957184?s=20

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1327673306779095041?s=20

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1311606998107119616?s=20

You get the picture.

Zebra3

Deleted User wrote: »

Anything factual to back that up?

You think footpaths are designed to withstand the weight of vehicles?

A quick look around the place of damaged footpaths and shattered kerbs will prove that.

JohnC.

Deleted User wrote: »

Anything factual to back that up?

Cars on footpaths destroy them. Roads are designed for cars. Footpaths are not.

Ben D Bus

Deleted User wrote: »

Concrete planters would do the same job and look better.

As an alternative to planters or bollards, how about a row of Sheffield stands spaced less than a car length between each? Prevents cars from parking and helps encourage more cycling.

Zebra3

Zebra3 wrote: »

You think footpaths are designed to withstand the weight of vehicles?

A quick look around the place of damaged footpaths and shattered kerbs will prove that.

That's not vandalism, though. It's the over the top 'sensational' (for lack of a better description) kinda posts like the vandalism one, that makes most people roll their eyes at these kinda threads and lose interest.


Graffiti is vandalism. Smashing the glass on a bus stop shelter is vandalism. Parking a car on a footpath is not vandalism.

JohnC.

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not vandalism, though. It's the over the top 'sensational' (for lack of a better description) kinda posts like the vandalism one, that makes most people roll their eyes at these kinda threads and lose interest.


Graffiti is vandalism. Smashing the glass on a bus stop shelter is vandalism. Parking a car on a footpath is not vandalism.

So what do you call destroying a footpath? Something I imagine costs a lot more to fix than the other things.

Peregrine

Here's a joint Garda and RSA press release from just 11 days ago. This is what their focus on illegal parking looks like.

Chief Superintendent McMahon added: “The issue of illegal parking will be the focus of ongoing enforcement attention this year from An Garda Síochána. I also want to encourage drivers to be mindful, when travelling for exercise within your 5km to public amenities, scenic areas and parks, of the dangers of illegal parking. An Garda Síochána will be patrolling these locations and will enforce parking regulations where necessary.”

The RSA and the Gardai have launched a new social media campaign to raise awareness of the issue of illegal parking on footpaths and cycle lanes. The campaign is entitled ‘If you don’t move, then neither can we’.

https://www.rsa.ie/en/Utility/News/2021/RSA-and-An-Garda-Siochana-remind-drivers-that-parking-on-footpaths-or-cycle-lanes-is-unsafe-and-illegal/

buffalo

Peregrine wrote: »

Here's a joint Garda and RSA press release from just 11 days ago. This is what their focus on illegal parking looks like.



https://www.rsa.ie/en/Utility/News/2021/RSA-and-An-Garda-Siochana-remind-drivers-that-parking-on-footpaths-or-cycle-lanes-is-unsafe-and-illegal/

The RSA just can't help it. Even in a PR focussed on pedestrian and cycle safety and flow, for some reason the CEO feels the need to remind people that they can't obstruct flow of traffic.

Mr Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA said: “...Drivers and motorcycles must not park in any way that interferes with the normal flow of traffic or which obstructs other road users.

The reason so many people park on footpaths and cycle tracks is because they worry about slowing down other drivers. Don't reinforce this when trying to discourage the behaviour!

Zebra3

JohnC. wrote: »

So what do you call destroying a footpath? Something I imagine costs a lot more to fix than the other things.

Well said. Pity some thugs out there refuse to acknowledge the damage they do.