Residents “trapped in their homes” - more local news stories please

But because of all the traffic no one will cycle, ergo nothing can change. Anyone saying different is a dreamer, that's not how the world is etc.

Maybe with enough tax and recession we'll even see a few more people using the few bits of substandard cycle infra? I remain optimistic but suspect an increase in hard-pressed motorists, growth in angry cash cows and more aggrieved people finding cyclists in "their" space. (Since we've been set up to fight over scraps I have some sympathy for the latter)

David9694 wrote:

Do you mean Even More Hard-Pressed? The car, the economic Alamo.

Yup - and if the current government were swapped for Labour I doubt there'd be much change because "fairness" - hard-working-class motorists (and the squeezed middle or whatever terms are current) need some of this active travel cash diverting to them / some continuing subsidy for driving because otherwise we'd just be giving an unfair advantage to those country squires / members from the opposite benches who can still afford the Bentley.

The council say that access will remain for residents.

???

Looks ideal for people who just jump in the car to go everywhere.  Definitely a rural location.

Ah - bit more detail and this starts to seem more reasonable.  Looking on streetview it's certain that there will be periods - possibly extended - of no vehicular access at all for some and maybe even literally no access at times?  The current road is a single lane between hedgebanks.

I still don't quite understand what's intended but presumably they've forced the developer to add a footpath here where none was before.  That looks reasonable at that location.  This lane also looks like an ideal candidate for filtered permeability at one end.  Bet that would enrage also!

In general here in Edinburgh it seems the system allows (big) developments with apparently precious little considerations of transport.  Yes I know they do officially... but some new ones don't seem to fit well with public transport and there's certainly nothing for active transport.  So we're still building in car dependency.  And that's around a major urban area.  Particular pains are that long-used access links are handed to developers - or quiet link roads will have traffic volumes hugely increased.  Some potential traffic free routes - decades in planning - can then become impossible as the council sells the land off / permits development in the way.

David9694 wrote:

NO VEHICULAR ACCESS AT ALL 😱!

Top Halloween trolling - for bonus maybe the council should propose a replacement shuttle service (like they have some places) to get them from the end of the lane to their doors?  It probably would no longer be "in keeping" with our "traditional countryside" now though, unless it was inside a horse transporter...

There are a lot of parking stories on Wales online.

I particularly liked

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/its-bloody-welsh-car-parking-24757481

I'd forgotten Bikeyface

I was at university in a seaside town.  In the evening we'd walk along the seafront and throw chips in the air without looking - no chip ever fell back to earth!

brooksby wrote:

... In the evening we'd walk along the seafront and throw chips in the air without looking - no chip ever fell back to earth!

And that's why I've got a chip on my shoulder about bloody students.

Sheer madness!  Now you won't be able to drive 100 yards to see friends, or down to the pub and back!

They have some legitimate points of course e.g. people assuming they can get through then getting stuck and the other main road becoming busier when it was already busy (network / regional transport issue).  But this is completely the stuff of "what happens when we prioritise motoring everywhere" anyway.

I like they found a few positive quotes (the pub - no change to trade) and "The road is not designed to take that many cars. It has been so much nicer since is has been closed."

Hilarious! They have a point about the diversion route being ridiculously long, but that's only for motorised vehicles. Cyclists & pedestrians can still use the half-mile section of closed road. They ought to get their bicycles dusted off!

David9694 wrote:

Not everyone can cycle - as you very well know.

Of course, what am I thinking, not everyone is a middle aged man with a penchant for spandex. Some people will also need to go to the supermarket and how on earth could they carry a weeks shopping on a bike?