...The Bad... - MM#604
Good day my good friend,
After starting off the week on such a positive note, its not going to be as positive in this edition, sadly. You have been warned.
But before we descend into negativity, I must give a few words to congratulate good friend and avid reader of this newsletter Tom Van Vuren, who is now Tom Van Vuren MBE. A gong that is hard enough to get at the best of times, let alone for non-Brits. But one that is well-deserved. Enjoy the tea party with his majesty, Tom!
If you like this newsletter, please share it with someone else who you think will love it. I will love you forever if you do. ☺️
James
🚦 The Plan for Gridlock
After much trailing in the media, the UK Government’s Plan for Driving dropped on Monday. As I am in a Chaotic Good mood, I will dedicate this section of the newsletter to outlining what you can do in relation to each of the actions contained therein. Warning: I get ranty.
Bus lanes only when they are needed.
Already covered by existing guidance on bus lanes. Ask your Council to stick to it.
Making better use of bus lanes.
No problems with allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes in principle. But make sure that there is a good safety case for doing so. Respond to the Government consultation when it comes out.
Safer breakdown recoveries.
Not a bad idea, to be fair.
Smarter road closures.
Support the expansion of Lane Rental Schemes. Pressure your local councillor to have this introduced in your area.
Fixing roads faster.
Respond to the consultation when it comes out, asking for any fines to be ring-fenced for local transport improvements, like parking fines and fines for moving traffic offences are.
Encouraging efficient street works.
See previous answer.
Harnessing the latest road technology.
Email the Government to say that this is a great idea, and maybe Councils should be given regular revenue funding to make this a reality.
Better road data.
Yes please. Get on with it.
Better traffic lights.
More funding, please.
Smarter traffic lights.
How is this different to ‘Better traffic lights?’
Cutting-edge traffic flow management.
You’re saying better traffic lights again.
Right speed limits in the right places.
We already have guidance for that, so encourage your local authority to stick to it regardless of what government says. Request that 20mph zones are fast-tracked.
Stop local authorities using so-called “15-minute cities” to police people’s lives.
Call government ministers out on this, to their faces if needed. Email them. Don’t accept weasel-words for answers. Keep pressing. Keep asking. Keep pushing back against this conspiratorial nonsense.
New guidance on low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN).
When that guidance comes out for consultation, respond to it. Cite the evidence in support of LTNs. Request that for any such schemes that representative polling is done to gauge support or opposition to schemes. Finally, speak up in support of them whenever they come out for consultation.
Fair fines.
A fair fine is one that is levied for break the law. Remind your local council of their statutory transport duties.
Take the profit out of traffic enforcement.
Remind your MP that there is no profit made in traffic enforcement. Its illegal to intentionally make a profit.
Better parking technology.
A national parking platform sounds like a good idea. So give it a cautious welcome.
Challenge unfair parking rules.
As part of the planned consultation, submit evidence-based responses for why more restrictive parking controls, properly applied, are a good thing. And pressure government to introduce rules on pavement parking. And remind your MP about this.
Find parking more easily
See comments above on the national parking platform.
Fairer insurance claims
Meh, seems reasonable.
Better driving.
Again, seems reasonable. Though make it evidence-led.
Quieter neighbourhoods.
Highlight to your local councillors that reducing traffic levels is a great way of reducing noise, especially in vulnerable communities. Email them about it.
Cleaner roads.
My God. Something else that is reasonable. Though base strategies on reducing litter in behavioural science, not what you think might work.
Speed up grid connections.
Lobby National Grid and the DNOs to speed up these processes. Check out these recommendations on a strategy for expanding EV charging infrastructure by Dr Colin Herron. Implement them.
Faster chargepoint installation.
See above. Local Highway Authorities are not the issue, here.
Greener schools.
Why specifically focus charging roll-out in schools? This is good I guess, but why schools specifically? You could ask your local school to bid for funding for electric vehicle charging points.
Easier on-street charging.
Why? Email your electric vehicle charge point lead in your local Council, and suggest that they work with highways design colleagues on clarifying highways design standards for where charging points are provided on street. That will do far more than widening funding eligibility rules.
Safer on-street charging.
See above.
Easier chargepoint installation.
Email the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and ask that they focus changing permitted development rules on listed buildings and conservation areas. The idea that parking cars in front of nice old buildings is ok, but a charging point is a no-no is insane.
Getting the word out.
Tell your friends who are sceptical about electric vehicles that most of their issues can be solved by Googling for 5 minutes.
🎓 From academia
The clever clogs at our universities have published the following excellent research. Where you are unable to access the research, email the author - they may give you a copy of the research paper for free.
TL:DR - Women and people who live in urban areas care the most and want to change.
Beyond rockets: transport planning for permanent space settlements
TL:DR - If you liked Star Trek, Stargate, Firefly, Farscape or anything like that when you were a kid, you will love this.
TL:DR - Its too early to tell if making this busy rail corridor open to competition is a good thing.
What to rely on – Implicit communication between pedestrians and turning automated vehicles
TL:DR - Don’t rely on nods and winks to ensure the safety of pedestrians, please.
✊ Awesome people doing awesome things
Rod King, take a bow.
This tireless campaigner for 20mph zones may have been downhearted as a result of the UK Government’s lunacy. But with the Welsh Government implementing a default 20mph speed limit in its urban areas, you cannot overestimate the effect this man has had on road safety.
I agree with his call. Want to protest the Plan for Motorists? Request more 20mph speed limits.
What you can do: Join your local 20s Plenty Group. Start campaigning with them to get your local Council to deliver 20mph zones. Just as Rod would want you to.
📼 On the (You)Tube
Keeping stuff running is expensive. Its not sexy when it works, but its a problem when it breaks. As this video explains. No call to action here, just enjoy it.
🖼️ Graphic Design
When you plan for places of the future, you are planning for more people retiring. Learn the lessons of age-friendly cities. Personally, I love the almost arbitrary nature of 65 years old being the default retirement age.
📚 Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
Resuscitating the Salter-Swan model of a small open economy (VoxEU)
Cruise says a hit-and-run ‘launched’ pedestrian in front of one of its robotaxis (The Verge)
Is Oldham’s route to prosperity really a better performing Manchester city centre? (Centre for Cities)
New data highlights the rise of solo renting in the US (City Monitor)
“We’re all trying to do one thing: Live.” (New Economics Foundation)
✍️ Your feedback is essential
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