| Topic: | All about the money | |
| Posted by: | James Mcconnell | |
| Date/Time: | 09/01/12 14:00:00 |
| This forum is very informative. I now realise that Sunday Parking restrictions are just a side event. The main event is 24hr bus lanes, CCTV for moving traffic offences and catching the hapless motorist inadvertently crossing into the bus lane along CHR when there is no congestion. Neither measure has anything to do with solving the congestion problems caused by the closure of Hammersmith flyover. Both have everything to do with capitalising on a crisis to make money. The council has clearly approached the Hammersmith flyover closure from the angle of “what revenue opportunity does this present?” rather than “how can we improve traffic flow during this crisis?” I can only imagine the brownie points that the LBH Department of “How To Squeeze More out of the Chiswick Fat Cats” got when they came up with this one. The flyover traffic problems are in peak periods when the bus lanes are in currently in operation. Traffic is so clogged up that the buses can’t get though the gaps in the lanes anyway. Why would extending the hours help any more? Rather than tightening the net to let the fish out – why not open the net? Temporarily: open the bus lanes to all traffic, suspend parking along CHR (during rush hour periods – like a red route), change signal priority to clear the traffic. Leave later evenings, nights & weekends alone. There is no LBH revenue opportunity here though. There are a few anti-car people on the forum. I have no doubt that if I ever get my Freedom Pass it’ll also give me the freedom to be as self-righteous about car use. |