15 minute cities

[Broccers]

Reckon this will be a go er?

https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/10/2 ... nute-city/

[duncs500]

Interesting. If I apply that to myself, it was a genuine 15min cycle zone around my house, and work trips were exempt (or covered by the company) I probably wouldn't get the fine.

I wouldn't use my car any less though!

Silly idea of course in any case.

[duncs500]

I love how they are always so focused on car pollution when it's a relatively small fraction of emissions. If they put as much effort into the real big issues we'd be in a much better position.

[Broccers]

They seem to be talking about these in most cities - check yours out. Sheffield as we know is massively hilly and having no car would keep you trapped in your zone. Maybe thats the plan?

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/city-region ... reets-fund

[ZedLeg]

Cutting short journeys in cars is a good way to help with local air quality though. Trucks and buses are going to be needed regardless but do you need to drive to tesco for a pint of milk?

Obviously these zoning rules are silly and probably unmanageable but in the absence of people using common sense then what are they going to do?

[Jobbo]

Oxford has had terrible traffic problems for at least 30 years and has been easiest to get around by bike for just as long. The whole 15 Minute Cities idea probably applied to it already and it's not really typical of other towns and cities anyway. This seems to me likely to go nowhere other than being a relevant consideration for town planning purposes, perhaps.

[Broccers]

I'm unsure. We have a Labour / Green council here and they seem hell bent in making it worse for driving anywhere. During lockdown they ruined town and it's never recovered. There's little point in driving in anyway as no shops.

Seems to me to be a money making scam like the rest of it.

[duncs500]

Cutting short journeys in cars is a good way to help with local air quality though. Trucks and buses are going to be needed regardless but do you need to drive to tesco for a pint of milk?

Who drives to the shop anymore anyway? Deliveries FTW... even if they do give you the manky vegetables as punishment.

[duncs500]

It's all well and good saying everyone should cycle everywhere, but if you've got kids, need to transport much of anything, are in poor health, etc etc then it's not always viable. You'll end up with a massive administrative headache if you try to make it anything other than optional.

[Gavster]

Having everything you need within a 15 minute walk is an awesome idea.

Attempting to prevent people from leaving that zone is a bad idea. Having said that, people who live in Zone 1 London never want to leave it

[dinny_g]

Would never work in Milton Keynes which is a city designed for the car.

However, thankfully, it's absolutely made for Electric Driving with thousands of charge points absolutely everywhere.

[mik]

It's all well and good saying everyone should cycle everywhere, but if you've got kids, need to transport much of anything, are in poor health, etc etc then it's not always viable. You'll end up with a massive administrative headache if you try to make it anything other than optional.

I can’t remember the last time I went to the shop for a pint of milk. There is invariably a need to pick up other shizzle. Would need a dedicated “shopping bike” with baskets n panniers & shizzle.

[duncs500]

Our village shop (approx 8mins walk) has all the essentials thankfully, so if I needed something like a pint of milk I'd much sooner walk than get in the car... I don't get enough fresh air as it is, so usually more than happy to go for an amble.

[Mito Man]

Canterbury is doing the same, glad I don't live in that shithole anymore and it's kind of strange seeing as it feels like half the town are OAPs who have mobility issues and the other half are international students who don't drive. The morning and afternoon rush hour are just for school trips which will happen regardless.


It's all bollocks really, they're trying to remove peoples freedoms at an increasingly rapid rate because once we reach a point where most cars on the road are EVs they won't be able to justify it.

Just had a letter from Fulham council claiming they've "saved 40 lives" with their bullshit initiative and they're now going to further expand their scheme.

[integrale_evo]

52min walk to our nearest shop which is a flippin Asda ffs.

If I’m ever popping to the shop for a couple of items it will be combined with some other journey which takes me close, or if it’s a specific trip to the shops I will get enough to make it worthwhile.

[duncs500]

So if this is about air quality, are EVs exempt?

Also, who is going to vote for the people doing this?

[Mito Man]

War on motorists disguised under air quality. Otherwise we'd have the French CritAir system rather than this complicated mess.

[nuttinnew]

At least at Canterbury you can Park & Ride, the A2 is being widened to cope with the extra traffic, and there aren't extra homes being built

[Mito Man]

Yep the A2 will be even more shit. I don't know why Wincheap and Sturry are included in it as that's where all the industrial areas where you go to buy massive bulky goods. In a fecking car or preferably a van. And the university section is on one of the steepest hills in the county, over 1000ft tall IIRC
Whoever planned this has never lived in the area or must lead a very reclusive life in which they never go out.

[Rich B]

Not sure I get it. Is it a very complicated way to add £70 to road tax?