Cities around the world that are reducing car access

Thelonious Monk

https://twitter.com/stephen_coyne/status/1663941020466257920

This looks great, a welcome change to the usual blandness

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631917#Comment_120631917

Nope.

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/queries-over-20-vacant-apartments-in-macroom-4258105

Thelonious Monk

https://dublininquirer.com/2023/06/14/fewer-people-are-driving-their-cars-into-the-city-and-the-council-is-working-on-plans-to-cut-numbers-further/

found this interesting

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120712989#Comment_120712989

The headline is wildly misleading - "Fewer people are driving their cars into the city", says the headline, implying that more people are going by PT/AT, but then the article says that the total number of people crossing the canals is down, and it most likely due to more people working from home. "That has meant fewer cars, buses, pedestrians, cyclists, taxis and motorbikes crossing the canal cordon overall".

"Fewer people are coming into the city" would be a more accurate headline.

Furthermore, the percentages using Active Transport is actually falling. And the percentages using private cars has increased. So, proportionally speaking, "More people are driving their cars into the city". But that wouldn't suit the agenda of the headline writer.

An interesting article alright. But an absolute bullshít headline.

MJohnston

If you look at the trend lines beyond a simple pre and post pandemic comparison, I think it's definitely fair to say the number of people driving cars into the city is on a downward trend compared to the other two (ignore the blue lines).

Worth noting that the headline in that article is also specifically about the "into the city" part because the cordon count also includes a lot of cross-city car traffic.

bb1234567

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120713852#Comment_120713852

The agenda? Yes, it's to do this : That will help the buses run more smoothly, and open up space for nicer walking and cycling routes.

Citizen Six

Good to see new protected cycle path going in along the Merrion road, outbound. And on the opposite side, raised crossing points on Trimleston and Bellevue Roads.

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744301#Comment_120744301

Shame it's only going up to the council border though. The section from Trimbleston to Merrion Gates is tied up with the Strand Road trial, so no work can be done until they announce the outcome of the appeal.

namloc1980

English Market in Cork apparently needs more cars.

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2023/0709/1393606-cork-english-market/

MJohnston

They identify the correct symptom — reduced footfall — but not the right disease, which is a lack of reliable public transport.

That said, nothing particularly wrong with a few multi-storey car parks just outside of the pedestrian-friendly city centre, and from memory there are at least 3 big ones in Cork.

Seth Brundle

The free parking available in the supermarkets is a big dis-incentive to shop somewhere where you need to pay to park but I think this affects all retailers. People prefer to go somewhere cheap but that also sells everythin they need rather than having to go to several different shops e.g. baker, butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger etc.

spacetweek

English Market is more like an experience place. It's not meant to be a supermarket.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838879#Comment_120838879

Tell that to the retailers who need people to actually buy their product for their businesses to survive.

McGrath5

Interesting article in the Guardian shows that despite the ruffled feathers on social and conventional media, there is little consequences for politicians who support car reducing measures. Our politicians have the tendency to bend over backwards for drivers, especially in our cities.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/14/councillors-support-ltns-election-impact-research

MJohnston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849620#Comment_120849620

All part of the echo chamber where RTE (with their secret Renault sponsorships and however much car advertising revenue) and Irish Times (with an equally disdainful amount of car advertising revenue) set the "public" agenda that the politicians react to.

In reality, most people want a better place to live.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120850005#Comment_120850005

Basically you are right, but there are a lot of rural dwellers that require a diesel vehicle to get around, and are determined to retain that vehicle despite the efforts to replace it with PT or a bicycle. What their young adult children do before they pass the test and get a diesel of their own I do not know.

I live close to St Vincent's University Hospital, and there are hundreds of cars parked on site - always. Now it is close to the Dart, No 7, 7A, and 4 bus routes. The Aircoach routes that feed the airport (702 and 703) plus the BE coach to Wexford. I doubt there is any hospital so well served anywhere in Ireland. Parking is not free, and is often jammed.

Why can people not use public transport?

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851694#Comment_120851694

I live close to St Vincent's University Hospital, and there are hundreds of cars parked on site - always. Now it is close to the Dart, No 7, 7A, and 4 bus routes. The Aircoach routes that feed the airport (702 and 703) plus the BE coach to Wexford. I doubt there is any hospital so well served anywhere in Ireland. Parking is not free, and is often jammed.

James'. They're actually both incredibly well served by public transport. The hours of the transport can leave something to be desired for staff though.

Sam Russell

Of course, James's is also well served, particularly with Luas. With Metrolink, the Mater might rival them both.

Provide car parks and you find cars park there.

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852064#Comment_120852064

Are there standard shift change times and do any of them fall outside public transport hours? The G spine serves James's and is 24h by the way.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852331#Comment_120852331

A lot of medical professionals end up working before or after their official shift changes.

I think the public transport has come on a lot but is still a bit of a work in progress. I think visitors etc seem to underestimate how connected the public transport is.

LXFlyer

I think that we have to be realistic that public transport can only do so much.

People working at the hospitals may not live directly along bus routes to/from the hospitals, or the operating hours of the relevant public transport may not suit their hours.

We have a fair way to go until BusConnects is finally rolled out in full, and that does involve extended running hours in many cases.

Like everyone else in this country, it is going to take time to change attitudes towards public transport. It's not going to change overnight.

downtheroad

‘It’s so unfair on locals’: Clare Co Co accused of greed over plans for paid parking at tourist hotspots

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/08/09/clare-county-council-accused-of-greed-over-plans-for-paid-parking-at-tourist-hotspots/

Green Party councillor Liam Grant said he had received “more emails about this issue than anything else ever by a long shot”. Mr Grant said that when the matter goes to a vote at council level he will be “voting against it, primarily due to the massive feedback I’ve gotten”.

MJohnston

I'm somewhat sympathetic because most of those destinations have close to zero way of getting to them without a car. I don't think it's quite the same as the issue in cities.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825252#Comment_120825252

"Used have 30 butchers". Sorry but it makes perfect sense that most of them closed as butchers haven't been the primary source for meat shopping for years. It's nothing to do with cars.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838879#Comment_120838879

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839483#Comment_120839483

People buy stuff in English Market and the footfall there is incredible but it's not going to be people grocery shopping and it never will be because that is not what markets are now. That's not the fault of councils or cars or bad investment it's just how things are. It's sad for the butcher of 60 years who misses the supposed "good old days" but that's life.

MJohnston

O'Flynns managed to adapt from essentially a butchers into a sort of fast food place that's very popular, and I think that's the kind of thing that works best in these indoor markets now.

cgcsb

Actually if anything the invention of the car, and the consequential increased suburbanisation is a major reason why the supermarket destroyed the sole trader. If they wanted those 30 butchers to return they should be seeking a blanket car ban and a boycot of all chains.

magicbastarder

the worst example i've ever seen was when we stayed in shepton mallet; old english market town and the original town centre was the most hollowed out i'd seen a town centre. very little left on the old main street but a co-op, some charity shops, and a cafe. the big tesco/aldi/greggs shopping centre less than half a mile away was doing fine, though.

Seth Brundle

https://twitter.com/simongerman600/status/1695649508116578329?t=mEMywd7nn2ONpUA65T0agg&s=19

...

Thelonious Monk

I drove down this street the other day in North Strand. If there's ever a sight to show how Dublin has completely failed when it comes to parking and footpaths. No one on the street without a driveway should ever have been allowed park a car on it, it's just not wide enough, and now it will be like this forever.

Thelonious Monk

Not mad on the planters but always liked this place and now it's car free

https://twitter.com/stephen_coyne/status/1696473564994498840