This morning's commute and other commuting stories

OT but re speed cameras, was coming down the M1 through the new sections a couple of weeks back and through those new gantries and shit sections, signs were lit up ‘70’ and the flashes were popping off like mad. Traffic wasn’t heavy at all so no real need for ‘managing’ it (which was the purpose of all that infrastructure and investment) But motorways, however could be made to work in 20 zones I guess?

The M1 is dreadful. But I don't think those gantries have to be on for the cameras still to be working (same on the M25 bits that are like that)

It's not that simple, trust me. :)

*cue hippy going on the Internet and researching the hell out of it.* :)

The difficulty doesn't lie so much in the technology and its applications, but in the political opposition. For instance, when officers set up traffic control points, there are some self-appointed vigilantes around who will question every aspect of the set-up and whether they're recording speeds correctly, etc. Campaigners against speed cameras have also in the past put up such opposition (often exploiting problems with legislation) that officials were tied up just dealing with it all, and speed camera provision was watered down, e.g. with warning signs and what have you.

That's not to say such enforcement shouldn't happen, only that there's a bit of history. Not knowing about Australia, my guess would be that primary legislation there is very different, and quite likely more up-to-date. In the UK, much still relies on the 1835 Highways Act. :)

I haven't been following M1 development so don't really know what you're talking about, I'm afraid. What's the problem with signs indicating the UK motorway speed limit? Has it been raised from 70mph there?

As if people were supercomputers.

Ah, yes, but our politicians don't give a fuck about the plebs opinions, much like over here, they just choose to show it in different ways. Aussie pollies see $ income by adding speed cameras, British pollies see £ savings by cutting police.

Yes, I'm oversimplifying things. But that's how I get shit done while everyone else is busy wondering if doing x will upset person y, meanwhile everything is burning down.

Not a defence for the e-scooter (I've discussed my worries surrounding them before) but I believe the 'higher end' £1500up scooters have front and back brakes with a 70/30 weighting to the front brake (maybe not exact correct split). Obviously not many will be buying them at this price and the cheaper ones are likely to not have this as standard

Wasn’t a problem for me but gratifying seeing the racers getting caught.
Was just unusual seeing thr limit enforced on a motorway using the system.

So, right on cue comes a fairly typical 'newspaper' (well, the Standard) story about drivers ignoring very clear signage (on which more in a moment), evidently not having paid any attention to what would have been extensive publicity for the change of status of this prominent shopping street--it is sometimes really shocking how little some people care about public affairs--, which unfortunately for them is camera-enforced.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/20000-drivers-fined-14m-in-single-street-in-south-london-a4170931.html

It has long been a problem that (a) many drivers fail to understand combined signs (i.e., signs with multiple parts, often, as here, with a 'regular' sign embedded). True, some are a bit rubbish and too crowded, but the one used here four times (two at each end of the street) manifestly isn't--only (b) it features the 'no motor vehicles' sign, also sometimes known as the 'flying motorcycle' sign. For some unaccountable reason, this sign is apparently not understood by drivers, although it is entirely the correct sign to use here.

As cycle campaigners, we had a long saga over years that the DfT would not authorise the 'except cyclists' plate with the standard 'no entry' sign, which is well understood. Part of the reason why many one-way streets were made fully one-way and did not include a cycle contraflow was that officers wanted to use the 'no entry' sign and not 'no motor vehicles', for the above reason. It took ages for the 'except cyclists' plate to become available, which as expected has not caused any of the problem envisaged, i.e. that it would somehow reduce the status of 'no entry', make it less clear, etc.

It is, of course, very good that Croydon has retained cycle permeability in Surrey Street, and that cyclists can still use the street is the reason for the 'flying motorcycle' sign.

So, despite all of this--and never mind that the average person has probably never heard about most of the above background, it is not relevant to how they should behave--, i.e. that here are drivers who are blatantly ignoring signage and committing driving offences, you get a story in the Standard about how the Council is allegedly just using the sign to make money. The Standard has always run these stories as far back as I can remember--they're basically template stories. Obviously, this article isn't going to have any effect, but it's just part of a general background smell about enforcement that stinks up the debate.

As ever, the article even tries to imply that traders have lost trade--and there's always someone who's happy to be quoted to that effect. If this were the case, schemes like this would be retracted immediately. Instead, it is most likely the case that most traders have done very well out of the change (as they have everywhere else), and the fact that people can no longer drive into the street to park outside the late-night food shop to get a can of Red Bull (!) is utterly irrelevant and misleading 'reporting'.

The story's so rubbish and unfounded that they even have to quote the 'Association of British Drivers', from and about whom I haven't heard anything for years.

Ah, OK. I wasn't sure what had changed there from what you wrote.

It isn't all glitz and glamour. I got a flat there late one night, and unbeknownst to me, whilst changing the inner tube, I put the wheel in poo.

There's poo under the Greenway and also on top of it.

I've run on it a bit and cycled it a couple of times and it has seemed OK to me. I'll get up / come home late one night to check for poo steam ghosts

On a related note, these are the plans for the improvements around Turnpike Lane including loads of extra parking spots (70 or so) https://www.haringey.gov.uk/regeneration/wood-green/improving-turnpike-lane#TPLFuture

I emailed them about this pointing out that a lot of studies now show that this isn't where the custom comes from and as part of the response they said

As you mention below shop owners feel that their customers always travel by car, shoppers say they don't. TfL have carried out lots of studies on this but regardless of the evidence base this isn't how the shop owners feel

There's not much to be done with that ...

Yes, it's the same thing every time. Ironically, business on Turnpike Lane would improve if the car parking were removed almost entirely (some spaces left for people with mobility difficulties, as well as loading bays) and the footways widened. Then good quality bus stops and people would get off and shop there much more.

The next stage in the saga will be that the new car parking spaces in the side streets will lead to complaints from residents, because of the inevitable increase in short-stay nuisance parking, litter-dropping, and rise in other anti-social behaviour such as drug dealing.

My old workplace was at the end of Surrey Street, the shop quoted has taken a hit as a huge poundshop opened across the street along with a sainsburys local. The market traders also keep moving around to the high street as croydon council invite various theme markets and the all year traders argue they get less footfall so when that happens they move for a bit.

ABD another alias of Peter Morgan? From what I can tell he spends all day spamming consultations, newspapers and councils trying to churn up as much as possible if it will keep road design and enforcement in the dark ages.
https://insidecroydon.com/2015/07/06/morgans-rum-conduct-raises-suspicion-over-20mph-survey/

Ha, thanks for the inside information. Obviously better to blame the evil council rather than competition.

I thought the press had worked out by now that the ABD are not a reputable organisation. The article reaffirms that. (The ABD isn't just an alias of Peter Morgan's.)

e @CommonsTrans The Transport Select Committee is a cross-party group
of MPs in the @HouseofCommons that scrutinises the work of
@transportgovuk .

Transport Committee @CommonsTrans On Wednesday morning at 9.45am we
will be holding our first evidence session for our pavement parking
inquiry.

We will be welcoming @guidedogs , @livingstreets and @TheABD to
our first panel.

The second panel will be @SheffCouncil , @NorfolkCC , PATROL and
@londoncouncils

https://twitter.com/CommonsTrans/status/1140690825078333440

Anyone see what happened at the top of Holloway Road near the Archway this morning ?

Well, those evidence sessions are a bit different. They basically invite everybody.

Was it a crash?

Extinction Rebellion seem to be active in the wider area right now, so could it have been them if there was a motor traffic blockage?

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/extinction-rebellion-activists-block-major-roads-in-north-london-in-latest-stunt-a4171456.html

A crash.

Thanks. Let's wait for news.

My bro has one, has disc brakes front and aft, I assume wire rather than hydraulic.

hired a barclay's bike this morning, first time; pretty fun actually

I'll def do it again

What happened to your 3-speed Fuji build? I am disappoint.

;)

Coming through the foot tunnel this evening, there seemed to be some sort group walking through from South to North with bells. Now I know I was on a four day bender earlier in the week but any idea what all this strangeness was about.