Friday 16 August 2013

Evidence-Based Policy Making?

Not in Brighton and Hove!
Most of the city is en route to become a 20mph zone – despite no evidence proving the scheme’s initial phase has worked.
This is the Green’s ‘scorched earth’ policy. It means they know their time is up, and they are making it harder for any incoming politicians to do more than shrug and declare it a ‘fait acomplit’ on cost grounds. Much like armies used to salt the earth of their enemy’s territory when the battle was over.
Ian Davey, the council’s transport spokesman, said: “The council is committed to making the roads in the city safer for everyone and we know reducing traffic speeds to 20mph in residential streets is a practical and popular way we can do this.”
But…you don’t know this. And just who is it popular with?

11 comments:

Lynne at Counting Cats said...

The village in which I live has been turned into a 20mph zone. We were told that it was an experiment. No one was consulted about it. It isn't popular. The excuse given was - think of the schoolcheeeeeldren.

We don't have a frigging school in the village and the majority of the population is middle aged or retired.

This is another Lancashire County Council exercise in because we can and because you can't do sweet FA about it.

Out of 84 councilors only one of them is a Green and that certainly ain't one any of us villagers voted for. So that means either that one greenie swings well above his/her weight or that the LibLabCons are equally as dim and authoritarian as their Westminster colleagues.

I'd put money on the latter.

Umbongo said...

Here in the fair London Borough of Haringey, my LibDem councillors are forever emailing me to celebrate their role in "persuading" (as if it were needed) the Labour administration to introduce a general speed limit of 20 mph in the borough (reinforced by an expensive road-bump construction programme). Evidence? Well I suppose that a car hitting a pedestrian at 20 mph will cause less damage than at 30 mph. But that's an argument to make all streets no-go areas for any vehicle exceeding 2 mph. Anyway the local boy racers and white van men from Rumania (who appear to be the main culprits here) pay no attention to the present 30 mph limit as it is. As usual it's the generally law-abiding (and careful and insured drivers) who will suffer.
Of course, this LibDem "success" hasn't stopped them: having won the masturbatory argument with themselves and their fellow-authoritarians at the Town Hall, our "representatives" have started agitating for what used to be called "home zones" and "play street" thoroughfares (or, rather, non-thoroughfares) as if North London didn't have a plethora of parks and other open spaces which the kidz can use (and abuse).

Bucko said...

Our local paper, The Lancs Telegraph, is campaigning for 20mph zones and doing quite well.

All the articles have numerous comments against the scheme and there are loads of letters complaining too. They are still pressing ahead with it though.

It's to protect children, although in the past ten years or something, only two children have been killed on the roads in the area.

(I'm actually surprised they print all the letters)

Bucko said...

Lynne - Just read your comment. What village is that?

Lynne at Counting Cats said...

Bucko, I live in Knott End. It's on the coast between Blackpool and Lancaster and just across the Wyre river from Fleetwood.

Waves at fellow Lancastrian (Although I'm not a born and bred 'un).

Furor Teutonicus said...

Had a mate, when I was 16 years old....( BOY.... Does time fly!).

Sitting on a motorbike, going no where.

BIG clue was "The bastard did not even have an engine in frame." It was in the work-shop.

But, the contraption fell over, and he hit his head on a work bench, and was, therefore "SNUFFED."

A few questions spring to mind.

WOULD a speed limit have helped him?

Should he have being wearing a helmet?

Trouble is;

At the coroners enquiry it was recorded as a "Motor cycle accident."

OBVIOUSLY a reason to reduce the speed limit?

John Pickworth said...

I live in Knott End. It's on the coast between Blackpool and Lancaster and just across the Wyre river from Fleetwood.

A place I know well.

And Fleetwood; essentially a town on a peninsular (sea, estuary and river on three sides) and leading nowhere... seems determined to slow the imaginary lemming like hordes racing through the place in their rush to drive at full speed into the Irish Sea. They recently attempted to impose 20mph limits on EVERY road but later allowed a couple of main roads to remain at 30mph. As pointless exercises go, you cannot find better than this one.

Lancashire County Council seems determined to be first to have blanket 20mph limits across the whole county.

Bucko said...

Lynne - Ah. Not just round the corner then. I'm in Darwen. *Waves*

Furor Teutonicus said...

XX Lancashire County Council seems determined to be first to have blanket 20mph limits across the whole county. XX

Could cause interesting results on the M6 then.

John Pickworth said...

Could cause interesting results on the M6 then

During rush hour I've sat on the M6 and been overtaken by the North American tectonic plate drifting by. 20mph might be an improvement.

Ditto M62, M61, M60, M56, M66 etc etc

JuliaM said...

"We were told that it was an experiment. No one was consulted about it. It isn't popular."

Experiments come to an end. I suspect yours won't...

" But that's an argument to make all streets no-go areas for any vehicle exceeding 2 mph."

Baby steps, Umbongo, baby steps.. ;)

"All the articles have numerous comments against the scheme and there are loads of letters complaining too. They are still pressing ahead with it though."

Depressing, isn't it?

"At the coroners enquiry it was recorded as a "Motor cycle accident.""

GAH!!