lynwis
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Traffic in Lewes - 2006/05/15 17:44
I have read all the current correspondence regarding increased traffic generated by the porposed Phoenix development. Dea Campbell certainly deserves to be read and I congratulate her on her research.
Just a few points to add: When Ken Livingstone brought in the congestion charge for London, he doubled the number of buses over night. In spite of dour predictions, the scheme seems to work and many more people use the buses. I do use the bus and trains whenever I can. 15 min. intervals to and from Brighton seems OK both for bus and train. The trip to Uckfield is less good and very few people seem to use it. I don't know about other routes - perhaps some Landport, Malling and Nevill residents would like to comment.
The trains to London are OK but infrequent on Sundays and late at night.
So, people will get out of their cars if there are good, clean, efficient alternatives on offer. Therefore, people will not give up their cars until the alternatives are THERE IN PLACE. Gas hopper buses do work. Ski resorts employ them very successfully and with a good park and ride system, shoppers would use them if there were enough buses constantly circulating and Lewes is a hilly town ... It has to be an extensive, well thought out and cheap scheme.
As Dea Campbell suggests, there are several examples, particularly in Scotland, of car free developments and Europe is way ahead of us. To just throw up our hands and say Lewes will drown under cars seems to be defeatist. We should work towards solving this by lobbying our councillors hard to provide a sustainable traffic plan for Lewes and fast. Petrol at £1 a litre may do it for us yet!
And yes, I do still have a car, albeit on its last legs. We will sincerely look for alternatives when it finally dies. I would like to think that a Car Club will be in place - in Lewes - for me to use in the not too distant future.
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