Lung Friendly, Pollution Free Transport.

Green Routes
Having thought about this for a long time, i realise that the elephant in the room is simply that we have allowed cars to dominate every road, putting all other users in danger, even those on our pavements.
Now, at a vital moment in our planets delicate balance, we need a viable alternative to the scary, dangerous, car filled, carbon, nitrogen and particulate polluting transport network that we have.

We do need a network of Green Routes.

Routes that are pollution free and safe for cyclists and enjoyable for walkers as a real viable alternative to our present system.

Essentially green corridors or linea parks connecting every important place in our daily lives.

I while it would mean that drivers would find it increasingly tricky to drive through residential areas, it would also mean that a great many of us would live on lovely quiet greener, unpolluted streets.

So our air improves, lungs repair, wellbeing goes up (along with your house price) and we get from A to B safely and easily, and without asthma or fear of sudden death.

Collectively we could implore our council for this

 

CAR FREE CYCLING AND WALKING. A CARBON FREE NETWORK.

60 to 80% of journeys in London could be done on foot or by cycling.

A car free, carbon free, transport system could provide that and reduce pollutants and car & van use by between 60% to 80%..

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So how do we make this happen?

How do we encourage 60% of people to walk and cycle instead of driving?

INDEX:

OVERVIEW

WHY DONT MORE PEOPLE CYCLE OR WALK?

WHAT IS THE IDEA?

A CAR FREE NETWORK

WHAT ARE GREEN ROUTES

WHATS THE JOURNEY LIKE?

THESE GREEN VEINS ARE LINEAR PARKS

PRACTICLE IMPLIMENTATION.

WHY DONT MORE PEOPLE WALK OF CYCLE?

ARE QUIET-WAY’S SAFE?

POOTLING VERSES WARRIOR MODE

CYCLING AND WALKING

UGLIFICATION

ROAD SAFTEY

SUPPORTING IDEAS

WHY?

ECOLOGY

WHY DO WE NEED A CAR FREE NETWORK?

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE IS SELF DEFENCE.

97% OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AGREE.

CO2

ONE DERGRE RISE

TWO DERGRE RISE

THREE DEGREE RISE

AIR

ILLEAGAL LEVELS OF AIR POLLUTION

TFLS TEN HEALTHY STREETS INDICATORS

COSTS:

TFL SPENDS ￡15,000,000,000.00 ON FOSSIL FUEL ROADS AND ￡770M ON CYCLING & WALKING.

HEALTH

HEALTH, NHS COST & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

HEALTH

QUALITY OF LIFE

STRESS

NOISE & STRESS

HOW LOUD IS DANGEROUS?

PLANTING

WELLBEING

DESIARABLE LIVING SPACES

ADVANTEGES

OBSTICALS

ROADS LOBBY

VOTERS

SUMMING UP

OVERVIEW

Why do we need to do this now? CO2 level’s threaten planetary ecology and thus human society.

97% of the world’s climate scientists tell us that ecology on this planet is at breaking point. Green Healthy streets are carbon Negative, cost very little and are highly effective. UK air pollution ‘linked to 40,000 early deaths a year’ asthma alone costs the NHS an estimated ￡1bn a year. Carbon emissions are still rising fast. So far Councils and Government have not responded significantly.

We are faced with the untouchability of cars and the need for climate honesty.

If we dont want people to drive, we must make it safe to cycle and attractive to walk.

The public wont embrace these alternatives because cycling is dangerous and walking is unattractive, and pollution is still rising.

Cycling and walking are the only carbon free transport system we have yet we have no significant infrastructure to support it.

For this to work we need a network of safe, car free routes because without it people simply won’t walk or cycle. If they don’t do that, we are looking at a very bleak future.

There are no carbon free options available to the vast majority of travellers, the “Market” has not stepped in so we need to. The road transport system produces 25% of the carbon so we need a carbon negative transport system to balance that.

We have an opportunity to create a carbon free network and reduce CO2 and other pollutants by up to 80%.

People will not cycle more as long as it is dangerous. Cycling must be actually and demonstrably safe, or it will not be embraced. We need to encourage cycling and walking so that 60% take it up.

Car free routes are inexpensive, linear park routes that contain walking and cycle paths. No cars means children can use them as play streets. CO2 capture rises with every tree planted.

We can walk without noise, danger and pollution.

Health and wellbeing rise significantly and NHS costs drop.

WHAT IS THE IDEA?

A CAR FREE NETWORK

How can we travel without pollution? This question posed by everyone from Sadiq Kahn, to the British Lung Society, from the World Bank, the UK Government, RTF, TFL, Cyclists and Walkers the OECD and the NHS.

TFL, reacting to climate change, in a remarkably understated way, say “there is now a need for even greater ambition and action” Well I propose to solve this and all ten of TFLs Healthy Streets indicators.

I am suggesting that we stop cars on a very few roads and thus create our genuinely Health Streets.

A Car Free Network are miles of car free linear parks linking things so that we can cycle in safety and walk without breathing pollution.

Just as Londons parks are considered is lungs, a car free network can be seen as green veins. These Green Veins are car free, carbon negative, linear parks for cyclists and walkers.

WHAT ARE GREEN ROUTES?

Car Free routes are quiet, linear parks that are full of trees and are attractive and pleasant to walk in.

Think of Green Routes as parks. Think of roads with no cars and with children playing in safety.

People extending their gardens into the roads, growing vegetables and fruits. Imagine the buried rivers brought back to the surface.

Imagine benches under trees where people can sit out and enjoy the peace and calm.

All around is green and verdant and rich with life.

The air will become cleaner as plants grow.

People will become healthier physically and mentally.

The streets become, not a conduit for cars, but a space for people to live and thrive in.
This plays into the Healthy Streets, Linear Park and London as National Park ideas.

Picture is from http://content.tfl.gov.uk/healthy-streets-for-london.pdf Roads into parks.

I do recognise that this will take time to achieve, but it is the ultimate goal.

Whats the journey like?

Imagine, if you will, you want to travel to your mother’s house 5 miles away: Your group includes your 85 year old grandparents and 5 year old child. Normally you all go in cars, because gramps doesn’t like the bus. Walking is too far and cycling on those busy roads is simply madness. However, in this story, you all get on bicycles and cycle the whole way along quiet, car free, leafy avenues, only stopping at junctions to let the cross traffic pass. You arrive calm, relaxed, healthy, happier, fitter and unharmed; That is a Car Free Green Route.

The Healthy Streets initiative from Sadiq Khan’s office is basically this, but without stopping cars.

At present here are a lot of road users who can’t use the roads safely; they include cyclists, walkers, whole ranges of disabled people, dog walkers, kids playing, mothers with small children, school kids getting to and from school. Those getting to and from a station.

Anyone half an hours ride from their destination.

There are no carbon free options available to the vast majority of travelers.

Road space has for centuries been public space but now its exclusively for cars, moving or parked.

We can combine all the various Quiet-Ways, Healthy Streets, Open Streets, cycle routes, unused back streets, parks and abandoned railways and stitch them into a network of calm, green corridors, for non-drivers.

THESE GREEN VEINS ARE LINEAR PARKS

Low investment cost.

A car free, carbon negative, network for walkers and cyclists.

PRACTICAL IMPLIMENTATION

There are many types of filtering.

Bollards across the road; wheel chairs, walkers and cyclists can pass, but not cars. This simple step allows for green streets.

Access for cars probably must be kept until better public transport is available.

Cul-de-sac’s.

no through roads.

No one should be stopped from getting to their homes or stopped from parking close to their homes. As car use reduces we can reduce the parking as well.

The main thing that would change is that vehicles could only enter and leave from one end of a green street.

This would give us all access.

Where we cannot prevent through traffic, chicanes can be used.

Access for cars must be kept until better public transport is available.

CYCLING AND WALKING

To help cycling become a viable alternative to the car and become the main preferred method of getting from A to B, it needs to be actually and demonstrably safe.

Presently 8% of journeys are by bike, less walking.Most journeys in London are 5 to 15 minute drives, easily achievable by most people on foot or bike.

Cycling and walking are the only viable non-CO2 modes of transport we have.

People won’t cycle because cars make it dangerous, and don’t walk because it is unpleasant.

People will cycle and walk when it’s demonstrably safe and pleasant.So If we want people to cycle, we need to invest in safe, car free networks.

WHY DONT MORE PEOPLE CYCLE OR WALK?

IF WE WANT PEOPLE TO CYCLE IN MUST BE ACTUALLY AND DEMONSTRABLY SAFE.

ROAD SAFETY

Walking and cycling amongst traffic is not healthy, pleasant of safe.

The argument that Cycling is safer if more people do it is fallacious, more cyclists get injured but its a lower % of cyclists overall; it’s a statistical trick.

Road Deaths In 2013, 12% of adults said that they had been involved in at least one road accident in the last 3 years.

In 2013, 7% of children had been involved in a road accident in the last 3 years. Department of Transport figures show “a total of 1,775 deaths on UK roads in 2014 – up 4% on 2013. 797 were in cars, 446 pedestrians, 339 motorcyclists and 113 pedal cyclists”.

With 559 walkers and cyclists killed and countless non-fatal & un-reported incidents, it cannot be claimed that our roads are safe. Compare our reaction to the news that many were killed by terrorists, but on the roads it’s considered unfortunate. Cars continue to dominate all roads and continue to squeeze out other road users in 2016 the number of cars in London rose by 170,000. Green routes offer the chance of a safe, life enriching, carbon negative transport system.

ARE QUIET-WAY’S SAFE?

NO! you can still get killed or maimed on them. Is your child safe on a Quiet-Way? Would you let your 5-year-old use a typical UK cycle lane? Would you even think them safe on Cycle Superhighway or Quietway? No? Me neither.

No parent should let their child ride on them, few do. The danger that a car or lorry presents to a human on a bicycle is obvious. The painted lines used to make most UK cycle lanes will not stop drivers whose attention wanders from ploughing through walkers or cyclists. The same applies to raised kerbs. If you fall on them there is a good chance of being run over by a car; its still not safe.

POOTLING VERSES WARRIOR MODE

The joys of cycling include pootling, meandering and taking it easy. This is not something you can do on dangerous cycle routes where you need to be in ‘warrior mode’ all the time. Powered vehicles are a threat to walkers and cyclists. How can one relax and enjoy the scenery when you are constantly at risk of being knocked down? Fear discourages cycling.

CYCLING AND WALKING

To help cycling become a viable alternative to the car and become the main preferred method of getting from A to B, it needs to be actualy and demonstrably safe. Presently 8% of journeys are by bike, less walking. Most journeys in London are 5 to 15 minute drives, easily achievable by most people on foot or bike. Cycling and walking are the only viable non-CO2 modes of transport we have. People won’t cycle because cars make it dangerous, and don’t walk because it is unpleasant.People will cycle and walk when it’s demonstrably safe and pleasant. So If we want people to cycle, we need to invest in safe, car free networks.

UGLIFICATION

We have an understandable love affair with cars, but the harm that cars do is massive and accepted as inevitable. The use and manufacture, the sheer clutter on every road, the uglification of our surroundings, an unbroken stream of vehicles running through every scene, bringing noise and danger at every turn, raising chronic asthma and occasional sudden death its hardly a walk in the park, and thats why people dont walk as much as they could.

SUPPORTING IDEAS

1. 1. There is wide agreement that a Carbon low transport system has to include a vastly improved public transport system.

2. 2. The new system must be clean, efficient and FLEXIBLE and it must include a transport service for tradesmen, their tools and materials.

3. 3. A public transport system so good that people prefer it to driving.

4. 4. A “Boris” bike type system for electric vehicles.

5. 5. A pod based traders transport system for workers who need to bring and store work tools.

6. 6. An Electric parcel delivery.

7. 7.PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR TRADESMEN

8. 8. Plumbers, electricians, builders etc would have new pod based system so that they can get to and from jobs

9. 9. Pods are to store their tools.

10. 10. Works like a taxi system

WHY?

ECOLOGY

WHY DO WE NEED A CAR FREE NETWORK?

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE IS SELF DEFENCE.

We have overshot the 2 degree increase and are now looking at a 3 degree rise in global temperatures.

Planning for the future is prudent self-defence. Make no mistake, we may not be able to see it yet, but we are fighting for our lives.

CO2 is now 407.2PPM and the global temperature rise is predicted to be 3 degrees. 350 PPM was safe and 2 degrees was survivable.

Two degrees produces violent weather that threatens farming and food security; we have missed that target.

Three degrees may be the “tipping point, where global warming could run out of control, leaving us powerless to intervene”.

The last time Earth was this hot, sea levels were 25 meters higher. http://www.climatecodered.org/2010/09/what-would-3-degrees-mean.html

97% OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AGREE.

97% of the world’s climate scientists tell us that ecology on this planet is at breaking point.

Global temperatures now projected to be 3 degrees. The last time we were that warm sea levels were 25 meters higher.

Fossil fuel & CO2 emissions threaten our health and safety. More people are being diagnosed and dying each year from asthma brought on from air pollution. We need a carbon neutral alternative and we need it as soon as possible. That’s why TFL have made walking and cycling 1st and 2nd priority.

CO2

In 2016 we had released 1510 Gigatons of CO2 into our atmosphere. That’s 1,510,000,000,000 tons of gas. It continues to rise.

350 Parts per million was high but was considered a safe level. We are now 407PPM

Transport accounts for about 50% of the CO2 we can get control of in our cities, the other 50% is heating.

EFFECTS OF 3 DEGREE RISE ON SEA LEVELS

Now:

ONE DEGREE RISE:

Greenland’s irreversible melting will result in a sea rise of five to seven metres, in as little as a hundred years [Environ. Res. Lett., 2, 024002,].

The chances of drought rise from 5% now (one every 20 years) to 50% by 2030, and to 90% by 2100.

One degree is likely to reduce Queensland highland rainforest by half [Austral Ecology, 26, 590-603].

California and the Great Plains states of Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, northern Texas and Oklamhoma will be subject to mega-droughts and desertification, a new and permanent “dust bowl”.

TWO DEGREE RISE:

of warming, seas will be on their way to rising 5 to 7 metres. With a five-metre sea level rise, Miami would disappear, as would most of Manhattan. Central London would be flooded, and Bangkok, Bombay and Shanghai would lose most of their area. Europe likely will be hit every second year by heat waves like the one in 2003 which killed 22-35,000 people, caused $12b of crop losses, reduced glacier mass by 10%, and resulted in a 30% drop in plant growth dropped, adding half a billion tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere. HYPERLINK “http://www.climatecodered.org/2010/09/what-would-3-degrees-mean.html”