Greenwich Low Traffic Neighbourhood to start at third time of asking
Greenwich Council are hoping it’s third time’s the charm as a Low Traffic Neighbourhood is set to see enforcement start today (Thursday 2 January).
The LTN covers a numbers streets either side of Greenwich Park in both west and east Greenwich.
An initial date in late November saw the start date arrive with missing sings and an all-round pretty shambolic situation. Greenwich Highways Department messing up? Surely not.
It was then delayed until December. If it wasn’t the Highways Department you may think it was a deliberate move to alleviate any issues and ease things in. Some wouldn’t be aware and start to change routes while those in the know would continue heading through.
Then the December start date approached and it was again postponed. Presumably too much time being spent in the department on dreaming up ever more pointless street clutter and bollards to put up at random to no impact.
And now we approach the third “start” date. It’s not exactly ready still even at this point as tape has been put over signs and others have gone AWOL.
It’s supposed to be a trial though no sooner does it begin than Silvertown tunnel will open and make any real findings harder to decipher.
Not only will the LTN take time to take affect but then the Silvertown tunnel and its impact arrives and the same happens.
Restrictions
If you’ve missed the ins and outs I’ve covered it in previous posts. In short it’s in operation in peak times and restrictions are monitored by cameras.
It’s expected the scheme will bring in sizeable funds at least initially. By law income is ringfenced and can only be spent on transport-related projects.
That could mean improved streets and better access to public transport. Network rail and TfL have long-asked for greater funding to improve stations and streets.
This being Greenwich though you can imagine managers trembling in anticipation to add street clutter to ensure areas are pedestrian unfriendly as they order thousands of wooden bollards and other street furniture.
I only bring this up as a fair few trips over Christmas has shown more clutter thrown up in some utterly dismal streets. It’s the only thing you can guarantee they’ll spend money on, as user friendly streets certainly aren’t a priority.
In general I’ve noticed an overall decline in traffic along Westcombe Hill in the mornings, though Woolwich Road is now taking the brunt at the bottom as that’s now fused almost solid, rather than the moving sludge it usually is.
I’ve also heard of food arriving colder from local restaurants, as the delivery drivers have been trying to get around the zone on their scooters, though that may be inexperienced riders trying to make extra money during the Christmas break. Certainly today it’s quiet on the hill, but it’s unlikely to be busy until people start filing back in to work next week.
The real ‘fun’ will begin when the new tunnel opens. Anyway, for now here’s to a cracking New Year and some useful surprises ahead
Greenwich Council. currently masquerading as Royal Borough of Greenwich, have been manufacturing this purported NATURALLY overly congested roads crime for atleast 3 decades now.
They have pushed and pushed relentlessly for the people of this borough to agree to stupid schemes like Congestion Zone Charging etc, where perpetual refusal then lead to them corruptly blocking off road after road, after road, creating non-sensical by-passes that then forced all of those road users down onto one main road, this being Trafalgar Road.
This scam then presented the false visual impression of the area being heavily traffic, when in truth if the jokers were to merely just open back up the numerous roads that they closed off without the peoples CONSENT, you would clearly see a much better Greenwich return once more, with reduced bodies of bulked up traffic and thus a much healthier and cleaner air environment.
They couldn’t even be bothered to properly ensure that the communities including but not limited to, those who are disabled, their Carers and or those with young school children would not be negligently affected before the LTN NONSENSE started.
This is NOTHING to do with Climate Change or Cleaner Air, but abhorently to do with Stealing Greenwich Borough Residents Money.