tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post2486928312025653792..comments2024-03-18T23:52:31.939-04:00Comments on The Invisible Visible Man: A daily obstacle course, a problem denied - and why I think it's vital to tackle congestionInvisible Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-68987273922018957932016-09-03T17:17:20.530-04:002016-09-03T17:17:20.530-04:00Michael wrote:
"There is a school thought th...Michael wrote:<br /><br />"There is a school thought that congestion is impossible to 'solve' in somewhere like London as there will * always * be considerably more demand for road space than there is road space available."<br /><br />Kevin's comment:<br /><br />That school of thought is patent nonsense, as there exist numerous counter-examples. There are major cities ranging from Venice to Utrecht that have definitely solved the congestion problem. Solved it by banning motor vehicles, or as with Venice, never having them in the first place.<br /><br />Although it is in theory possible to have pedestrian and bicycle traffic congestion, the reality is that these methods of transportation are so efficient that this does not happen. <br /><br />Or more accurately, the use of motor vehicles for transportation is so insanely inefficient that getting rid of them has, in every case, eliminated congestion.Kevin Lovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13186428862833389619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-80625514284545713132016-08-17T12:03:12.600-04:002016-08-17T12:03:12.600-04:00Wouldn't increasing the congestion charge by X...Wouldn't increasing the congestion charge by X amount bring things back into balance? When even the Queen can't afford to be driven in London, few others would spend so much either. There's a balance somewhere between that and the current charges. Who needs a carbon tax?Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-59806853837859673512016-08-14T14:54:24.717-04:002016-08-14T14:54:24.717-04:00It's worth having a look at http://evidence-pr...It's worth having a look at http://evidence-project.eu/.<br /><br />It provides links to 22 evidence reviews - each one with an accompanying summary - outlining what is known about the effectiveness of various policy interventions to reduce reduce motor-vehicle use and/or promote sustainable transport alternatives.Roger Geffenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17994138496401296940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-49448631755915074252016-08-10T23:01:08.007-04:002016-08-10T23:01:08.007-04:00In a vacuum, slow-moving cars certainly pose less ...In a vacuum, slow-moving cars certainly pose less of a threat to pedestrians and other road users. A common misconception is that it is also safer on a wider scale. But congestion usually being indicative of high traffic volumes, congested roads are actually more dangerous. More vehicles on the road means a higher probability of a crash.Andrew Lassiterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08047646781507433949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-13396185223952668212016-08-10T07:53:16.531-04:002016-08-10T07:53:16.531-04:00I read in one relatively recent TfL document that ...I read in one relatively recent TfL document that I found online that average bus occupancy in London is 19 passengers, which sounds quite good.congokidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-51737898788369076352016-08-09T20:16:35.225-04:002016-08-09T20:16:35.225-04:00Hi Dave. This link will give you the entire "...Hi Dave. This link will give you the entire "Bicycle Blueprint" (pdf): http://www.komanoff.net/bicycle/Blueprint_complete.pdf. Enjoy. -- Charles.<br />PS: So far as I know, UPS doesn't use cargo bikes in NYC (or perhaps anywhere in USA). The company that did, back then, Airborne Express, is no longer in businessKomanoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13627390826455390182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-45675479286468519642016-08-09T07:41:54.120-04:002016-08-09T07:41:54.120-04:00I had heard that Carlton Reid planned to get in to...I had heard that Carlton Reid planned to get in touch with him but David has no recollection of hearing from him.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-81204813702730828772016-08-09T07:36:42.771-04:002016-08-09T07:36:42.771-04:00Carlton Reid & Peter Walker have also spoken t...Carlton Reid & Peter Walker have also spoken to him at an earlier stage in trying to identify Professor Begg's source for the notorious 25% claim which turned out to be from a conversation with Cllr Vincent Stops of London Travel Watch who apparently misreported what he heard at a TfL briefing. Cllr Stops & Cllr Krishna subsequently tweeted about and citing Beggs!. Such is the British way with these things. cyclableblog.wordpress.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15048093764209636893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-80623747045361860592016-08-09T06:46:48.517-04:002016-08-09T06:46:48.517-04:00There is a school thought that congestion is impos...There is a school thought that congestion is impossible to "solve" in somewhere like London as there will * always * be considerably more demand for road space than there is road space available.<br /><br />If congestion is reduced by some measure that frees up road space, then through the principle of induced demand, there will always be someone else only too willing to occupy the road space again unless the demand is limited in some way.<br /><br />The good thing about the new cycle lanes is that at least people on bikes shouldn't be affected by congestion on the rest of the road rather than drivers dragging everyone down to the same level of misery.<br /><br />If TfL really want to reduce congestion, then I think their primary focus should be on demand management and the tools at their disposal here are pricing (congestion charge, ULEZ) and regulation such as tougher requirements for private hire.<br /><br />A number of industry trends don't make their job easier - internet delivery services are in an arms race to offer even faster delivery times and that means even more vans on the roads. Convenience supermarket chains use vans like mobile stock rooms to maximise shelf space in their shops. Neither are really paying the true cost of the roads... "free delivery" isn't really free. <br /><br />Val Shawcross, Sadiq Khan's deputy mayor said that TfL were "stuck in a rut" when it came to bus services in central London. That doesn't really surprise me as I think some of the "bus men" in TfL can't see the wood for the trees and the monster they have created in some streets in central London with walls of buses going nowhere. I'm sure it won't be easy to sort out but hopefully there will be some recognition that the bus system is part of the problem in central London.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12826498172261997737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-57960355423595585822016-08-09T06:46:07.888-04:002016-08-09T06:46:07.888-04:00Cyclableblog,
Thanks for the comment. I think I&#...Cyclableblog,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. I think I'm capable of deciding how to describe the response I received from London Cycling Campaign and it was extraordinarily bull-headed. As I pointed out above, David Begg has done far more over a distinguished career for sustainable transport than the rest of us will do put together. He's easily contactable via Transport Times and I've said what he told me and how I sought to have it more widely publicised. That's about as much as I can do with a blog I write in my scarce free time. I don't think anyone but me has approached him about this issue and, because he's not on Twitter or Facebook, I think he's not even fully aware of the extent of the stink.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-12171483944787709372016-08-09T06:37:15.872-04:002016-08-09T06:37:15.872-04:00"Extraordinary bullheadedness" strikes m..."Extraordinary bullheadedness" strikes me a bit of an exaggeration and it would be better to avoid this sort of jibe. The truth is that, at first, a lot of people automatically defended Prof Begg, but when they read the report &/or my blog-critique of it (and the blog-critiques of others) there was widespread sadness among those who knew him and his work, which is why it would be good if he came out publicly about the report's flaws. It would be especially good if the Professor could make public the point you make in answer to another comment, namely that he regrets that the report is written in such a way as to appear to be against CSHs while he actually supports them. It is not sufficient for me to say, 'a journalist claims Professor Begg has said he supports CSHs', but if he made a public statement (for example by a press release) of supporting them and that his report should not be interpreted as against them, it would be possible to present that statement to future opponents about the critical role cycling can play in reducing congestion and pollution (along with other measures). cyclableblog.wordpress.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15048093764209636893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-83389045841530339792016-08-09T00:07:33.359-04:002016-08-09T00:07:33.359-04:00I'd commend listening to https://www.youtube.c...I'd commend listening to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BrjxYjsxCk where Douglas McWilliams explains a lot about London's woes.<br />e-mail me and I'll share some of my matrices on transport issues - Oxford Street for example where peak hour bus travelling average speed us 4.1mph - its faster to walk and the peak vehicle requirement on most routes is more than twice the standard vehicle requirement at the normal travel speed. For just one route that is over £4m of additional costs in buses and drivers.<br /><br />London Bus Services Ltd - the shell operator which does not appear to have an operators licence (unlike National Express Scottish Citylink and Megabus who do have one as the principal operator sub contracting to others for most of their services) currently has just over 8000 buses on their contracted total (although TfL Press office says 9000 ...?) but New York with twice the population has less than half the buses moving them.<br /><br />Perhaps with limited space we must shift the focus towards moving people and goods rather than vehicles? Note that from your window (I'd hope you have one?) you might see 50-75 lorry loads of rubbish passing through London, all at the same time, but hardly noticed, with no road damage or massive environmental/road safety footprint. Yet there is only 1 wharf in the City and it is only accessible at high tide (plus it is not readily available to a wide range of freight traffic <br /> <br />You rightly also note the stupid decision on articulated buses, which did not seem to carry out any objective review, using the CCTV recordings to analyse the claimed issues. On one route 87 'deckers (roughly 50% more road space used) replaced 37 bendies. Bus makers (in the UK) rubbed their hands as the Citaros (German Mercedes) were dumped. The claims that many rode free need to be tempered by the dact that many US cities have ride free zones downtown during the business day - as the cost of the extra buses (PVR at over £100,000/bus/year vs a % of fares not collected?). London might learn from Manchester, where their 3 city centre bus shuttles are free to use, as the service would cost more if fares were charged. Dave Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11574227829528072780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-5970699442156884992016-08-08T23:20:19.700-04:002016-08-08T23:20:19.700-04:00I refer to the Bicycle Blueprint for New York City...I refer to the Bicycle Blueprint for New York City (TA - downloadable - someone at Sustrans probably still has my copy!) on bike freight 90% of packages delivered by courier vans weigh under 30Kg. Probably the reason that Worksman Cycles of Ozone City is over 100 years old and still going strong and UPS deliver in NYC with cargo tricycles.<br /><br />Across the UK most cities nnow have cycle logistics operations. York perhaps the oldest with the company (originally Cyclone) contracting to most of the mainstream van courier operators. In Cambridge Outspoken has a transfer depot and moves 70% of courier deliveries in the city centre. In Glasgow the Outspoken franchise has grown from 1 man and a cargo bike to a team with many regular contracts, such as 'local' magazine/media distribution.<br /><br />Jeff Screeton has now been working with rail operators, filling off-peak space with high value parcels travelling at 125mph between cities where the first and final mile is efficiently covered by bikes and small (often electric) vehicles. <br /><br />A medical sample collected from a lab in Cambridge has been with the client in London in 90 minutes (DOOR to DOOR - not station to station) <br /><br />Smart suppliers of stationary and ironmongery need to sharpen their act too their current on-line ordering - with every item shipped overnight from a centrally located warehouse (and 12-24 hr lag) pales against my ability to 'order' tools in Birmingham at midday and have the courier waiting with the order for me at the site offices at 12.45 - Thanks Steve and Cycles4U. I've even saved a day's time with the boiler installer, as he needed a particular part to complete the work - on the bike to Tool Station and 25 minutes later we had avoided a return visit the next day.<br /><br />One key detail delivers this - cost savings. No fluffy environmentally friendly stuff, just plain economic sense. Dave Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11574227829528072780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-54017909529449824152016-08-08T18:16:11.712-04:002016-08-08T18:16:11.712-04:00Cyclablog,
Thank you for the comment.
I approach...Cyclablog,<br /><br />Thank you for the comment.<br /><br />I approached the London Cycle Campaign suggesting that David write a piece for their magazine putting the record straight. They essentially told me to get lost (in very close to those terms), on the grounds that their magazine wasn't a prominent enough platform for the public grovelling they expected from him.<br /><br />This business really has been marked by an extraordinary bullheadedness on the part of people who should know better.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-20753852072900772482016-08-08T17:22:05.001-04:002016-08-08T17:22:05.001-04:00I'm pleased to see that David Begg has acknowl...I'm pleased to see that David Begg has acknowledged that his bus industry report was a flawed publication. <br /><br />However, I think he would be well advised not make this known via a single journalist. He would do most to restore his reputation if he made a public statement acknowledging that the 25% figure was an error, thus clearing the air and setting the scene for a reconciliation between Professor Begg and the UK cycle campaigning world. Perhaps he could blame the expensive 'reputation uplift' specialists from Greener Journeys' PR agency who failed to spot this howler before publication. <br /><br />Unfortunately Professor Begg's report has done actual damage to the prospects of cycling in London as cabbies, local press outlets and local councillors, as well as the Guardian via Dave Hill, have uncritically spread the flawed figure, bolstering the lie that bicycles cause pollution and congestion. This is why a public statement by Professor Beggs is essential for our campaign, so that when, as will happen, someone in opposing cycle or other schemes cites the 25% figure, we will be able to point to Professor Begg's own statement withdrawing the claim. cyclableblog.wordpress.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15048093764209636893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-8035871764312547002016-08-08T14:42:40.775-04:002016-08-08T14:42:40.775-04:00Steve,
Thanks for the comment.
As you'll hav...Steve,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />As you'll have gleaned from the piece, I think Boris introduced one excellent transport innovation - the segregated cycle superhighways - with the same lack of judgement and failure to plan that he brought to lots of other areas. So he failed to take necessary measures that would have made the cycle superhighways even more of a success. Then he went off to encourage people to make the UK's biggest foreign-policy mistake since at least the Suez Crisis.<br /><br />So, broadly, no: I've not been won over.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-87830344330613558382016-08-08T14:40:23.076-04:002016-08-08T14:40:23.076-04:00Simon,
Thanks for the comment.
The issue with th...Simon,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />The issue with the number of private hire vehicles, I understand, is that the government has declined to allow TfL to restrict the number of private-hire licences. Anyone who meets the standards can become a private-hire driver. It seems to me that only a more comprehensive system of per-mile road user charging in London can truly rein in the growth of Uber and so on if that policy continues. If the number of drivers were restricted, I suppose the cost of using for-hire services would increase, which I wouldn't mind. But it might also encourage more illegal taxi services, which I wouldn't like.<br /><br />As for buses, I think it's easy to say the whole network should be redesigned but hard to say how it should be. Buses are popular with poorer Londoners because they're cheap and because they provide door-to-door journeys. Ideas that suggest passengers should be thrown off and told to get on the underground neglect that.<br /><br />As for what's causing conditions on Fleet St, I don't think it's to do with Embankment. I think it's caused by the general gridlock over much of London. But the issue is complex. Once buses slow down, they become less attractive and start to bunch together. Passengers will also simply get off and walk when buses slow down to walking pace. So the fact one sees buses sitting in traffic with barely anyone on board doesn't prove there was never enough demand for them, merely that the passengers responded to the slowing either by never boarding or by getting off when they slowed down.<br /><br />As for bendy buses, I never bought the idea they were bad for cyclists. It was pretty easy not to get inside them on a bend. Open rear-platform buses are a far bigger problem but attract less criticism.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-72960366478083019172016-08-08T14:27:49.644-04:002016-08-08T14:27:49.644-04:00dr2chase,
Thanks for the comment. It was widely a...dr2chase,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. It was widely assumed before 2003 that Londoners would never accept the congestion charge. It's now a hugely successful fact of London life. A big part of the success, however, is that it covers an area of central London into which few people really need to drive. So the benefits are clear to pretty much anyone who comes into central London, while barely anyone pays the price.<br /><br />On the safety point, meanwhile, I don't think congested traffic is a particularly safe environment. The approach in London has been to reduce demand to drive into London then use the freed-up space to put in bus and cycle lanes and widen sidewalks. That seems like a pretty compelling policy proposition to me.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-37915673369789845722016-08-08T14:20:15.930-04:002016-08-08T14:20:15.930-04:00Adam,
I don't know of any such list but it co...Adam,<br /><br />I don't know of any such list but it could certainly be interesting.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-59351821134597797042016-08-08T14:19:18.987-04:002016-08-08T14:19:18.987-04:00Paul,
Your comment has made me realise that a big...Paul,<br /><br />Your comment has made me realise that a big part of the reason I wanted to write this blogpost was my profound irritation at the way a lot of people who know almost nothing about David Begg have talked about him after this controversy.<br /><br />David started a transport studies course at Napier University in Edinburgh more than 30 years ago. I first met him when he was chair of transport for Lothian Regional Council in the mid-1990s and I've been in touch with him on and off ever since.<br /><br />The people who are now sneering at him don't seem to have much idea what David has accomplished over the years. I first interviewed him for a piece for the Scotsman about why he was taking away space from cars in central Edinburgh and handing it over to pedestrians and cyclists. He was facing absurd levels of criticism over this step, which was well ahead of its time, but he withstood it. He went on to run the Commission for Integrated Transport under the Blair government and continued to argue, powerfully and effectively, for a transport policy that reduced car dependence, cut down pollution and encouraged use of walking, cycling and public transport.<br /><br />It is in no small part his doing that it has become the orthodoxy in British public policy to support increased dependence on walking and cycling. He put his money where his mouth was. I used to run into him cycling around Edinburgh and he used to cycle daily to work at Cfit. David's focus on evidence-based public policy making has played a huge part in influencing my thinking and the arguments I make on this blog. I saw David recently for the first time since returning from New York and told him how I'd manage to cycle to our meeting in Victoria from Limehouse in half an hour. "Did you use the superhighways?" he asked. "They're great."<br /><br />The paper that's causing all the fuss was a single piece of work for a bus industry association. It wasn't a piece for a peer-reviewed journal. David tells me he bitterly regrets that he accepted a dud figure and used some loose language. He regrets that people are interpreting it as criticism of cycle superhighways. He intended it as criticism of the decision not to price London's roads more intelligently. I certainly don't agree with your insinuation that he wrote what he did because he used to be a director of FirstGroup. He's also a former director of GMPTE, which hates private bus companies. He's always had a portfolio career and, in my experience, been pretty ready to say things that aren't in his various employers' direct interests.<br /><br />But the nub of the issue seems to be this. I've now seen quite a few cycle activists claim that a single wrong figure and some loose language somehow discredit entirely someone who's spent decades doing more for sustainable transport than the rest of us will achieve put together. That's an astonishingly ignorant reading of this situation, in my view. If people genuinely think that, it says more about them than it does about David.<br /><br />But it's also not tactically smart. David continues to have the ear of a large number of influential people in transport, thanks to his long record of achievement. It would be a far better idea for cycling activists to contact him to talk this over and work with him than to rant about his somehow being discredited.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-31182172890038995022016-08-08T13:53:57.991-04:002016-08-08T13:53:57.991-04:00Paul,
It's true that London bus operators are...Paul,<br /><br />It's true that London bus operators are paid not according to how many passengers they carry but according to whether they meet TfL's quality provisions. There are also certainly some areas where buses don't carry many passengers. It would hardly be surprising if passengers mostly got off at the start of areas where traffic is slow, such as Fleet St. But London's buses mostly, as far as I know, remain relatively well utilised and are an efficient use of road space. There's room for improvement. But, if we're not going to agree with taxi drivers who take pictures of Cycle Superhighways at 2pm and say they're a waste of money because they're empty, I'm not sure I'd apply the same logic to buses.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-49095430735079712432016-08-08T13:49:48.659-04:002016-08-08T13:49:48.659-04:00Anoop,
I don't agree much more extensive char...Anoop,<br /><br />I don't agree much more extensive charging is the "only way" to reduce congestion. I suggest a few others as well, such as more space-efficient buses. But I definitely think there should be more widespread, sophisticated congestion charging and I hope someone will have the guts to introduce it soon.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-35374291697058763202016-08-08T13:48:20.495-04:002016-08-08T13:48:20.495-04:00James,
Thanks for the comment. I don't think ...James,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. I don't think black taxi drivers should have a special exemption from the congestion charge while minicab drivers have to pay it. I've changed the copy to reflect that. I mentioned minicab drivers alone because the congestion charge is far more likely to influence their behaviour. Black cab drivers spend nearly all their time in the central charging zone and will cross the boundary many times daily. For a minicab driver, there's a stronger chance the charge could influence his or her decision about whether to enter the zone at all.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-35503631188767041872016-08-08T13:17:59.278-04:002016-08-08T13:17:59.278-04:00Ollyver,
Thanks for the comment. Your initiative ...Ollyver,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. Your initiative does indeed sound a worthy one.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Invisible.Invisible Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15942359504874275065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3002171964909690430.post-26650561053350590262016-08-08T12:40:14.328-04:002016-08-08T12:40:14.328-04:00So, have you become a Boris fan?So, have you become a Boris fan?Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.com