The traffic crisis in Belfast has been years coming. The city simply cannot function if everyone has to go everywhere by car: and the investment in meaningful alternatives has been woeful- we can’t even get a pedestrian zone in Hill St.
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I continue to be mystified by people who think the feedback loop of demanding everyone live or work in one city that's been built in a basin AND be everyone having a car is going to somehow magically resolve itself by letting them drive in bus lanes. Foresight must be the name of a boat for them.
almost 30 years supplying to public realm client teams, I met very few with foresight. Those I did were usually openly humiliated, derided, side stepped and in some cases removed as “objectionable”.
This has been the story of my life...i'm a crank and likely to frighten the horses, for suggesting things like risk analysis or generational impacts...very unpopular opinions!
Last night reminded me of the 1980/90s bomb scares in Belfast. Lights out on Ormeau/Cromac junction. Everything was at a standstill. No one there directing traffic. My normal 20min journey took 1hr 40mins.
Exactly my thoughts Kim - real abdication of responsibility and no one taking control - at least back in the day police would have directed traffic and kept the junctions flowing. Buses at peak times are full, if you can find them - need increased capacity, reliability, lower costs
We're really badly provisioned for park & rides servicing north/south. This is inhibiting ppl using bikes, buses etc for last-mile journeys, and taking cars off westlink & roads. Also too many junctions/rat-runs.
I'm always wary of parking in shopping centre car parks, eg Yorkgate, as they're not really designated for this, and may be agin the Ts&Cs... but giving options that avoid taking the car into the city centre is key.
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