tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-568852931152106119.post8458363587798599264..comments2024-03-17T18:53:05.139-07:00Comments on CycaLogical: Blackfriars Bridge Walkout - the plot thickens...crossriderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00896858165635612158noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-568852931152106119.post-54415892914585288302011-06-09T05:20:07.959-07:002011-06-09T05:20:07.959-07:00I emailed my Conservative Assembly representatives...I emailed my Conservative Assembly representatives to ask them about the walk out, and Cllr Victoria Borwick replied with this email:<br /><br />"Dear Nicolas<br /><br />We did absent ourselves from the chamber over an issue unrelated to the<br />Blackfriars bridge motion. I think it's important to remember that the<br />motion would have not achieved any change in any proposal as the London<br />Assembly is a scrutiny body and has few direct powers.<br /><br />All our members have discussed the issue at length in our party group<br />meetings, once with the Mayor present, and we know it to be of<br />considerable concern to all the users of the bridge. We still, as an<br />Assembly, have little in the way of hard data about the likely effects<br />of any decrease in the current limit and would like to see a better<br />appraisal of the issues. Amongst those are the possible introduction of<br />a 20mph limit over the whole of the City of London, the effect of<br />introducing a limit which the police, on many occasions, have said is<br />unlikely to be enforced, the effect on congestion of a reduction and<br />whether or not any vehicle can reasonably attain 30 mph.<br /><br />The safety of road users is paramount. It was this primary concern that<br />I and other assembly members objected to the original proposals for the<br />modification of the bridge. These have now been revised, restoring the<br />south-bound cycle lane and reducing the confusion of the original<br />northern junction plans.<br /><br />I can assure you that the action we took at today's meeting will not<br />have an impact on the detailed consideration of the issues related to<br />the bridge.<br /><br />With regards<br /><br />Cllr Victoria Borwick"<br /><br />Although she does not sound too negative about 20mph limit remaining on Blackfriars Bridge, I'll pick on this:<br /><br />"We still, as an<br />Assembly, have little in the way of hard data about the likely effects<br />of any decrease in the current limit and would like to see a better<br />appraisal of the issues."<br />Which would mean that TfL hasn't done a very good job modelling this bridge.<br /><br />And this:<br />"Amongst those are the [...] effect of<br />introducing a limit which the police, on many occasions, have said is<br />unlikely to be enforced, [...] and<br />whether or not any vehicle can reasonably attain 30 mph."<br />"unlikely to be enforced": isn't that what speed cameras are for? I am quite sure there is no technical reason why cameras cannot be installed, either on the bridge itself or on the approaches (whether instant or average speed).<br /><br />"whether or not any vehicle can reasonably attain 30 mph": during rush hour no, that is not possible. But traffic also happens outside of rush hour, especially when like in this case there is a school in the vicinity. See http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2011/06/has-itv-managed-to-get-transport-for.htmlNicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05451083510383812797noreply@blogger.com