Tuesday 11 December 2012

Transition Transport

The Transport in Transition sub-group aims to campaign to get the people of Glossop less dependent on carbon fuelled transportation and getting about in a greener and more sustainable way.

In due course we will be looking at car sharing, helping people to make better use of bus and trains and considering reducing the use of aeroplanes.

20 Is Plenty

However the greenest method of travel is your own feet, whether in direct contact with the ground or pedalling a bike.

Three things make walking and cycling a pain in Glossopdale. The first is the hills, the second the weather and the third is the traffic. There's not much we can do about the first two except learn a bit of resilience, but we can do something about the traffic.

To start things off we want motorists to slow down, at least in residential areas.

The Gory Facts
Now The Good News
It's Not About Speed Bumps  

One thing we can probably all agree on is that 'traffic calming' is not great. It delays ambulances, increases traffic fumes and fuel use as cars accelerate between bumps and it really annoys drivers.

For the same money you can make 50 miles of street a 20mph zone, with a much greater overall reduction in speed. Once motorists get used to a 20mph default speed limit they don't need the bumps.
The Transition Perspective

Fewer people killed or injured on the road is a good thing in itself, but Transition Towns would want this to be a first step towards people reclaiming the streets.

We would want to see not only more walking and cycling, but street parties, play streets and more imaginative use of urban space.

If you want to get involved, contact Martin at glossopdaletransitioninitiative@inbox.com