My observation:
I work on the fifth floor of an office on Euston Road NW1, on the border of the congestion charge zone. From my office I have a clear view of the Euston underpass.
I have never ever observed such clear traffic movement during the working week as I did yesterday and indeed so far this morning.
Yes, I know its half term, and yes, I heard that there were sneaky moves with roadworks and traffic light phasing to make traffic as grid loccked as possibble last week. (If this was true it worked very well as Euston Road was to all practical purposes totally grid-loccked most of last last week)
I am interested to see if the situation changes in the following weeks - I'll keep you posted if anyone interested?
CS
|
|
Yes, keep it coming Clear Spot. Us out-of-townies only get what we are fed by the media so it's good to have an inside view.
|
|
|
Yes please, CS, it'll be nice to hear some direct objective evidence instead of politically motivated theorising.
It's happening, so you'd think everyone would want it to work for the good of London and Londoners. Who gains if it fails? I don't care who comes up with a solution to congestion, if one exists. Some people seem to want it to fail just because it is Ken Livingstone's idea. Don't forget it was in his manifesto when he was elected. It's here, the money has been spent, so surely it is best if it works. I get very tired of the 'yah boo sucks' school of politics in this country where it appears impossible for someone of a different political persuasion to oneself to come up with a good idea. Sure it isn't perfect, but there'll be losers whatever is tried. Hopefully it'll be better targetted as the technology is improved.
|
Its working in the city. Between Bank and Bishopsgate and beyond, there is a lot less traffic. Plus the tube I use daily hasn't been any more crowded than it usually is (so far).
For sure, its still early days. But as the greatest fears concerned the beginning, then it seems we can relax a little.
I was thinking could CC become a victim of its own success? Drivers may now think that its a fiver well spent for easier access to London
|
|
Hope springs etenal in the pessimists breast?
|
|
10,000 people didn't pay. its a success !!!!
|
10,000 * 80 = 800,000.
Phew! Even HJ doesn't rake that much in in one day!
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
|
|
|
|
I noticed the tube being a bit busier this and yesterday morning, the evening its to busy to notice a difference.
But shouldn't the amount of tube passengers be down rather than the same or busier, due to the half term holidays. Or does Tfl reckon that only car drivers take time off with there kids over half term?
Tone
|
Look forward to next Monday, when all the mums and dad's and children return.
Now if you can all breath in until the next stop we should be able to squeeze a couple of hundred extra motorists into the carriage.
I cant wait...
|
Good job theres no such thing as overcrowding on the tubes then
I wonder why the stations get shut down for being overcrowded can't they just shove all the people on the train?
|
|
|
|
|
Well said, Nick.
I don't live in London but visit, as a touroid, about once a year. The air pollution levels are appalling, making me cough almost uncontrollably. Perhaps Londoners are used to it, which in itself is a bit worrying!
Something had to be done. Let's hope it works!
Pat
|
|
|
|
Another observation - the sun is shining, traffic is always heavier in times of rain.
CS
|
Interestingly traffic was quieter outside London yesterday.
We can't judge 'till Monday.
Taking road works out of the equation is a disgrace.
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
|
Roadworks in Tottenham Court Road are still there.
CS
|
Perhaps if we were to count the number of GB plated Discos and V70s in Val d'Isere and Chamonix this week and add them back into the equation it might be a different picture?
I agree that chosing this week can seem cynical, but given the understandable concerns about the system struggling, I can't think of a better time to launch it.
Middle of next week onwards should give a better indication of the long-term efficacy.
BTW, does anyone know if the penalty payments also go into the TfL pot or are they ringfenced for other purposes?
|
BTW, does anyone know if the penalty payments also go into the TfL pot or are they ringfenced for other purposes?
Exclusively go towards transport.
Shame the lottery cash can't go to the health service.
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
|
First post CC day in London today, v quiet. Plenty of roadworks still, trafalgar sq presumably ongoing and no sooner have they resurfaced High Holborn then BT fence a lane off and dig a b***** great hole outside the tube station.
Milton keynes next CS? See you on the barricades!!
|
>Milton keynes next CS? See you on the barricades!!
Hey!!! Not In My Back Yard!!!!
CS
PS - on the other hand it could make my local shopping 'mall' a bit more pleasant.
|
|
|
|
>>We can't judge 'till Monday.
>>Taking road works out of the equation is a disgrace.
Toad, (not fishing BTW, tho the licence is fully signed and paid for ;-)
assuming I have not misunderstood what you mean by the above,
surely ken is on a loser if people think like that, ie the devious little squirt bringing in the congestion charge at half term and when road works have been stopped etc etc.
If he had just brought it in on a normal day then folks would have been complaining, anyone with any sense could see it should have been brought in during school hols etc etc.
So Ken is wrong or wrong.
back to the point what is the criteria for it being deemed to have reduced congestion.
If traffic is already down 18% before Monday, does it have to take it down another 30% or ?? Of course due to different traffic flows the lights will have to be retimed which slides nicely over that little cowpat.
I would suggest we can't really judge until this time next year.
|
Evening Standard reported that the expected date for repayment of debts incurred to build scheme will have to be revised as the scheme is not bringing in enough cars into the charging zone(revenue too low). Too many people have switched so I guess that the only way to balance out the two would be to raise Bus and Rail fares to discourage people from using them #;-)
|
|
Seems the central London shopkeepers aren't too happy that the number of customers has dropped by one eighth.
|
I was at Russell Sq this arvo (which is near Tottenham Ct Rd) and I was amazed by how little traffic there was. Although it is school hols I am surprised.
Have to (grudgingly) say that Ken will come thru the 1st week with flying colours.
|
re Central London shopkeepers -
Do they get a percentage (however small) of each £5 charge they "sell"? In the way they do from mobile phone top-ups or lottery.
|
|
Eeeek!! That just reminded me I forgot to get my lottery ticket last night, which I usually do when driving home after dropping kiddies to football. Have to be brave and check out numbers now...
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I work on the fifth floor of an office on Euston Road NW1, on the border of the congestion charge zone. From my office I have a clear view of the Euston underpass."
You probably see me each morning then, turning into Fitzroy Street about 9.30.
|
Driving in this morning I was listening to the radio and heard an NCP advert.
Apparantly each time you park with them all day, they will give you a £5 voucher off your next all day parking. Kind of lowers the impact of the CC rather. Certainly we have no parking in Central London, so if I was to drive in (which I don't) I would have to use a public carpark, so the CC would have no effect whatsoever on me.
>turning into Fitzroy Street about 9.30.
Half-day working, I see.
|
"turning into Fitzroy Street about 9.30."
You'll also see me leaving between 18.00 and 18.30.
|
definitely half a day.
I dunno, the life of the idle rich ! ;-)
|
|
|
|
Brian, this is your boss. Get back to work immediately instead of looking atthe Back Room!
|
For those poor unfortunates like me who don't have to drive in London, how did the traffic flows appear on the first few days after half term? Have the roadworks resumed yet? Have the traffic lights been re-phased to allow traffic to go instead of stop?
It's half-term here in Sussex this week, and the reduction in the amount of traffic is amazing. Driving into Crawley this morning was like a quiet Sunday.
|
It's half-term here in Sussex this week, and the reduction in the amount of traffic is amazing. Driving into Crawley this morning was like a quiet Sunday.
The M23 gatwick spur road is down to 1 lanes. It's effectively closed. I'm amazed Crawley is quiet - I came through at 7:40 ad will be doing so until the spur road is back to normal.
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
|
Can't see much difference from last week, but as Toad points out its still half term in some parts. Need to wait a bit longer I feel.
CS
|
|
|
|
|
|
