I live on the outskirts of Sheffield and would not be without my car I really don't think I could do my job otherwise as I do 50k a year.

 

Ok we have the Supertram but it cost Millions more than it should have and they damaged lots of hedgerows that had protection orders. 

The main problem with the tram is it covers a very small area and dose not serve much of the population.

The buses are ok but there is now very little in the city as most of the shops have closed down due to the big shopping centres.

 

As for London well with the amount of people living there it would be a 24 hour car park if everyone had a car never mind trying to drive around it..

Car dependent areas were missed,  because it was about 'Cities',

not Rural areas, towns , villages or the countryside.

Our nearest Ikea is 90 miles away. 

No bus. 

 

 

How can I fritter away my pension and support the economy and young people who work  if I can't get to the shops?

Edited 17 December, 201411 yr by nickguzzi

I live in a village not far from Coventry, apart from the school buses there are virtually no bus services here.  If I didn't have a car I would be trapped here, like the village of the damned !

It's amazing you can think that given the sort of government money that is spent on the likes of the defence and nuclear industries in the region. Nevermind the land owning and agriculture subsidies I imagine the large owners benefit from.

Defence? You mean the loss of our regiment, the dwindling bae systems at barrow. As for nuclear, no new plant has been gaurenteed yet so that's not come off yet. I along with most people in the area think this because there's no infrastructure spending, the roads aren't being improved, neither is rail or sea (carlisle airfield may be finally be getting some investment from stobarts), so as a result no big business wants to come here, the foundries and engineering business have all gone. our hospital is being closed one department at a time so it means 1hr 30 drive each way for maternity unit or A&E, ambulances been cut, fire service all but retained, police beyond minimum staffing. You are right that the large land owning farmers are getting benefit, funny that!? Most farmers also jumped in the wind turbine band wagon too. But farmers don't account for much of the employment since most only employ one or two people if any.

Anyhow this is off topic and if needing discussed perhaps it should have its own topic.

We have no railway lines any more, no motorways, no dual carriageways, horrendous roads and a skeleton bus service which is more expensive than owning and running a car for most. Government just decided to cut all local bus services on top of that...... This will result in a high impact especially for pensioners of which only a small fraction can drive and the rest now faced with walking miles for basics like food. This will force a big influx of people going into residential care and having to sell their life possessions in order to do so.  

I live in a small village.  Buses are rare, so yes I would say.

I live in West wales, and I can easily get about by bicycle, but then that's my hobby and a 50 mile ride is considered short. I'm car dependent as I need it to do my job,rather than location. However, cycle lanes running alongside or close to major roads would be most welcome, providing they are paved with the same smooth care as the road and the local authorities clean the horse crap / broken glass / dog **** off them.

Not so bad now, but I used to live in Cambridge. The town itself was compact and full of fantastic public transport and cycle routes etc.

However, the majority of people that live locally live in the many hundreds of small villages within a 15 mile radius of the centre of town. The only place to go to do/get most things was Cambridge itself, and buses/trains to outlying areas are basically non existent so a car is an essential. What does however make this actively worse is that for years Cambridge City council have actively done whatever they can to dissuade cars from coming and making life as difficult as possible for the driver - with the net result that many people outside the town are now effectively cut off, or go in to spend their money very infrequently.

Cambridge City council have actively done whatever they can to dissuade cars from coming and making life as difficult as possible for the driver - with the net result that many people outside the town are now effectively cut off, or go in to spend their money very infrequently.

 

One of the points of the report was 

 

Cities should invest in cycling provision and improved integration between different modes of transport so people can get to their destination without using a car.

 

Isn't that the point ?  They're doing what they're being asked to do. 

@Goneofski

 

You from around our parts?

 

I would imagine Hull would fair pretty well on this. Bus frequency and coverage is pretty good and historically and demographically speaking cycling is pretty well used. It does of course benefit from a pretty small city centre.

 

I cycle commute though and would always love to see more people do the same, the more people on bikes the more provision there will be.

I live in West wales, ...... paved with the same smooth care as the road .......

That sounds rather like civilisation to me!  Lucky you!

What's public transport? Is that the Truro park and ride cos they're the only buses I ever see...

Interesting but unfortunately the document gives no indication as to the detailed scoring and ranking system used for the rankings - like much of what comes out of CBT.  Until such time as they publish such information documents like this will have little weight within the transport planning industry...

 

It's a shame as some of the findings are vaguely interesting but not backed up - as opposed to those that are simply obvious or tenuous.

That sounds rather like civilisation to me! Lucky you!

Except the paths are not smooth and not clean! Roads are quiet in winter though which is great.

Except the paths are not smooth and not clean! Roads are quiet in winter though which is great.

Paths?  Paths?!!!   

We have no railway lines any more, no motorways, no dual carriageways, horrendous roads and a skeleton bus service which is more expensive than owning and running a car for most. Government just decided to cut all local bus services on top of that...... This will result in a high impact especially for pensioners of which only a small fraction can drive and the rest now faced with walking miles for basics like food. This will force a big influx of people going into residential care and having to sell their life possessions in order to do so.  

 

A lot of that boils down to these big companies like Tesco's they control the local councils now. They force the hand on small shops and make it so everyone has to travel to these *mega stores*, we have lost all local trade no bread makers no fruit and veg shops no butchers. its sad really, as a lot of those where family run and owned.

Paths?  Paths?!!!   

Yes, cyclePATH, as opposed to Footpath (or bridleway).

I live in Wales,

Yep, public transport here is astoundingly bad. 

If you don't own a car, it can take literally days to get from one place to another, if you can even get there at all.

 

EDIT: I should add that Bangor is classed as a city, not a rural area, and the transport is still ****ing horrendous.

Edited 18 December, 201411 yr by samj2013

Is that why the roads in sheffield are so terrible? To try to away you towards the tram?

SWMBO goes to uni there. The roads are the worst for miles and miles around tbf

I don't think I've ever driven on roads as bad as those in sheffield! They are truly awful! Tram was decent though when I used it last month.

One of the points of the report was 

 

Cities should invest in cycling provision and improved integration between different modes of transport so people can get to their destination without using a car.

 

Isn't that the point ?  They're doing what they're being asked to do. 

Great, but what if you need to transport heavy/bulky goods? What if you need to go food shopping for a family?

Persuade people to use public transport rather than drive when it's unnecessary, great. But don't intentionally make life difficult for those that might need to drive. There are some things you just can't do with public transport.

A lot of that boils down to these big companies like Tesco's they control the local counsels now.

 

What a load of rubbish - Tescos do not control Councils.

 

What they are able to do, however, is get planning applications through for new stores...   and if they don't get them thrpough first time they have the finances to go to appeal.

A lot of that boils down to these big companies like Tesco's they control the local counsels now

Councils*

Just returning the favour from yesterday .

What the likes of Tesco do is turn up at Planning Committee and present their application. They say we'll create x no of construction jobs, x no of store staff and the local economy will benefit by x amount of £. Committee members usually say yes despite what I or my colleagues might be recommending they do.

Great, but what if you need to transport heavy/bulky goods? What if you need to go food shopping for a family?

Persuade people to use public transport rather than drive when it's unnecessary, great. But don't intentionally make life difficult for those that might need to drive. There are some things you just can't do with public transport.

 

I think the CBT recognises this.