this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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Councils call for pavement parking to be banned across England (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Part of the problem is how much wider on average cars have got, making it less viable to park next to the curb or with just 2 wheels on it. Another part is that both members of a couple are more likely to be working and needing separate cars, and if their kids can't afford to move away, than that's an extra car too. Additionally, councils have convinced themselves that not lowering carbs to allow for extra driveways is promoting public transport use, ignoring how unviable that often is.

Cars with all 4 wheels on the pavement annoy me, but it's become so normalised that drivers have looked at me, like me walking on the pavement is an irritating obstruction to where they have every right to be. I think the police in some areas allow you to upload a photo to report them, but it's not something I'd do 'cos it's a complex problem and fines aren't the solution.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Sounds great in principle, but where are me and the other 60 houses down our terraced street with no off-street parking supposed to park our cars?

Yes, I'd love to live in the public transport utopia that's just over the horizon, but right now, I need a car to get to and from work and I live in a house that was literally built before cars were a thing.

Again, I can only speak to our street but the vast majority of car owners make sure there's ample room to get through. The issue is that there's usually one or two assholes who ruin it for everyone, and those guys usually find out pretty quickly why it's a bad idea to block the path.

For context: I drive, but I've also had two kids and therefore two pushchairs I've had to navigate along the pavement. My car also got totalled a few years ago by a delivery driver who drove into it whilst it was parked. Id rather it not be parked on the road/pavement but what choice do we have here?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Found the guy from Manchester

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Basically any city or town or village that was built before the invention of the car, and in the UK that's basically everywhere. The house I live in was built before plumbing. God damn the road is narrow.

If we didn't park on the curb no one would be able to get past. The other day an ambulance came up here, and it was a squeeze but it was fine so I don't think it's actually a problem.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

My road is narrow (built 1860) and you can't park on the curb because the trees are enormous. You also definitely can't fit any vehicle down which isn't a small compact car.

Delivery drivers and vans never even try, you see people reversing daily because there's zero chance of turning around if everyone's drive is occupied.

My driveway gets blocked in weekly and have to fight off people "just parking for 10 mins" on a regular basis. I hate those people, my wife needs to do emergency visits to patients and often can't LEAVE the driveway for hours.

It's a absolute nightmare and parking is out of control, people feel they have a right to park outside of their destination.

We have tried to hang the car into the road just so we can't get blocked in but then that defeats the purpose of the drive (and blocks the pavement. There's no winning for us

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Basically true for Bristol too. Barely any rail network (despite having two main stations), a terrible bus system under a monopoly, and often no choice but to drive if you want to keep your job.

We've also got some very tight roads, and terraced housing that isn't really fit for purpose any more, especially outside of the main city.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's your problem to find somewhere to park. Maybe on another nearby street. Or buy/rent a dwelling with parking provided.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

"That's your problem" is a terrible way to get people to support policy. These are real, valid concerns that many people simply can't deal with without other systems in place that currently don't exist.

This type of "fuck any gradual change, revolution now" is just armchair anarchy pushed by kids who don't face financial pressure.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Oh totally. I don't have a car because I don't have anywhere to park it, and can't justify owning a personal vehicle when (bad) public transport and cycle paths are available.

Because of this I find people who expect public space to be given to them, to the detriment of other people, to be selfish.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

So if I park on another street aren't I just parking in someone else's way? You're just kicking the can down the road you're not actually fixing the problem the fact that you don't get that is insane

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Forcing people to park further away discourages them from purchasing a vehicle in the first place. Fewer cars is better for everyone.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

No it doesn't it just annoys them. Have you actually met people like real members of the human race or they all just abstract numbers in your head because you know nothing about humans.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Ya but your argument is also expecting public space to be given to you to the detriment of others. It's a double edged sword.

"Park on a different street" literally just shifts the problem.

If a public parking lot was available then ya, totally feasible, but it'll have to be big which then takes up the land from something else, again shifting the problem.

You're getting upitty with someone who is concerned that knee-jerk public policy is going to have large, likely unplanned, detrimental effects on the citizens outside of just themselves.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Taking space used for cars and giving it to cyclist does actually make everyone's life better, even drivers. You get less pollution, traffic, medical cost to the NHS, pedestrian deaths, and infrastructure costs.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

"Park on a different street" literally just shifts the problem.

Actually I'm more going for "don't have a car if you don't have anywhere to put it". I know it's an unpopular opinion, but having a car is not a right and the sheer volume of them is to the detriment of the entire population.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

British streets were never built for the amount of cars we have today. I can see why parking half on/off is needed.

I live in a new estate where homes either have two spaces on their driveway or a parking space. People still park fully on the path. To the point if you was in a wheelchair you couldn't get by. People also don't use their allocated parking space and park outside their house on the footpath.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

This. My ex has a separate garage with hardstanding in front of it 25m from her front door. The garage is full of shite and she parks in 'her space' outside her front door. She gets the arseache if someone else parks there as well.

Thing is, there is a Tesco Express at the end of the road and delivery lorries have taken her driver side wing mirror about three times.

Still has to park in her space though.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Said councils need to provide adequate parking, and ensure that future developments have such.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Councils need to provide public transport, and support walking and cycling

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Sure, and the government needs to regulate the public transport industry such that they stop structuring their businesses so they can squirrel their profits away using Hollywood-style accounting. But, failing that, councils need to plan cities appropriately.

Even London, which has decent public transport, has decent space for parking.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

So you want the city to freely give public space for your private vehicle?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Yes, Because I am entitled. So there. Peasant.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Why do city governments need to provide free/subsidized storage for private vehicles in public spaces, now?

It is not financially nor geometrically sustainable. It is a wealth transfer from the poorer to the richer. People who want cars can store them on their own property.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Private vehicles are owned by members of the public. The public pay taxes.

It not being "geometrically sustainable" is the result of poor planning - which the city council is responsible for.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Everything is owned by members of the public. That is not a clever argument.

There's no reason to be subsidizing this. It is not necessary nor helpful for the health of the city.

Not being geometrically sustainable means that a city with good planning doesn't lean into it. It's not the "result of poor planning". You can't change the laws of geometry with planning. Cars are an inefficient and ineffective transportation plan outside of the countryside and cities should only support them the bare minimum necessary while encouraging other forms as primary - subsidizing them by providing free/mandatory parking is leaps and bounds beyond the bare minimum and can quickly put to death sustainable urban growth.

When in the midst of a housing crisis we should not be devoting city resources to these intensely inefficient, regressive uses.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

That would hurt the number of little boxes their developer cousins can build though.