Thread by @BeccleJ

⚠️Long thread ⚠️
I want to share my ideas about traffic in Worcester, but it’s important to give a few details about myself. I drive a car, I run errands on my bike and I sometimes walk to the local shop. I drive my child 7 miles to primary school. I am part of the problem. 1/12

#Worcester has a traffic problem. The narrow roads are pinch points, there’s more traffic trying to get through than the roads can take which leads to congestion, frustration and pollution. How could we solve this 2/12

Reduce the amount of vehicles using the roads especially the number of private cars. “But we don’t want to make people give up their cars, everybody should have the choice to drive if they want to.” 3/12

So make the alternatives irresistible, and more convenient than driving. Regular and affordable P&R using bus and train would encourage people living outside the city to leave their cars at the edge. 4/12

Convenient, regular and affordable local bus services in and around the city would encourage locals to leave their cars at home. Safe, segregated cycle lanes (on roads where there is space) would encourage people to cycle instead of driving. 5/12

If there are safe cycle/ walking routes to local schools, and parents can carry on to work on safe routes after dropping the children off, they would be less insistent on using a car. Older children would be able to travel independently, eliminating the school run. 6/12

And after all of those carrots are in place, the stick. A gradual increase in the cost of parking so that driving into the city becomes less convenient than using the alternatives. Cars aren’t banned, people still have choice, but it is not the easiest, cheapest option. 7/12

Another solution would be to encourage delivery companies to use e-cargo bikes or trikes for deliveries in the city. Worcester 6 would be an ideal location for a delivery hub. DHL are already there and they use bikes in other cities. 8/12

To me it appears the leaders of
@worcscc
may lack the expertise, vision and guts to make this a reality. IMHO they are too nervous to give anything a try for fear of scaring voters. Being “in control” of the council seems to be all that matters, and the city suffers. 9/12

But something has to be done. Simply replacing all of the cars with EVs won’t solve the congestion or frustration of being stuck in a traffic jam. We need to get people to reduce their car use by providing alternatives 10/12

Me? Post COVID I am still driving my child to school, but in a 2nd hand EV not a diesel. They’ll eventually attend a local high school and travel by bus. I’ll cycle to work when we return to the office, taking the 25 min in-direct, quieter route. Same time as my drive/walk. 11/12

I’ll be causing no congestion and will be improving my health everyday. 12/12
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