Car Parks That Used To Be Called Streets

[Findlay]

 

I can remember cycling the streets of Sheffield back in the 80s when car ownership was low and bus fairs were cheap. 

Since the privatisation of the buses, car ownership has soared so that all the streets where I live are packed with three lanes of traffic and two half pavements. 

It has reached a saturation point with no passing places for cars coming down the narrow driver-made single lane.

On top of that, people are parking their possessions on junctions, so you can't join a road safely as you can't see the road left or right.

I nearly had an accident yesterday when a driver came out of a junction too fast onto the main road where I was as parked cars blocked the view of the junction.

 

I usually like to add a solution to a dilemma, so these are my thoughts;

1. Bring back low-cost bus fares to encourage public transport use.
2. Paid permits for all cars parked on Sheffield streets
3. Double yellow lines on all junctions up to 15m long or three car lengths.
4. Parked car owners are 50/50 to blame for any accident nearby.
5. A city-wide education campaign to highlight dangerous parking.
6. Better LA & Police enforcement of current driving/parking standards. 
7. Pavement parking ban on bin days or bins can be left on the road instead of the pavement.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Findlay

[HeHasRisen]

Is that a flying pig? 

[Pyrotequila]

Isn't parking within a certain distance, on or opposite a junction illegal already?

[HeHasRisen]

16 minutes ago, Pyrotequila said:

Isn't parking within a certain distance, on or opposite a junction illegal already?

Opposite or within 32 feet (roughly 10 meters) of a junction, except in an authorised parking bay .

 

Given the list of "demands" I think its clear as day that the OP doesnt drive and has no concept of how much it would cost to bring them all in.

 

Lets also bring in number 8 then: better enforcement of cyclists using pavements and picking and choosing which road signals apply to them (red lights mainly).....

Edited July 7, 2023 by HeHasRisen

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Pyrotequila said:

Isn't parking within a certain distance, on or opposite a junction illegal already?

It used to be and I never heard of the law being changed.

What has changed is that there is no law enforcement now because we never see a copper.

 

[forgeman]

Any bad or unsafe parking can be reported to the police, in fact they are asking for help in these cases. Send them photographic evidence and they will take it up and fine if deemed illegal/unsafe.

 

[Annie Bynnol]

  If you have grass verges outside your property you can apply for a free permit for planters. This has protected our verges and enabled more people to park and enabled an easier road to drive along.

  The Government have recently completed a review/consultation of urban parking and are going to choose from the following:

Councils given more enforceable powers over footway and verge parking.

OR

Above and Councils to designate areas where footway parking is permitted -within marked boxes on urban narrow streets.

OR

Above and London type bar on footway and verge parking, tow away zones-double red lines unless in permitted marked area.

[Resident]

3 hours ago, Findlay said:

 

I can remember cycling the streets of Sheffield back in the 80s when car ownership was low and bus fairs were cheap. 

Since the privatisation of the buses, car ownership has soared so that all the streets where I live are packed with three lanes of traffic and two half pavements. 

It has reached a saturation point with no passing places for cars coming down the narrow driver-made single lane.

On top of that, people are parking their possessions on junctions, so you can't join a road safely as you can't see the road left or right.

I nearly had an accident yesterday when a driver came out of a junction too fast onto the main road where I was as parked cars blocked the view of the junction.

 

I usually like to add a solution to a dilemma, so these are my thoughts;

1. Bring back low-cost bus fares to encourage public transport use.
2. Paid permits for all cars parked on Sheffield streets
3. Double yellow lines on all junctions up to 15m long or three car lengths.
4. Parked car owners are 50/50 to blame for any accident nearby.
5. A city-wide education campaign to highlight dangerous parking.
6. Better LA & Police enforcement of current driving/parking standards. 
7. Pavement parking ban on bin days or bins can be left on the road instead of the pavement.

 

1. Even prior to the fare cap, South Yorkshire enjoyed some of the lowest fares in the country. Additionally AFAIK South Yorkshire is the only county with fixed child fares, the others apply 1/2 adult fares. 

2.  Any council that brought that in would cause mass civil unrest. Permits may work in some areas but not all

3.  See Rule 250 of the Highway code.   

 

4. Were you high when you wrote this? 

 

5. There are constant education campaigns, mainly via social media

6. It'll never happen. Councils and police play hot potato with parking issues, especially in certain areas of the city.

7. So cars then park wholly on the road and the bin wagon can't get to the bins. Genius!
 

3 hours ago, Findlay said:

Since the privatisation of the buses, car ownership has soared so that all the streets where I live are packed with three lanes of traffic and two half pavements. 

Care to provide a link to the research/study that directly links car ownership to the act of privatisation of public transport?
 

3 minutes ago, Annie Bynnol said:

  If you have grass verges outside your property you can apply for a free permit for planters. This has protected our verges and enabled more people to park and enabled an easier road to drive along.

I've applied for permission to replace my verge with a parking space. It's been conditionally granted on the point that I must use a permeable solution. I intend to anyway as I plan to match my driveway which is block-paved. 

[Guest busdriver1]

5 hours ago, Findlay said:

 

I can remember cycling the streets of Sheffield back in the 80s when car ownership was low and bus fairs were cheap. 

Since the privatisation of the buses, car ownership has soared so that all the streets where I live are packed with three lanes of traffic and two half pavements. 

 

1 hour ago, Resident said:

Care to provide a link to the research/study that directly links car ownership to the act of privatisation of public transport?

Car ownership has ben rising long before the privatisation of the buses. 

The PTE's were formed to partially try and address this but only had a minimal effect in some areas where they very temporarily  slowed down peoples habits  rather than change them.

The massive amounts of cash thrown at bus services in South Yorkshire in the 70's and 80's had virtually no effect in reducing car ownership, and it could be argued that the resulting issues with bus safety actually sped up peoples desire to buy cars.

Edited July 7, 2023 by busdriver1

[redruby]

It’s got worse over the years due to multiple car ownership by households and cars getting bigger.  I not going to pretend to know the solution to this but I’m sure it’s unsustainable.  
I remember something on Sheffield Online a while ago about someone letting down tyres on 4x4s as a protest of some sort.  It was amazing to hear how many local people were district nurses living on remote farms that absolutely had to own a 4x4 to do their job.