Tag: community

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Barnet Council 20mph consultation

The council is consulting on its approach for deciding whether to implement 20 mph zones in Barnet. Their proposal is that if residents want a 20-mph zone in their area, they can apply to the council for this but have to provide evidence that there is support for this in their community and obtain support from at least one of their local councillors. The council says it will also implement 20 mph in areas where it has identified there are safety concerns.

Barnet cyclists support the implementation of 20 mph zones but believe that the council’s proposals are not proactive enough, are very bureaucratic and could be vetoed by local councillors. 

The council has identified the type of areas where they think 20 mph would be appropriate, including near schools, hospitals and in residential areas. We think that they should go ahead and implement 20 mph across the borough in these areas, and this is what they should be consulting on. 

The recent research results from Wales and Transport for London shows that 20mph limits can have a real impact on reducing casualties and are much cheaper to install than localised Zones. We are not suggesting that there should be a default 20mph limit in Barnet but that the council should be open to introducing 20mph limits across much wider areas than just a few streets (as this consultation is proposing).

Responding to the consultation gives us all a chance to say that we support 20 mph but would like to see the council take a more proactive approach. It is also an opportunity to say that we would like to see other traffic calming measures such as modal filters in the borough and consideration given to 20mph speed limits as well as Zones.

The consultation closes on 21st August, and can be found on the engage Barnet website here: 20mph Zone Policy consultation | Engage Barnet

Please take time to complete the survey and encourage your contacts, friends and family to do likewise.

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Barnet Council-Parking charges consultation

Barnet Council has recently launched a consultation on parking charges, which aims to encourage modal shift from private cars to public transport, cycling and walking. Key points are:

  • Minimum charges will align with bus fares, so 1 hrs parking will cost the equivalent of two single bus journeys, i.e. £3.50 in total 
  • The charges will apply in some council owned locations that currently offer free parking
  • Blue badge holders will continue to enjoy free parking
  • Parking charges will apply to motorcycles 

The consultation can be accessed here 

Parking Charges Policy Consultation | Engage Barnet

and includes a survey which we encourage people to complete. In the “other” boxes you could also take the opportunity to raise the issue of the need for more cycle lanes and some of the following points:

  • Aligning parking fees with bus fares is positive, but the policy could go further in recognition of the social, health and environmental costs to society of private car use versus other forms of transport.
  • The fees being proposed are higher than at present and will generate additional revenue for the Special Parking Account – we would like to see a realignment of the council’s spend on highways to invest more in facilitating active travel, which would help meet targets to increase the share of journeys made by walking and cycling. 
  • The council should include a reduction in charges for cycle hangers in the review, as these are currently higher than the charges for some car parking permits in the borough