No car day
From Robbie Goodfellow
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
For the others and myself who we're working the day of the Tour de France, nothing much happened except a certain degree of trade increase. But not that much.
However, one treat I did get from our Gaelic cousins was that of Hebden being reduced to a engineless community. It was one of those moments you can only dream of. No cars, yet the sound of people, music and dare I say it....birdsong.
If we are never again to get the tour cycling through our streets. I would hope one day, another glorious Sunday in the middle of summer, we can have another day without motors running through our streets.
From Andy M
Thursday, 24 July 2014
The town could make an event of it to minimise potential revenue 'loss' - it could become a fixture! Needs a positive name though. Open Street day, Human Highway . . .
From Susan Quick
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Regular no car day is a wonderful idea! It might be exactly what is needed if the current proposal to create Shared Space in Hebden Bridge is to be realized. Shared Space is an urban design approach which seeks to minimize demarcation between vehicle traffic and pedestrians by removing features such as curbs, pavements, traffic lights and road surface markings. My fear is that motor vehicles would dominate. Thus putting the safety of people who like me lack perfect vision and/or physical agility at risk. Sadly the vehicle takes pride of place in British towns.
I will never forget staying in a hotel in Kathmandu which was down a road that was so narrow - here it would have been one way only. Yet there was two-way traffic and pedestrians walked along both sides of the road in complete safety. I fear that to be safe Shared Space in Hebden Bridge needs to be far more than just moving bollards and melding pavements and roads. It was not so long ago that a car sped past me as I was using the zebra crossing on Market Street. A shift in the car driving psyche is needed.
From Cllr Janet Battye
Friday, 8 August 2014
Walking down Cragg Road and into Hebden Bridge (and then out to catch the bus back to Todmorden) on TdF Sunday was amazing! I've already started asking whether we could have a car free day once a year! That'd be a start.
From Bruce C
Sunday, 10 August 2014
I agree that having a day with no cars was fantastic. Don't get me wrong I love my car and motorbike but it was great to be able to cycle and walk through town without cars dominating. I would be in support of a no car day once a year (or maybe more often).
I also love the idea of shared space streets with no pavements or traffic lights.
See the Tour de France thread for previous discussion on this issue