Cars on Elm Grove

Elm Grove in Brighton is a challenge for pedestrians. The pavements are broad, but they have been annexed by cars. There has been a lot of controversy in the community and now the Council has come up with some proposals to manage the situation. Sadly, the proposals seem to involve a loss of pavement, some of which will be converted into legitimate parking spaces. On the bright side, this might regularise the situation, and, coupled with properly enforcement, could end the blight of cars being driven along the pavement, or parking at bus stops or on blind corners. There’s a consultation on the proposals until midnight on 11^th February 2013.  Supporting documents and consultation here. (Photo from BHCC leaflet)

Pavement Parking

Pavement parking is currently a major problem in the Elm Grove area of Brighton, and it’s a Living Streets campaign.www.livingstreets.org.uk So I put on my Living Streets hat, and was pleased to see that my letter on the subject is the lead in today’s Brighton Argus. It’s going to be interesting to see the comments. 
“We need to be clear that nobody has “the right” to park their car on the pavement: pavements are for pedestrians, not cars. The problem is that, in many areas, like Elm Grove, there is not enough space on the street to accommodate all the drivers who want to park there. This does not mean that rather than finding somewhere more suitable to park, and continuing their journey on foot, drivers should simply drive up onto the pavement and park there. Cars which block pavements make it difficult, and potentially dangerous, for pedestrians, particularly people with mobility problems, or with children in pushchairs. Cars on pavements also cause damage which costs money to get repaired (and makes walking more hazardous). Health and environment experts say that it’s important to reduce car use, by enabling and encouraging more people to walk as part of their daily routine. This means that we need not just connected street networks and 20 mph speed limits, but uncluttered pavements. It’s clearly essential that everybody works together to try to ensure that a practical solution is found to this situation, whether in Elm Grove or anywhere else in Brighton and Hove. It’s equally clear that the current situation cannot continue.”