Pedestrianisation of streets to assist with social distancing

[PTR 444]

Moderator note: Posts #1 - #4 originally in this thread:

Supermarkets and Covid-19

I can't help thinking that some of these solutions needed a bit more thought! A bit like the handy sanitisation stations in the supermarket entrance so you can wipe down your trolley handle, the one you’ve had your hands all over for 30 minutes already in the queue outside...

www.railforums.co.uk

With non-essential retailers allowed to open from the 15th June, I am wondering how they are going to fit all the customers queuing outside on the streets since most pavements are only about 2-3 metres wide. While it is much easier to set up a queue line on pedestrianised roads, the fact that people will have to stand 2 metres apart may make the street thoroughfare much narrower in the process. I think the only way round this would be to have adjacent shops opening on different alternating days of the week, or temporary pedestrianisation where necessary.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With non-essential retailers allowed to open from the 15th June, I am wondering how they are going to fit all the customers queuing outside on the streets since most pavements are only about 2-3 metres wide. While it is much easier to set up a queue line on pedestrianised roads, the fact that people will have to stand 2 metres apart may make the street thoroughfare much narrower in the process. I think the only way round this would be to have adjacent shops opening on different alternating days of the week, or temporary pedestrianisation where necessary.

Temporary pedestrianisation will have many benefits - better for cycling too if you keep a bike lane down the middle (I'd do this with Oxford Street) and allowing pubs etc to spread tables out once they can reopen.

If it works well it can become permanent.

 

[PTR 444]

Temporary pedestrianisation will have many benefits - better for cycling too if you keep a bike lane down the middle (I'd do this with Oxford Street) and allowing pubs etc to spread tables out once they can reopen.

If it works well it can become permanent.

Going off topic a bit, I know there was a proposal a few years back to pedestrianise the busiest part of Oxford Street (between Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road I think). Now that we have realised the importance of having spacious, traffic free streets more than ever, I wonder if this would be a good time for TfL to reconsider pedestrianisation.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Going off topic a bit, I know there was a proposal a few years back to pedestrianise the busiest part of Oxford Street (between Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road I think). Now that we have realised the importance of having spacious, traffic free streets more than ever, I wonder if this would be a good time for TfL to reconsider pedestrianisation.

IIRC, wasn't it Westminster council that canned it, rather than TfL?

 

[AM9]

IIRC, wasn't it Westminster council that canned it, rather than TfL?

They might find it more difficult to resist now given the experience in London now and the kick-start that it will probably give to paying more than lip service to greening our cities.

 

[stevetay3]

Yes pedestrianise the street, how do we then get goods delivered. to businesses in those areas

 

[Ianno87]

Yes pedestrianise the street, how do we then get goods delivered. to businesses in those areas

At night, or early morning/late evening.

Tons of places do it already on pedestrianised streets

 

[Bletchleyite]

At night, or early morning/late evening.

Tons of places do it already on pedestrianised streets

Indeed, it's the norm these days for main shopping streets to be pedestrianised. Only in London is the most main pedestrian street in the entire UK not.

As you say, you take deliveries at the crack of dawn or late at night. Normally pedestrianised streets allow vehicles for loading only typically before 7am and after 9pm or thereabouts.

 

[BJames]

Indeed, it's the norm these days for main shopping streets to be pedestrianised. Only in London is the most main pedestrian street in the entire UK not.

As you say, you take deliveries at the crack of dawn or late at night. Normally pedestrianised streets allow vehicles for loading only typically before 7am and after 9pm or thereabouts.

I would love to see Oxford Street pedestrianised on a more permanent basis. It would greatly improve the shopping experience in the future once it starts to get busy again.

 

[edwin_m]

Yes pedestrianise the street, how do we then get goods delivered. to businesses in those areas

Many shops take delivery from a back street - I suspect this is so of Oxford Street. Otherwise it would have to be outside main shopping hours as suggested.

One of the major issues with Oxford Street was the buses, some of which were taken off but others would have to use residential side streets.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Many shops take delivery from a back street - I suspect this is so of Oxford Street. Otherwise it would have to be outside main shopping hours as suggested.

One of the major issues with Oxford Street was the buses, some of which were taken off but others would have to use residential side streets.

Once Crossrail opens will we need them to run down there? Could we not terminate them at each end?

 

[Enthusiast]

Once Crossrail opens will we need them to run down there? Could we not terminate them at each end?

They don't have to wait for Crossrail. The Central Line stops at Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Bond Street and Marble Arch. But the drawback of using the tube to travel along Oxford Street is that it takes so long to get to and from the platforms. It is definitely quicker to walk between any two of the Central Line Stations and a fairly spritely person could probably manage to get to a third stop quicker. Terminating all buses at Marble Arch may be feasible but the Tottenham Court Road end might present some difficulties.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Whilst I agree with the concept of pedestrianisation, the displaced traffic has to go somewhere. Cue the residential streets rat-runs in the smaller towns

 

[Antman]

Temporary pedestrianisation will have many benefits - better for cycling too if you keep a bike lane down the middle (I'd do this with Oxford Street) and allowing pubs etc to spread tables out once they can reopen.

If it works well it can become permanent.

I'm sure it will work well in the weather we've got at the moment but I can't imagine many people wanting to sit outside drinking in the depths of winter though.......... that said there are many other benefits of pedestrianisation.

 

[edwin_m]

Whilst I agree with the concept of pedestrianisation, the displaced traffic has to go somewhere. Cue the residential streets rat-runs in the smaller towns

Surprisingly a lot of the traffic just disappears - people shift to other modes of transport or more distant routes. It's the same principle that improving roads generates more traffic, just applied in reverse.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Our non-essential shops opened last week. The main drag in Douglas is already pedestrianised, as many bigger shopping streets are already. They've temporarily pedestrianised the main street in Ramsey, and in Port Erin they closed off all the on-street parking bays to give more space.

As for queuing, shops have marked out queue lines outside their shops. Not all shops have wanted to re-open. Bizarrely the bigger shops have shorter queues, because they can let more people in at any one time. Its the small shops, where you can only have a couple of people in at a time, where the queues have been longer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sure it will work well in the weather we've got at the moment but I can't imagine many people wanting to sit outside drinking in the depths of winter though.......... that said there are many other benefits of pedestrianisation.

No (though because people can smoke when sitting outdoors it's less rare than it was). However I think the Government are hoping to be able to get to a stage of "a great British outdoor summer" by July or so with most things like restaurants reinstated but outdoors and British holidays, so the electorate is not too unhappy.

 

[Mag_seven]

Can we please stick to the thread topic which is the Pedestrianisation of streets to assist with social distancing.

Thanks