Whitehall's green agenda.

[Dr Jekyll]

Brilliant stuff from Sherelle Jacobs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/05/po...

EG

she said:

...Whitehall is genuinely convinced that Red Wall utopia is cycling to work from a rabbit hutch on the outskirts of Birmingham. They find the idea that people might actually aspire to drive to their downtown office from their semi-detached in Dudley, and at the weekends cruise, sunroof down, to the Bullring for shopping, completely ghastly...

[Fittster]

Dr Jekyll said:

Brilliant stuff from Sherelle Jacobs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/05/po...

EG

she said:

...Whitehall is genuinely convinced that Red Wall utopia is cycling to work from a rabbit hutch on the outskirts of Birmingham. They find the idea that people might actually aspire to drive to their downtown office from their semi-detached in Dudley, and at the weekends cruise, sunroof down, to the Bullring for shopping, completely ghastly...

Sherelle Jacobs sounds completely out of touch.

No Brummie would ever use the expression 'downtown office' and you won't find a true Brummie in Dudley (that's the Black Country).

What a lot of people in Birmingham would like (but won't get because it's too expensive) is a tube system. However most are delighted that the Camp Hill railway line is going to be reopened and would like more of it.

From a Green perspective they layout of Birmingham is a bit of a nightmare, with the ring road very close to the city center, which seems to be a common postwar planning mistake as Coventry has the same issue.

[bodhi]

Fittster said:

Dr Jekyll said:

Brilliant stuff from Sherelle Jacobs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/05/po...

EG

she said:

...Whitehall is genuinely convinced that Red Wall utopia is cycling to work from a rabbit hutch on the outskirts of Birmingham. They find the idea that people might actually aspire to drive to their downtown office from their semi-detached in Dudley, and at the weekends cruise, sunroof down, to the Bullring for shopping, completely ghastly...

Sherelle Jacobs sounds completely out of touch.

No Brummie would ever use the expression 'downtown office' and you won't find a true Brummie in Dudley (that's the Black Country).

What a lot of people in Birmingham would like (but won't get because it's too expensive) is a tube system. However most are delighted that the Camp Hill railway line is going to be reopened and would like more of it.

From a Green perspective they layout of Birmingham is a bit of a nightmare, with the ring road very close to the city center, which seems to be a common postwar planning mistake as Coventry has the same issue.

I'm getting a slightly different feeling from my office in Birmingham. The locals couldn't give a crap about a tube system, and would just like the council to stop digging the City Centre up so you can drive into it if required.

[P5BNij]

The Camp Hill railway line isn't closed, unless you mean the Lifford Curve further along it, just before Kings Norton...? Or are you referring to the proposed chord from the Camp Hill line at Bordersley Junction down the GW line into Moore St and Snow Hill?

Edited by P5BNij on Friday 6th March 11:53

[grumbledoak]

Fittster said:

Sherelle Jacobs sounds completely out of touch.

No Brummie would ever use the expression 'downtown office' and you won't find a true Brummie in Dudley (that's the Black Country).

What a lot of people in Birmingham would like (but won't get because it's too expensive) is a tube system. However most are delighted that the Camp Hill railway line is going to be reopened and would like more of it.

From a Green perspective they layout of Birmingham is a bit of a nightmare, with the ring road very close to the city center, which seems to be a common postwar planning mistake as Coventry has the same issue.

The only people who really want a tube system, or public transport generally, are those who would profit or otherwise benefit from it's provision.

Real people just want to get on with their lives with least effort and expense.

[Fittster]

bodhi said:

Fittster said:

Dr Jekyll said:

Brilliant stuff from Sherelle Jacobs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/05/po...

EG

she said:

...Whitehall is genuinely convinced that Red Wall utopia is cycling to work from a rabbit hutch on the outskirts of Birmingham. They find the idea that people might actually aspire to drive to their downtown office from their semi-detached in Dudley, and at the weekends cruise, sunroof down, to the Bullring for shopping, completely ghastly...

Sherelle Jacobs sounds completely out of touch.

No Brummie would ever use the expression 'downtown office' and you won't find a true Brummie in Dudley (that's the Black Country).

What a lot of people in Birmingham would like (but won't get because it's too expensive) is a tube system. However most are delighted that the Camp Hill railway line is going to be reopened and would like more of it.

From a Green perspective they layout of Birmingham is a bit of a nightmare, with the ring road very close to the city center, which seems to be a common postwar planning mistake as Coventry has the same issue.

I'm getting a slightly different feeling from my office in Birmingham. The locals couldn't give a crap about a tube system, and would just like the council to stop digging the City Centre up so you can drive into it if required.

Most people I know support the regeneration of the city center and are pretty chuffed how far it has come since the early 1990s. Many people are happy with Birmingham investing in public transport. Find someone living in Moseley and ask them if they think re-opening the railway station is a good or bad idea.

[Fittster]

P5BNij said:

The Camp Hill railway line isn't closed, unless you mean the Lifford Curve further along it, just before Kings Norton...? Or are you referring to the proposed chord from the Camp Hill line at Bordersley Junction down the GW line into Moore St and Snow Hill?

Edited by P5BNij on Friday 6th March 11:53

Whatever the name if for the line that goes through Moseley and Kings Heath.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-new...

[JagLover]

grumbledoak said:

The only people who really want a tube system, or public transport generally, are those who would profit or otherwise benefit from it's provision.

Real people just want to get on with their lives with least effort and expense.

If money were no object I am sure most major towns wouldn't mind a tube system. Most of the infrastructure is underground and you don't end up with buses clogging the streets.

[P5BNij]

Fittster said:

P5BNij said:

The Camp Hill railway line isn't closed, unless you mean the Lifford Curve further along it, just before Kings Norton...? Or are you referring to the proposed chord from the Camp Hill line at Bordersley Junction down the GW line into Moore St and Snow Hill?

Edited by P5BNij on Friday 6th March 11:53

Whatever the name if for the line that goes through Moseley and Kings Heath.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-new...

Yes - this is the same line I referred to, the Camp Hill line, it's never been closed but the stations along it were closed in the '60s. I drive on it regularly and agree that re-instating the old stations at Moseley and Kings Heath is a good idea.

[DaveGrohl]

Dr Jekyll said:

Brilliant stuff from Sherelle Jacobs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/05/po...

EG

she said:

...Whitehall is genuinely convinced that Red Wall utopia is cycling to work from a rabbit hutch on the outskirts of Birmingham. They find the idea that people might actually aspire to drive to their downtown office from their semi-detached in Dudley, and at the weekends cruise, sunroof down, to the Bullring for shopping, completely ghastly...

Copy and paste please?

[grumbledoak]

JagLover said:

If money were no object I am sure most major towns wouldn't mind a tube system. Most of the infrastructure is underground and you don't end up with buses clogging the streets.

You won't find many Londoners telling you they love the Northern Line at rush hour in the summer. But most "wouldn't mind" everyone else being down there while they drive!

[Agammemnon]

DaveGrohl said:

Copy and paste please?

That's what he's done.

[Type R Tom]

Whether you agree with the green issues or not, we have potential obesity and mental health crisis looming, much of which can be solved with exercise. If we can get some people out of their cars, that would then free up capacity for those who really need one. Exercise is generally regarded as a wonder drug and squeezing a bit into everyday life could help a lot of people but it won't happen until we make sustainable methods more attractive. Most of our cities are based on 100+ year old layouts with limited space, something has to give.

[grumbledoak]

Type R Tom said:

Whether you agree with the green issues or not, we have potential obesity and mental health crisis looming, much of which can be solved with exercise. If we can get some people out of their cars, that would then free up capacity for those who really need one. Exercise is generally regarded as a wonder drug and squeezing a bit into everyday life could help a lot of people but it won't happen until we make sustainable methods more attractive. Most of our cities are based on 100+ year old layouts with limited space, something has to give.

I could physically run or cycle to work and back. You won't find me even considering it until all the buses are electric or hydrogen powered, because it's a bus lane the whole way!

[Sway]

Places like Birmingham seem ripe for a protected route for escooters/ebikes.

Recognising that even small city cars take too much space for a single commuter, and promoting safe use of such things (alongside regular bikes for those who want to put the effort in), supporting true "personal transport" seems the forward looking view.

[Agammemnon]

Sway said:

Places like Birmingham seem ripe for a protected route for escooters/ebikes.

Recognising that even small city cars take too much space for a single commuter, and promoting safe use of such things (alongside regular bikes for those who want to put the effort in), supporting true "personal transport" seems the forward looking view.

The A38 from city centre to Brum Uni has recently had a major cycle route installed, causing massive problems in the process. I've almost never seen a bike on it and certainly never at night or in the rain.

[vonuber]

grumbledoak said:

You won't find many Londoners telling you they love the Northern Line at rush hour in the summer. But most "wouldn't mind" everyone else being down there while they drive!

It's fine. it's a million times better than trying to drive into zone 1 in the summer.

[grumbledoak]

vonuber said:

It's fine. it's a million times better than trying to drive into zone 1 in the summer.

I do both regularly. You?

[vonuber]

grumbledoak said:

I do both regularly. You?

Every day. Except I used to use a motorbike as well.

Northern line is crowded, sure. But i still maange to get on a train and to work, for less than £3. It is immeasurbly quicker and better than crawling in traffic into central london.

[grumbledoak]

vonuber said:

Every day. Except I used to use a motorbike as well.

Northern line is crowded, sure. But i still maange to get on a train and to work, for less than £3. It is immeasurbly quicker and better than crawling in traffic into central london.

£6 per day and 30 times the air pollution of street level. Bargain.