There are some moves towards a greener, cleaner transport system. They've provided bike racks in this car park (confusingly illustrated with a car shape...) and are improving cycle routes. A few electric vehicle charging points have been installed throughout the district. There's a long way to go.
The Bingley Bypass and other 'improvements' further up the valley have speeded up traffic, which then gets severely snarled up coming through Saltaire and Shipley. The main route through Saltaire is (apparently) one of the most polluted in Britain, and regularly has traffic jams. It has, of course, been a little better during lockdown but the traffic density at certain times of day hasn't seemed to drop very much. You kind of get used to it.
There's a significant divide between the planning rhetoric and the actual decisions that get made. We have recently been granted a local Shipley Town Council, which perhaps means the lobbying voice will be stronger and also means certain funds are available to spend locally. The trouble always seems to be that what suits some folk harms others. Perhaps it always been like that but it feels more than ever that we need to come together with a significant effort to protect our beautiful planet and at the same time enhance our local areas to make them healthier and greener places to live. Seems that lockdown has proved we can pretty much do without our city centres but everyone wants some green space to help us hang on to our sanity.
Yes, yes yes...to all you've said. Locally decided greener changes do need to gradually affect our environment, and our lives. I will long remember the first charging station for elec. cars that I saw. We're on the cusp of a better world, I think, if we can push for the needed changes. Nature does hold our sanity!
ReplyDeleteIt has long been true that the more roads one builds the more vehicles fill them. In my youth there was a quarter of the traffic volume in the Aire valley due to the excellent 20 minute service provided by the red West Yorkshire and blue Samuel Ledgard buses. Leeds had their own green and Bradford their light blue fleets. Normal working folk really did not need a car, and often could not afford one.I can still remember the WY route numbers: Bradford to Otley was a 55,to Harrogate 55, Leeds Vicar Lane to Guiseley White Cross was the 32. Cheap and reliable from 05:00 to 23:00
ReplyDeleteI can think of a few electric car charging stations around here.
ReplyDeleteThere are more and more charging stations going in here. I see a lot of Tesla cars around.
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