About a year ago Boris Johnson and his henchmen caused traffic chaos in
London by staging a cycling event which closed several major roads and
crippled surrounding routes.

As a resident of Leyton, I have now received a leaflet from TfL, bearing the
imprint "MAYOR OF LONDON", about the Tour de France Stage 3 - Monday 7
July 2014. If what this leaflet threatens is true, further traffic chaos will be
caused.

The most salient points a

QUOTE

After leaving Cambridge and passing through Essex, the Tour will arrive in
Greater London via Epping Forest. The cyclists will then ride through north and
east London, including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, before heading
towards central London and finish on The Mall. . . . .

The roads that form the event route will close to traffic at 10.00 on Monday 7
July to ensure the safety of competitors and spectators. As a result, the
event will have a major impact on road transport, including bus journeys.

Roads will be re-opened as soon as possible after the race, when it is safe to
do so. While detailed planning for the event is continuing, we expect the roads
to re-open from 18.00 onwards in most cases. . . .

Vehicles will not be able to cross the route while the road closures are in place

UNQUOTE

The route is through Epping Forest along the Epping New Road, Woodford High
Road, Woodford New Road, Whipps Cross Roundabout, Lea Bridge Road, Orient
Way, Ruckholt Road, Olympic Park, Stratford High Street, Stratford Broadway,
West Ham Lane and then on towards central London, causing chaos all the
way.

I assume 7 July is not a school holiday.

Even allowing for the fact that a 10.00 closure will be after the rush hour and
school run traffic, closing these main roads and compelling traffic to use
alternative routes is bound to cause major problems. And re-opening at 18.00
will be after the school run and the first half of the rush hour. Even more
damaging is the stipulation that traffic is not allowed to cross the route. How
is one supposed to travel between Leyton and Walthamstow without crossing
Lea Bridge Road? How is one supposed to travel between Woodford and North
Chingford without crossing Woodford High Road or Epping New Road? Is
everyone expected to divert to Charley Brown's roundabout and go under the
route?

I expect when the event is over the lasting result will be that people living in
the affected areas will have a deep and embittered loathing of the Tour De
France. I do hope some of that loathing is directed at our our cycle obsessed
Mayor who denounces Tube workers for disrupting London but who gleefully
does the same thing himself.

(I apologise for the - apparent - typos. They're not typos. They're the inadequacy
of the editing facility)

In message , at 12:45:16 on Sun, 30
Mar 2014, Robin9 remarked:

How is one supposed to travel between Woodford and North Chingford
without crossing Woodford High Road or Epping New Road?

We have the same issue at the start of this (section of) the race in
Cambridge and in the county to the south. Although the closures start
earlier (but for some reason aren't expected to finish much earlier).

Basically, most of Cambridgeshire and Essex will be cut in half much of
the working day. And that's without the issue of extra traffic caused by
spectators.
--
Roland Perry

Robin9 wrote:
About a year ago Boris Johnson and his henchmen caused traffic chaos in
London by staging a cycling event which closed several major roads and
crippled surrounding routes.

As a resident of Leyton, I have now received a leaflet from TfL, bearing
the
imprint "MAYOR OF LONDON", about the Tour de France Stage 3 - Monday 7
July 2014. If what this leaflet threatens is true, further traffic chaos
will be
caused.


Everything you say may be true. But you seem to be starting from a premise
that "traffic chaos" is a bad thing.

Maybe a lot of people really don't find "traffic chaos" to be the life
changing event you do? Perhaps a lot of people think "traffic chaos" once
in a while is an acceptable price for having nice things?


(Many people may even think occasional traffic chaos is actually a good
thing for reminding people wedded to their motor vehicles that there is a
world beyond their locked doors, a world that would be even better if fewer
people were wedded to said motor vehicles.)

Maybe a lot of people really don't find "traffic chaos" to be the life
changing event you do? Perhaps a lot of people think "traffic chaos"
once in a while is an acceptable price for having nice things?

I'll reserve judgment until nearer the time when FoI requests should
bring forth impact assessments and contingency plans from the emergency
services, hospitals etc. But it is well-established that, for example,
ambulance delays cost lives. And hospitals are already planning for
staff not being able to get to work, delays in discharging or
moving patients etc. I hope the Mayor's cost-benefit assessment
took account of all that.

(Many people may even think occasional traffic chaos is actually a
good thing for reminding people wedded to their motor vehicles that
there is a world beyond their locked doors, a world that would be
even better if fewer people were wedded to said motor vehicles.)

A general reduction in other road traffic might allow better quality of
life after all the necessary adjustments (including living nearer
work). But we are looking at prospective gridlock, with buses also
disrupted; people taking time off work or children out of school; etc .
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

Well I'm already looking forward to it and thinking about where I will

go to see it and I am a local too. I have been to see the Tour in

several places in the UK and in France.



Before we all die of "tour rage" let's see what arrangements are

actually put in place to allow people to travel. Let's see what

advance notice and how loud the publicity is about the event before

deciding that the general public in East London are incapable of

coping for a few hours because a few roads are closed for a few hours.



It is usually possible for the public to cross at defined crossing

points until about 60-90 minutes before the race arrives. An advance

processsion of sponsors' vehicles runs ahead of the main race. I would

expect bus routes to be split so they run in sections either side of

crossing points with people transferring via pedestrian crossings. Yes

it will be a pain but if it is done properly it should work.



I rather suspect that roads will reopen well before 1800 but TfL will

be cautious as you cannot predict events on a race like the Tour nor

the weather. As soon as the peleton and "broom wagon" have passed

through an area then I expect the crowds will disperse and TfL / local

authorities / police will reopen the roads quickly. Motorists will

have to cope with local diversions.



I think you are underestimating the extent to which people will wish

to view this event and that includes the schools right along the

route. The long standing tradition in France is for the passing of Le

Tour to be an excuse for a party but perhaps you'll be in the "party

pooper" category?



I am afraid I do not understand the raging contempt people have for an

event if they can't get out of their house for a few hours. The

reaction from people in Surrey is somethng I just don't get given the

ability to plan around the event months in advance and the guarantee

that anyone suffering an emergency will get the help they need.



--

Paul C

I'm surprised they're not closing the roads earlier. When I saw it in Kent in 2007 the roads were closed at midnight the night before and this was even for a place like Bethesden which was towards the end of the stage. We had the Olympic cycling events go past the end of our road and that was closed from around 5am, as it was for the Ride London event last August. We're getting that again this year, the local moaners are already out in force. Rumour is the Tour of Britain could be coming past as well. I need to get my plans laid for getting to the TDF. I don't know whether to go up to London by train, or drive round the M25

Neill

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

It is usually possible for the public to cross at defined crossing
points until about 60-90 minutes before the race arrives. An advance
processsion of sponsors' vehicles runs ahead of the main race. I would
expect bus routes to be split so they run in sections either side of
crossing points with people transferring via pedestrian crossings. Yes
it will be a pain but if it is done properly it should work.

That happened in Putney High St during the Olympic cycle races in 2012. i
went to the women's race. What surprised me was the huge number of motor
vehicles accompanying the cycles. They seemed to be never ending, before and
after the cyclists passed. There seemed to be an interminable wait to cross
when the race was returning from Box Hill because they were so spread out.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 18:11:02 on
Sun, 30 Mar 2014, Paul Corfield remarked:
I would expect bus routes to be split so they run in sections either
side of crossing points with people transferring via pedestrian
crossings.

That rather assumes bus routes at perpendicular to the main road, rather
than run along it.

The long standing tradition in France is for the passing of Le
Tour to be an excuse for a party but perhaps you'll be in the "party
pooper" category?

That's be great out in the countryside, or even at the weekend, but
cutting the commuter belt in two on a normal working day seems a bit of
an ask.

In Cambridge, for example, three of the four vehicular river crossings
will be shut, which would cause chaos on a normal day even without lots
of other roads closed too. I can't see a way to make the cross-City bus
routes "join up" without a two mile gap between the severed ends.
--
Roland Perry

wrote:
In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

It is usually possible for the public to cross at defined crossing
points until about 60-90 minutes before the race arrives. An advance
processsion of sponsors' vehicles runs ahead of the main race. I would
expect bus routes to be split so they run in sections either side of
crossing points with people transferring via pedestrian crossings. Yes
it will be a pain but if it is done properly it should work.

That happened in Putney High St during the Olympic cycle races in 2012. i
went to the women's race. What surprised me was the huge number of motor
vehicles accompanying the cycles. They seemed to be never ending, before and
after the cyclists passed. There seemed to be an interminable wait to cross
when the race was returning from Box Hill because they were so spread out.

I invite anyone who finds this all so life-changingly inconvenient *not* to
come to live on the Isle of Man, because by then end of TT an apoplexy
induced heart attack is guaranteed ;-).

(The Snaefell Mountain Railway operates as Paul C describes, with the
trains running as normal (which is to say, in creaky and death defying
fashion) as far as Bungalow, where you have to get off and cross the
mountain road/racecourse using the footbridge to join a shuttle service up
to the top.)

Of course, there are other accommodations the island can make that may not
be available, like running additional commuter services on the Steam
Railway to ferry people whose normal travel is disrupted. Maybe Boris
could appeal to local heritage steam traction engine owners to put on
something similar. Or maybe people should just do what almost everyone
does here and realise that life is about more than the daily grind, and an
opportunity to stand outside in the sun, drink a cold beer, meet people
you'd never normally meet, and to cap it all get to watch some entertaining
sport is worth more for your longterm wellbeing than worrying about
ambulance response times*.




* in fairness ambulance response times are actually rather important during
TT for spectators as well as riders, if you're standing in the wrong place
at the wrong time. But the TdF is a little less deadly on the whole.

Or maybe people should just do
what almost everyone does here and realise that life is about more
than the daily grind, and an opportunity to stand outside in the sun,
drink a cold beer, meet people you'd never normally meet, and to cap
it all get to watch some entertaining sport is worth more for your
longterm wellbeing than worrying about ambulance response times*.

I accept that having sat in the back of an ambulance trying to keep
someone conscious while it makes an emergency transfer (with blue lights
and sirens) through London traffic gives me a possibly biased view. The
more so as the route would have been blocked by the TdF route. But it
is indeed a matter of balance. I am glad you are able to be so
nonchalant. And odds are you wouldn't even get to know if some poor sod
died as a result of delay getting to hospital so people can watch the
TdF go by - not even it were one of your friends/family - as the
ambulance service and NHS will of course have made plans.

By the way, you do know how easily London's roads are disrupted, don't
you, so as to give informed consent?


--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

"Robin" wrote:
Or maybe people should just do
what almost everyone does here and realise that life is about more
than the daily grind, and an opportunity to stand outside in the sun,
drink a cold beer, meet people you'd never normally meet, and to cap
it all get to watch some entertaining sport is worth more for your
longterm wellbeing than worrying about ambulance response times*.

I accept that having sat in the back of an ambulance trying to keep
someone conscious while it makes an emergency transfer (with blue lights
and sirens) through London traffic gives me a possibly biased view. The
more so as the route would have been blocked by the TdF route

Seriously? Grief top trumps? If you want to compare notes on the number
of hours spent sat outside intensive care/HDU, or the number of ambulance
trips or deaths in the family required to have an opinion, I'd suggest it's
a pretty ****ty way to try and argue (and don't assume you'd come out on
top, either.)

But it
is indeed a matter of balance. I am glad you are able to be so
nonchalant.

Of course it may just be that when you've watched enough people die you
realise it's not the way you go that's important, it's actually living a
life beforehand that matters. If a few hours of road closures is enough to
raise your blood pressure this much, and your life is so utterly joyless
that you can't embrace the opportunity instead of focusing on the
inconvenience, I'd suggest that when that final curtain does fall and your
life flashes before your eyes the least of your regrets is going to be that
the ambulance took a minute longer.

And odds are you wouldn't even get to know if some poor sod
died as a result of delay getting to hospital so people can watch the
TdF go by - not even it were one of your friends/family - as the
ambulance service and NHS will of course have made plans.

If they've made plans (which I'm quite sure they have,) then it's likely
that in fact nobody will die as a result of delays getting to hospital,
isn't it?

By the way, you do know how easily London's roads are disrupted, don't
you, so as to give informed consent?

I've lived most of my life there, own a house in south London and am there
pretty much every week. I even cheerfully paid (indeed still pay I
believe, not that I pay a lot of attention to my council tax bill) the
extra on my council tax to pay for the olympics while listening to people
like you moan for five years about what a disaster it was going to be. So
yeah I think I have a pretty good idea - and the answer is that amazingly,
despite what the sort of people who call a traffic jam "chaos" would say,
the wheels of commerce keep turning, the city keeps on growing, and life
keeps on being lived. (I also know that the only people who drive in
London are bloody fools to start with, but that's by the by.)

Great cities are resilient. The idea that Al Qaeda can stop worrying about
bombing because actually all they need is a few guys with HiVis and a Road
Closed sign to bring the city to its knees is beyond absurd...


So the traffic will be a bit ****ty for an afternoon. Seriously, deal with
it. If it really bothers you that much, take a holiday - it might well be
what you need to postpone that ambulance journey...