Pavement parking Ban.

[itsallthedramaMickiloveit]

How would you be affected if there was a blanket ban on all pavement parking.

I'm not just talking about the inability to get a pram or wheelchair passed but a complete ban on any car on the pavement at all.

My daughter’s a wheelchair user, so I’m pretty aware of how parking affects people with disabilities. But our road is very quiet and really only used by people who live here, who park outside their own houses.

And you're ok with blind people walking up the middle of the road, as you have already said. Selfish, as I already said.

A blanket proposal would cause mayhem on my road. It's a fairly busy road and even delivery drivers parking on the road to quickly make a delivery can easily lead to 30 cars queuing to get past.

Most people have a drive and visitors park on the pavement. This causes no nuisance whatsoever as the pavement is wide enough that you can park and leave enough space for another car to drive past, nevermind a wheelchair/pram

@Iamthewombat

What would you do in my situation?

I live in a small village with no bus service. Taxis to work would cost me around £20 each way. I can't cycle there because its off a motorway. I also have to get to uni in a city 20-30 min drive away.

Am I allowed a car?

It's not as simple as you keep trying to make it out.

You don’t HAVE to park outside your house. If that’s a big thing for you, move somewhere you can.

To be honest, blind people would be far safer walking up the middle of our (extremely quiet, virtually a cul de sac) road than on the very uneven pavement. I’m not advocating forcing blind people (or anyone, for that matter) to walk in the road generally.

But if you think I’m selfish, despite not knowing either me or my road, then I must be.

You don’t HAVE to park outside your house

You do if there’s nowhere else.

@BennyVegas No. but when you've got an entire street of 100 or so houses with no parking for anyone there is a problem.

No. but when you've got an entire street of 100 or so houses with no parking for anyone there is a problem.

I don't follow. My post says a pavement parking ban would introduce a problem that doesn't exist currently in the name of trying to solve a problem (wheelchairs not getting past etc.) that doesn't exist.

It isn’t hard to comprehend, by the way. Do you mean that there is ‘literally no where else to park’ within two minutes’ walk? I find it very difficult to believe that there is absolutely nowhere.

I certainly would have to park at least a mile away from my house if I could park in my street. Why is it so unbelievable?

For me, I live and park in a permit only zone, so I have no worries unless the council hikes the cost up.

But there are many reasons why a blanket ban is unworkable. Although we do need to come up with something to stop pedestrians getting blocked from using pavements.

There is no one single solution as this thread clearly shows.

@BennyVegas that wasn't to you sorry it was meant for @Bunnyfuller

Bullyfuller no you don’t have to park outside your house but that’s not the issue here. There are no streets where I live that a wide enough to park with 4 wheels on the road. What’s the answer then?

I can't - and won't - speak for anyone else here, but since being a student in the 1980s, I have been aware that the overall thrust of environmental and planning policies have been ot discourage private motoring. Which is why you have houses being built with little to no parking, and quite before you realise quite what a wet-dream that must have been for property developers who realised they could sell houses for the same price with less land.

It's why most shopping centres and town centres have introduced parking fees - to encourage the use of public transport. It's what the 2 bypasses they build near me actually increased (by design) the journey time.

It's why you see sets of traffic lights misphased - to slow, not speed - traffic up in a bid to discourage private motoring.

Successive governments have been fundamentally dishonest by trying to play both sides - the environmental lobby in public, and the motoring lobby in private. And the end result has been a dogs breakfast from both ends of the stick.

There was a thread recently puffing up how electric vehicles are going to be here by the end of the year (or some such similar ludicrous date). However no real thought or mention as to how these beasts are going to be able to access regular on-street charging in a country where there isn't enough parking anyway.

I have a selfish dog in this fight. As I said my DW uses a wheelchair, thanks to the nasty MS some people can get. She's had to weather it the 26 years we've been together, and I've seen it get worse, and it would be nice to know the next 26 years could be a bit better. Or at least not totally shit every day.

My post says a pavement parking ban would introduce a problem that doesn't exist currently in the name of trying to solve a problem (wheelchairs not getting past etc.) that doesn't exist.

"doesn't exist"

Not what more than one poster on this thread has said.

You are Donald Trump, and I claim my five dollars.

Our street is only just wide enough for people to be parked fully on the road on both sides and for a car to pass, however if one car isn't fully up against the pavement then there isn't space. So no emergency vehicle or bin lorry could fit through. Fortunately most people one one side have drive ways and not many on the other have cars so it is rarely a problem. We also have a neighbour who is in a wheelchair so the whole street makes a very conscious effort that if they do have to park on the pavement, that she can easily get passed. It doesn't take much to be considerate

@DGRossttii - I should have been clearer, I was referring to my street only, I don't deny it's a problem elsewhere.

If there are good reasons to ban parking on pavements in certain locations then ban it in those locations.

@DGRossetti I was only pointing out the bleeding obvious! As I had already said 'round here' the council allocates one side of the road for pavement parking, white lines and bays. There are signs pointing to the other side of the road for pedestrians.

Now, twit I may be, but the local solution seems to work for local residents, many of whom have buggies, some in wheelchairs etc.

It seems to be a real life fix for a real life situation. And yes, they do think of disabled residents. They put no parking hatches/parking space outside those houses.

As with many councils with this issue they have come up with something that, for the most part works.

I was only pointing out the bleeding obvious!

The problem is "the bleeding obvious" doesn't extend to consideration for the less able ...

And yes, they do think of disabled residents. They put no parking hatches/parking space outside those houses.

How does that help when you encounter a blocked pavement 10 doors down ?

I don't think you are visualising what I am talking about! Made worse by my error they put no parking hatches/parking space outside those houses.

a) it's a working compromise, not perfect for anyone
b) the disabled spaces are added/removed almost on request, right outside the front door of the person asking for a space. They can't be extra wide but are extra long, leaving a gap at the front door. And drivers just have to wait until the car is loaded up and ready to go... that's the same for any and every car on the road.

The bleeding obvious is to cross over to use the, still quite narrow, pavement on the other side; that there has been some thought, some discussion with residents; that the houses predate cars... the pavements are an additional feature, the houses used to open up onto the roads; there are a great many places like this across the UK and, finally, that no one user trumps another. So everyone gets a less than ideal solution to deal with - but it is workable, if

if????

... if people are community minded.

That still made no sense!!!

What they do is put either No Parking hatchings or a designated space outside the house, extra long, finishing over the front door. They renew them yearly and are quite quick to add them if requested.

Buggies, when folded, seem to squeeze through and, again, drivers wait until everyone is safely across the road, strapped in etc.

It is a high density residential area. It seems to have a good community take on the issue!

Of course, all this would be avoidable if people didn't park blocking the entire pavement. If people parked sensibly with just part of their car on the pavement leaving lots of room for pedestrians, prams, wheelchairs, etc., it wouldn't be a problem. Now, because, as usual, of the ignorant minority, all car drivers could potentially be affected if laws are changed or enforcement beefed up.

I don't think you are visualising what I am talking about!

Oh, I did. Immediately. But we're now talking at cross purposes. You are talking about ensuring someone with accessibility issues is always able to get into/out of their car outside their house ? (And I apologise if I do have it wrong).

However I am talking about someone - say my DW - ambling along a pavement in their damn nuisance wheelchair (because let's be honest, as more than one person has grumbled over the years, it is a "bloody nuisance" - although it doesn't affect her hearing ) amble, 100 metres, amble, another 100metres ... oh dear there's a car on the pavement and I cannot get my wheelchair through the gap left.

Turn around.

Look for a dropped kerb to cross the road. Is there one ? Is it not blocked ? Is the one the other side not blocked ? Great, cross over. No to any of those questions ? Well, it was probably going to rain later anyway, so no real point in going out.

Buggies, when folded, seem to squeeze through

You missed the bit where I (re)stated that buggies and wheelchairs aren't the same ?

Of course, all this would be avoidable if people didn't park blocking the entire pavement. If people parked sensibly with just part of their car on the pavement leaving lots of room for pedestrians, prams, wheelchairs, etc., it wouldn't be a problem.

... and we return full circle with the point that in many streets, that would simply make the road impassable ...

I agree that some areas would need exemptions, but in general, pavements should be for people, not vehicles.

Where we live, there is no need to do it on most roads. The roads are wide enough for people to park on the road with other traffic passing, and yet drivers (almost 100% male) repeatedly pavement park, not leaving enough room for a double buggy or mobility scooter.

I would welcome a ban, with exemptions only in areas where it was unworkable.

However I am talking about someone - say my DW - ambling along a pavement in their damn nuisance wheelchair (because let's be honest, as more than one person has grumbled over the years, it is a "bloody nuisance" - although it doesn't affect her hearing sad) amble, 100 metres, amble, another 100metres ... oh dear there's a car on the pavement and I cannot get my wheelchair through the gap left. The other side of the road has a pavement that is not parked on; signs pointing pedestrians towards that side of the road and traffic wardens hot to ticket recalcitrant parkers, of which there are very few, that I have seen. As I said, most peope seem to get how it is supposed to work. Not perfect, but a worable compromise!

You missed the bit where I (re)stated that buggies and wheelchairs aren't the same ? I was talking about the side that has pavement parking! Unfolded they use the other side of the road!

Dropped kerbs? OOh! End of every road for certain. I doubt there are any in between. It isn't perfect. But again, people living there seem very accommodating!