To think I should be allowed to access my road 24/7?

[poopypants]

Cycle event. Road closures. I mean why is this s thing? People have lives. What if my holiday return flight booked a year ago before cycle events were published flew me in on this day! What if my pet needed the vet? What if I was pregnant and needed to get to an antenatal appointment ? What if I had a shift job that required me to leave home or I finished smack in the middle of the event? Hospital appointment? Dialysis appointment? Chemotherapy session? It's endless. People have lives that require them to be able to come and go. How is it ok to hold people hostage?

They are not all charity events, and when it snows we get in our 4x4 and drive to where we want to go. because we have vehicles suitable for our environment.

Thankfully the road we live on isn't used for events, but the main road through town is.

One event is a 'carnival', which in reality is just millions of floats parading slowly around town, really loud music and stalls with overpriced light up plastic tat and really overpriced food. (We hate the whole thing and try to avoid it, so this colours my judgement.)

When this is on, the main street is closed and the road which leads down off it and past the next roundabout is also closed. This is the only road access to the Tesco store and will be the only road access to the new Lidl store when it opens. Last year we drove as close to Tesco as possible and walked the rest of the way. Tesco was practically empty, we will avoid it on carnival night too in future as we are a family of six and get a lot of shopping.

The previous year dh was at work on carnival day. Because he couldn't use the stretch of road below the main street he had to use a detour to get home. Adds about 50% onto his travelling time. When you're knackered after an 11 hour day you don't want to add more time onto your journey. I feel more sorry for NHS staff etc who have been working longer days in more strenuous jobs though.

But the roads don't belong to us and as long as the correct procedures have been followed and permissions given then the roads can be closed.

We live on a 'historic highway' and it's very common to have it closed for 'special events', bikes, antique car rallies, charity runs etc. They always plan rolling closures and/or an alternate route for residents to get in and out. And they MUST give right of way for emergencies and that includes private vehicles en route to an A&E or vets en route to farms etc.

Have you tried speaking to whoever you'd speak to? I'm in the US so not sure who would have 'road authority' for you.

What really gets my goat is the spectators who decide that our side pasture is public property. It's not a picnic ground and there's a fence there for a reason!

Roads get shut for running races and no-one ever comes on here moaning about those.

IMO all these cyclist money making events full of selfish dicks should be moved to the M6 toll road, they can cycle up and down there to their hearts content and stop inconveniencing the rest of us.

4x4 to cope with snow thanks.

And snow is a natural event.

A velothon is a money making vanity project that has jumped into a band wagon.

Even the Tour de Yorkshire was a rolling road block.

lampygirl
Heaven forbid you could actually enter one one year
How lovely for you in your ivory tower to be able to be so patronising. Millions of people have np hope of ever enter one of these due to age, ill health and or disability. But hey, thanks for enlightening us to your ignorance.

I agree with you OP.

You get several months notice of closures for the major events, and if you live close to the route you get leafleted (so it's not just dependent on looking up info, it comes through your door)

It includes information on marshalled pedestrian crossing points, reminders about suspended parking bays and changes to bus routes, links to online information. Plus times of road closures and anticipated reopening.

And info on emergency services access, and welfare assistance on the day (ie short of a 999 call, but assistance required - there is a phone helpline for it). Plus phone and email contact points you can contact in advance if you have specific access or other planning needs.

So many if the 'what ifs' mentioned earlier in the thread have tried and tested work-around that are there just for the asking.

But it does depend on people looking at the info leaflet that they get, and using it.

A town near me has an annual event that effectively closes the town from 4pm. The buses go along the bypass and don't come into town, the trains don't stop at the station and all the roads are closed to traffic from 4pm until 2 or 3 am. All the shops close at 4 or thereabouts.

Some of the roads in the town centre are closed to pedestrians as they are designated safety routes in the event of any problems. Unless you can prove that you live there, you won't be allowed through the barriers. There was a (possibly apocryphal) story a few years ago about a family who moved in a day or two before and didn't know anything about it. Allegedly, the man had to leave his car miles away, walk into town, and fight his way through the 30,000 or so spectators onlhy to be told that he couldn't go to his house because he couldn't prove he lived there.

People have no option but to leave work early, stay near work overnight or take the day off. When DP worked in London they looked at him as though he was mad when he said he needed the day off, he had to show them the road closures etc on the council website before they'd believe him.

It's a bit of an inconvenience, but you soon get used to it. I feel sorry for people who live near the Notting Hill carnival route though, that goes on all day for 3 days.

AuntieStella

Several months not helpful when your flights were booked 11 months ago.

Chemotherapy and dialysis don't work around other people's schedules.

Hated this when i lived in london. Selfish as blocked us in. Anyway its one of many reasons we left. I miss walking around. London and getting lost

Ironically if it’s a charity event (as most of these things are) then these “Lycra-clad” cyclists are giving up their weekend and pushing themselves to their physical limits and beyond to help those who you feel are most inconvenienced (cancer and dialysis patients, for example). I think they should be applauded. An ambulance would get through if needed.

Seeing as you’ve mentioned flights a few times, can we assume you’re having to walk with luggage?

“You get several months notice of closures for the major events, and if you live close to the route you get leafleted (so it's not just dependent on looking up info, it comes through your door)”

Well they close the Main Street of my town several times a year for orange walks - it’s the only exit or entrance for every road on one side of it... so half the town can’t get in or out.

We get two signs, one each end of the town 1 week beforehand... that’s it.

Is someone in your street actually receiving chemotherapeutic or dialysis today or are you just throwing these in there for added dramatic effect? I’m sure if anyone was, they would have already made their own arrangements with the hospital to either stay in overnight or staying with a friend or relative elsewhere or move the appointment to later/earlier in the day before/after the road block.

Chemo and dialysis are covered by the welfare assistance provision. As are vet emergencies, carer visits etc

You've had several weeks to find a work around for your route back from the airport - most people would park at the nearest readily reachable place and walk in via the marshalled crossing points (leaving items they do not wish to carry/roll in the car until they can pick it up) and shift workers and those with routine appointments would do the same the other way round (park else where before the parking restrictions kick in, then walk to the parking place when they need to)

But, if you do not want these events to happen at all, you need to get active in local politics. They can only happen with Council backing, so local lobbying to get the event cancelled or the route moved (permanently, or just varied from year to year) is what's needed.

But if you're talking about the London Classics (Ride London and the London Marathon) it's unfortunately likely you're stuck with them.

@AuntieStella for the event that I mentioned, we did not get several months notice or any leaflets. As I said, if we were lucky we got a sign where we could actually read it.

If it's Ride London it's half a day once a year. If you didn't know about it until now you haven't been paying enough attention. It's been the same time every year since 2011.
If you are blocked in stay home and enjoy watching the race. If you must go out, plan ahead and park in an accessible road that isn't going to be blocked.
Half my village gets blocked off. We have the minority of annual moaners who bleat on about how hard done by they are not having instant door to door car access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Then we have the rest of us (thankfully the majority) who watch the race and have a fabulous time.

A friend of mine went into labour with twins and was potentially not going to be allowed through the road block. She was told to go to another hospital despite her labour being (presumably) high risk and the specialist consultant that she'd built up a relationship with and who knew her being at the other hospital. The event wasn't scheduled to take place for another 6 hours but the roadblock was in place. She did get through eventually but I can imagine it raised her stress levels unnecessarily. Not cycling but another male dominated fast vehicle sport

You should have said in you OP that you are rural. That’s very different. YANBU to expect road closures to be porous for residents.

Chemotherapy and dialysis don't work around other people's schedules.

Sorry to hear of your health difficulties. If you speak to your consultant they'll be able to find a solution to make sure you get your treatment.

Ybvu

So much can be planned ahead. You strike me as the type who complain just in case they are inconvenienced - heaven forbid you need to do something unplanned like pop to the shop.

Why don't you embrace the day instead?

Bikes and pedestrians can still get through

We have a few events that close the nearby roads every year. The cycling event seems to be the best-planned - there is leafleting, there is a rolling roadblock, there is very clear information about how to contact the stewards in the event of needing access or emergencies. (So no, dialysis patients would not ‘just die’).

It’s the one that gets the greatest amount of grumbling on the local FB page though. The huge town festival a few weeks later where roads closed for much longer and it’s impossible to find out where or when or steward details unless you’ve been here for years and just know - that one they’re fine with!

The Orange marches bother me more. At least the cycling events and the festival wouldn’t get you physically attacked for trying to nip across the road.