100 signatures reached
To: Somerset County Council & Somerset West & Taunton Council
Keep East Street for shoppers, pedestrians and cyclists
Please Keep East Street closed to vehicular traffic to allow for social distancing for shoppers and for the sake of the environment. We understand the frustration that the current roadworks around the junction of Paul Street is causing, but we do not want to see East Street opened up to motorised traffic. We would ask people to look beyond their immediate convenience and look at the bigger picture.
Why is this important?
East Street's pavements are too narrow to allow for social distancing, especially with queuing systems operating to be able to enter many shops and banks. We do not want to see a rise in coronavirus cases again in Taunton Deane that crowded pavements would likely cause. The shops have also benefited from an increase in footfall since reopening and really need that to be maintained in order to recover from the terrible year they had last year.
East Street without cars has created a pleasant and safe environment for all, including those people with mobility issues who previously struggled to negotiate the parked cars and dense traffic. SWT’s consultation on the project received approximately 2000 responses, with a significant majority in support.
There are also wider environmental concerns. We all know that we are in a climate crisis, one of the best recommended actions we can do as individuals is to walk, cycle or take the bus more and leave the car at home. We would appeal to people to consider these options, and many others, if at all possible in order to reduce the traffic going through the centre of Taunton. This would have huge benefits for the residents of both roads affected as traffic pollution is known to cause asthma and cancers, whereas cycling and walking have great benefits to our own health.
In addition, increasing road space available to traffic will only increase the traffic using it - many studies show that traffic simply increases to fill the space available to it. Conversely traffic will reduce when roads are closed, so we would expect traffic to gradually ease over the next week or two as people get used to the new restrictions and find other ways of completing their journeys. Increasing road space now, is simply increasing the amount of traffic able to use the road, which will increase pollution and greenhouse gas emissions now and for the future. Some very informative links on this subject are here: How increasing road space doesn't solve congestion! and here: New Roads Create Traffic – Faith the Green Way (wordpress.com)
The value of spending from increased footfall is often underestimated. See https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/3890/pedestrian-pound-2018.pdf There are many examples of public realm improvements increasing footfall and spending in retail centres.
So please, we appeal to David Fothergil of SCC and Mike Rigby of SWT to keep East Street closed to vehicular traffic for the sake of our local economy and our children's futures!
East Street without cars has created a pleasant and safe environment for all, including those people with mobility issues who previously struggled to negotiate the parked cars and dense traffic. SWT’s consultation on the project received approximately 2000 responses, with a significant majority in support.
There are also wider environmental concerns. We all know that we are in a climate crisis, one of the best recommended actions we can do as individuals is to walk, cycle or take the bus more and leave the car at home. We would appeal to people to consider these options, and many others, if at all possible in order to reduce the traffic going through the centre of Taunton. This would have huge benefits for the residents of both roads affected as traffic pollution is known to cause asthma and cancers, whereas cycling and walking have great benefits to our own health.
In addition, increasing road space available to traffic will only increase the traffic using it - many studies show that traffic simply increases to fill the space available to it. Conversely traffic will reduce when roads are closed, so we would expect traffic to gradually ease over the next week or two as people get used to the new restrictions and find other ways of completing their journeys. Increasing road space now, is simply increasing the amount of traffic able to use the road, which will increase pollution and greenhouse gas emissions now and for the future. Some very informative links on this subject are here: How increasing road space doesn't solve congestion! and here: New Roads Create Traffic – Faith the Green Way (wordpress.com)
The value of spending from increased footfall is often underestimated. See https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/3890/pedestrian-pound-2018.pdf There are many examples of public realm improvements increasing footfall and spending in retail centres.
So please, we appeal to David Fothergil of SCC and Mike Rigby of SWT to keep East Street closed to vehicular traffic for the sake of our local economy and our children's futures!
