ePetition details

Barnet Environment Committee to comprehensively review transport strategy for active transport modes

We the undersigned petition the council to the council to perform a full and comprehensive review of Barnet’s Transport Strategy with the defined aim of encouraging more waking and cycling through the establishment of a mini-Holland in the Borough.

Barnet’s current transport strategy is founded on the concept of motor vehicle flow established in the period 2000-2010. The current Environment Committee's Commissioning plan (2016/17 addendum and targets) defines it as:

"Improve the management of traffic flows and parking across the borough, to maintain road safety and air quality, and improve radial routes for public transport"

Residents, workers and businesses in Barnet now face four major problems, and the review should address each of them.

Safety - Barnet consistently falls in the top three of all road traffic accident statistics for London, and top 6 for overall. There were some 1,276 casualties in Barnet in 2014. This level has not dropped below 1,200 since 2004.
Current strategy is failing our residents.

Children - In 2014 Barnet had the worst Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) rates for children in the whole of London. It is one of only 3 Outer London boroughs to exceed 10 Child KSI incidents in 2014, with the figure dropping below 7 only once since 2004. Barnet has failed to introduce appropriate speed limits and crossing measures outside of the borough's schools. Despite small catchment areas, our children go to school en masse by car rather than taking an active route such as walking or cycling.
Current strategy is failing our children.

Health - Traffic and pollution levels are leading to increases in respiratory diseases and obesity nationwide. London wide, pollution is attributed to 9,500 deaths annually. The Mayor has put active, healthy streets at the heart of his policies until 2020. In the M1, A406, A1 and A41, Barnet contains some of the most polluted roads in Outer London. Barnet presents residents and commuters with little alternative but to use these trunk roads.
Current strategy is failing our health.

Adult active transport - By 2030, the estimated cost of traffic in London is predicted to be £9.3bn to the city's economy and £4,000 per household. There is no major East-West rail based public transport in the Borough, and no convenient, safe North-South crossing of the North Circular (A406) for active transport modes. Adults commuting short distances for work and or to shop are forced to drive. This removes money from our local economy and compounds all the above issues.

Current strategy is failing our commuters, shoppers and business owners.

To encourage more people to cycle and walk we need an actual safe environment. This means mini-Hollands, it means real Quietways, it means dedicated, segregated cycling infrastructure and it means increased public spaces.

This ePetition ran from 10/10/2016 to 31/03/2017 and has now finished.

123 people signed this ePetition.