The Transport Working Group Notes of October 2007 meeting
Lambeth has the lowest car-ownership level of any local authority in the UK (according to a Andrew Simpson a former planning officer in Lambeth). And as car-ownership in Brixton is probably even lower than in Lambeth as a whole, that is probably 'good news' in terms of our impact on the global climate. (Cars don't just emit more carbon dioxide per passenger mile - car drivers tend to travel more, tend to develop car-dependent lifestyles: live in one place, work in another, send kids to schools miles away, have friends and leisure pursuits that 'you need a car for'...) We may suffer more in Brixton from transport pollution, congestion, noise and danger, compared with other places - but we inflict much less CO2 on the rest of the world.
But that is no reason for complacency: our average emissions per person in Brixton are probably still well above the required two tonnes or so per person figure.
Three suggested areas of action:
1. Supporting other organisations that are trying to promote sustainable travel in the area. There is an active local group of the London Cycling Campaign, Lambeth Cyclists. (LCC website has a lot of very helpful information. They have a lot of advice on 'cycle sense' which could help people who are put off cycling because they think it is dangerous. They also have details of a cycle routes and welcome cyclist input.) We need to find out what other organisations there are promoting public transport, walking, car clubs, company and school travel plans, publicise them among TTB supporters and encourage people to support their campaigns and attend their events. We don't need to set up our separate campaigns
In particular Tony would like people to use and support the new '''car Free Living project''', promoted by the charity Groundwork Southwark and Lambeth, as part of its climate change programme. Its overall aim is to promote the advantages of living without a car or living within a clear ‘travel budget’, and to provide information and support for people who want to do so - through a website (www.carfreeliving.org.uk), an email network (contact tony.emerson@groundwork.org.uk ), through meetings and occasional events. The information will be targeted at people at key stages in their lives - coming up to 18, first job, first child, starting school, retiring, etc.
2. But one specific mini-project might fit in with the aims of TTB: promoting car and air travel free holidays. We may drive less than other people in Brixton - but we probably dump as much in the atmosphere through our holiday travel as anybody else. And many people would like to avoid the joys of Gatwick Airport chaos or the five mile motorway tailbacks in August. Jo and Tony discussed various concrete examples of 'holidays that don't cost the earth': a family train + bus holiday in Cornwall, train + ferry + bike holiday in Connemara (West of Ireland); the new First Scots Rail promotion of an integrated rail + bus + ferry trips to the Highlands and the Western Isles - it even includes a breakdown service for your bike. (And all manageable within your transport carbon budget.)
TTB supporters are asked to
a. feed in examples of such holidays that they
have experienced - with all those little practical learning points (- e.g.
for the West of Ireland don't take the train to Galway - its a sprawling,
traffic-infested city; go to the smaller and more attractive town of
Westport: little traffic, and better protection from Atlantic winds!)
b. send in their holiday requests - where they want to go, who is in their
group. Savvy Travel will develop a bank of such information and we suggest
that the TTB website could carry a link into it.
3. More widely, promote and publicise the links between the quality of life locally, (significant) traffic reduction and climate change. Less cars mean more space for children to play and for adults to sit out, more space for gardens, generally for a healthier and more pleasant life. Which means that more people will stay in Brixton and Lambeth - particularly the 'affluent thirties' who now leave in droves. In this way we will have a more balanced community, more people to take active roles in community organisations, more balanced schools - and if people stay in Brixton Hill rather than move to East Sussex they will emit less CO2... You see the virtuous circle. Traffic reduction is a community development as well as an environmental priority. While frequent flying to gites in France and Spain, as well as 'burning up' the atmosphere, takes people away from voluntary activity in our community.
This last point might help us all when we feel we want to question people about their driving and flying. We are not some sort of cranky environmental zealots. We are looking at the big picture.
Solutions
A Brixton Trike Delivery service has been set up by Stuart who is a car free father of two daughters who regularly get transported in the Trike!. Contact Stuart on 07960 963552