Cleaning up London’s toxic air

How about a ban on all except electric vehicles in the congestion charge area? If we could have a fleet of electric cars available at designated entry points like the bike scheme, those who cannot walk far or carry goods (elderly and disabled) could drive with minimal pollution. It is pollution we need to eradicate, rather than excluding either cyclists or conversely the disabled from enjoying London. Electric transport will be just that and of no interest to the Porsche owners of Kensington

On Sat Aug 6th Exhibition Rd was shut to traffic to allow a giant crane to work at the V&A. It made the road so much better, safer, quite, children playing right across the road, would welcome it being like that every weekend, at least during the summer holidays.

After 7/7 Millbank was closed just in front of Parliament. You suddenly realised what a great throughfare this was. Perhaps could be considered when Parliament Square pedestrianised.

Having read through ALL of the posts on here this evening and survived, I have to say that the outstanding suggestion that will contribute most to the stated aim of reducing pollution on Oxford Street is indeed to close all the shops on Sunday's. As worthy of a trial as anything else mentioned here!

LBWF has tried to force the populace to cycle and have massively increased air pollution from stationary diesel vehicles including buses. 46% of people over sixty are disabled, at least 10% of the younger population is disabled and only 8% of the working population cycles on a weekly basis. I would like to see electric buses, electric transport for the elderly and disabled and the freeing up of traffic to reduce idling fumes. I would advocate a congestion charge within the M25 with exemptions for disabled drivers (as now) and the introduction of electric taxis.

I would support car free days. Many people who currently drive may realise that their usual destinations are actually walkable instead and take the habit up permanently. It is a proven statistic that 10% of people who have to take a different route due to a change in circumstances change their habit permanently. I would also support people being able to scoot, rollerblade, use mobility chairs and cycle along with pedestrians. Before everyone objects to this, please remember cyclists aren't a large homogenous group, some are disabled ( please refer to Isabelle Clement of Wheels for Wellbeing ) some are elderly, or slow middle aged women, or young children. Not all are lycra clad boy racers, and some of us are sensible and change our behaviour around others - much the same as drivers do.
The more we encourage people to use their city differently, them more likely it is that these habits change permanently.

Why not phase out cars?

I wouldn't mind seeing more parts of London restricted to buses, taxis, cycles and the emergency services. There's no need for so many people to keep cars in the city with the best public transport network on Earth! Quite often it amounts to personal vanity and negligible convenience over the greater detriment to fellow citizens in terms of congestion and of pollution-related health effects such as asthma.

Pedestrianisation is a good idea in theory, however it can just push the problem to other areas if there is no effort to positively encourage the use of other form of transport. In Walthamstow a small section of road has been pedestrianised in an area known as Wlathamstow Villiage. Sounds good until you speak to residents in surounding areas that have seen a rise in trafic and problem parking since the introduction of the pedestrian area. Wlthamstow Villiage is an area populated by wealthy middle class Londoners that have a disproportionatley bigger voice on such matters, people in the adversely affected areas are less well off and less listened to. My point, if there is one is that padestrianisation only really helps a few people in a small area, if air quality and quality of life is to be improved in London, there must be a rethink of all aspects of transport in the city, no option should be off the table at this stage, lets be radical and forward thinking.

Even the professional traffic planners are not going to please everyone when they get to grips with Oxford Street. Almost 400 comments here now cover most if not all the present ideas. We amateurs are in agreement that Oxford Street is a toxic mess. Those of us who live close by to the North or South of the street are fearful of the impact that simple traffic diversion of the present volume either side would have. Presently there are 17 bus routes on all or part of Oxford Street and 10 on the section just between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus. When we consider both east and westbound bus traffic that is 34 routes. A lot of these busses seem to be much less than half full most of the day.
Replacing these 34 routes with a dedicated shuttle is an interesting idea except it would need additional terminals to the north and south to accommodate those routes. Not easy.

displacement of the present traffic

Follow the pattern of Copenhagen - reduce traffic and parking in the city centre by 5% a year, gradually giving more space over to walking streets and cycling. A strong, consistent effort to change Central London into a pedestrian-friendly area. There are plenty of examples in Europe - Oslo, Barcelona, even Rome - hold an international seminar to learn from others. Congestion Charge was only a start, but not sufficient follow-up. Large projects like Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square are all very well, but a more extensive network is necessary.

Car-free days may be a way to help people envision what the environment could be like, but at present these are too infrequent.

Make Oxford St pedestrians only what about disabled people are they not allowed to shop
Another bright idea from the anti car brigade