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London to Introduce Traffic Congestion Charge
Vivek writes "BBC is reporting that Londoners will have to pay a 5 pound "Congestion Charge" starting Feb 17. According to this Times of India article, an Indian software firm called Mastek developed the .NET based software to implement the plan. In the absence of toll booths, it reportedly uses character recognition from 700 surveillance cameras to identify defaulting license plates." See our previous story for background.
What would be even better is if they fix the problems with the Central Line. It's not going to be up and running in any state until the end of March.
Summation 2
Since people won't be able to drive around the centre of London much less park there they will go and park immediately outside the Congestion Zone which will cause havoc. Fortunately some car parks have already taken note of this and are charging a daily rate of £4.60
Summation 2
Yes, the tube is less than ideal. The traffic situation is even worse than less than ideal. The congestion charge, however, is not levied on BUSES.
Read the article next time.
Yes, the congestion charge will have some bad externalities--for example, the rich who live inside the affected circle's land values will go up further while they pay only 10% of the fees that others pay. Nevertheless, it's a step towards public transport in a big city--it's a good thing.
Have you any idea how expensive property in London is? 1/2 millions dollars will only get you a modest 2 bedroom flat in a reasonable area. There is no upper limit on the price of flats in the centre. Trust me, this is not feasable on any scale.
Phillip.
Property for sale in Nice, France
You picked the wrong time to say that...:) I'm an Urban Planning student. Building more roads is actually worse for your transportation infrastructure because if a road is not congested, more people will use it, and if the road is widened, traffic usually gets WORSE within 1 year than better. (Eg a 10 minute trip with old roads now takes 13-15 minutes). I was recently in london, and there is NO PLACE to build a new road where it is needed most. Also, it is against certain zoning regulations to change the current roads. Also, emminent domain "fair market" is BS for the homeowner. They gov't will never give you as much as it's really worth, because you have no bargaining poisition. If you don't accept their offer, they'll just condemn your house, and you don't get anything! Fun! More roads is NOT the answer -- smart driving, use of public transit, and better services outside the city core would be a more effective way of eliminating congestion in the center than just building more roads, which means more pollution anyhow.
Accoring to a page on the Transport for London website, about 1.1 million people currently use the tube during the morning peak period. They estimate that this will only increase by about 1% when congestion charging starts. We'll see on Monday.
>Why in the world don't they just make the roads bigger?
(I live in London and work in the city center, so I speak from first-hand experience.)
Because London is incredibly crowded and there is absolutely no place for them to put more roads without knocking down houses and buildings.
>Sure, I'm all for high tech, but we're talking about roads
>and traffic. People might be displaced, but they would
>get fair market for their houses, if the system is the same
>as it is here in the US.
And where would they get the money for paying people "fair market value" for their houses? This is London - my small two bedroom flat (in a semi-sleazy part of town) cost over 130,000 *pounds* (over $214,000 at the current exchange rate). Terraced houses easily cross 200,000 pounts in this area of town, and easily over 300,000 pounds in nicer areas. A terraced house is *maybe* 50 feet wide - tops - and is flush up against another terraced house on the other side. You do the math and figure out how much it will cost to put in a *single mile* of new road if you have to knock down a mile of terraced houses to do it. And that's *before* you factor in construction cost.
And don't forget, by the time you get near the city center, you're not talking about knocking down houses, but big, old 5-story stone and brick buildings worth millions of pounds
For those of you not too familiar with London, a map of central London with the congestion charging zone can be found here on the Transport for London website.
In brief, you're being charged 5 pounds per day inside to drive inside the congestion charging zone, which covers most of central London. The charge applies from 7.00am till 6.30pm Mondays to Fridays excluding Public Holidays (of which we get alot fewer than you 'merkins), the charge doesn't apply at weekends, and there exemptions and discounts available if you actually live within the zone or are disabled.
Considering how heavy the traffic in central London actually is, anything that might actually provide a bit of relief is welcome.
Al.The Daily ACK - Eclectic posts by yet another hacker
I really had expected the tube to function at least as well as the L in chicago, seeing as how they've had the tube around for so long, but it is in need of a serious reworking..
Thats sort of the problem, most of the system was constructed by the Victorians, and originally carried steam trains.
Humpf! You haven't seen the Paris Metro, is a heck of a lot worse.
Al.The Daily ACK - Eclectic posts by yet another hacker
As a motorcycle rider, I would like to note that this doesn't apply to two-wheeled vehicles.
As a privacy advocate, I would like everyone to note how full of BS the guys who put up these cameras were when they said the CC cameras would only be used to prevent crime.
Witold
www.witold.org
witold.org
Wouldn't it then make sense to use the money to increase the tube's capacity (make it run more often, drill more tunnels, ...)
Pretty hard to do, constructing more tunnels under London is a hard thing to do, as the recent land collapse while building the new Channel Tunnel link probably proves.
To put whole new underground lines in you'd more or less have to go under the existing system, and if you haven't been on the London underground, the deep stations are really a long way down, much deeper than most of the newer subway systems in the States, which are usually built by digging a big trench and then roofing it over.
Al.The Daily ACK - Eclectic posts by yet another hacker
>Shouldn't they increase the capacity of public transit before they force people to use it
they are, loads more buses paid for out of the congestion charge.
They tried for years to do this (decrease Central London traffic) voluntarily and it didn't work
cclondon.com
http://milkshake.dexy.org
If your car has been converted to use liquid petrolium gas you dont have to pay. An LPG conversion costs around £1000 so it may or may not be worth it depending on your usage.
Pffft. When was the last time you tried parking in London? 1964? :o)
I don't know where you heard about places charging £4.60 but thats rubbish.
Just because you pay a fiver doesn't mean you're guaranteed a parking space inside the zone. Places outside of the zone are hiking their prices because of the increased demand to park in that area (so capturing the "i'll drive as close as I can and then tube it" group of people).
You can't find a daily rate of less than £20 in the area at the moment. Next week it'll probably hit £25.
Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
I'm not current on models, but I am an experienced bike mechanic and sales guy. I can make some suggestions you're free to ignore. : )
At first blush, your budget seems a little on the low side, if you're serious about riding to work several days a week. Upgrading a bicycle is fairly expensive with respect to just buying what you will need in the first place, so shop with your future (2-4 years) needs in mind.
Having said that, when you catch the bug, nobody's going to be able to stop you buying a new ride. : )
The first thing you need to think about is user interface. You want to get a bicycle that is not just comfortable for five minutes in the parking lot, but is comfortable for an hour (or so) a day. That means that I would get a good pair of cycling shorts, gloves, and shoes (in that order of importance). Look for a saddle that is wide (or narrow) enough to support the points of your pelvis, your "sit bones". Avoid excess padding, as it tends to chafe. Thin gel or closed-cell foam pads on well-designed nylon shells are my personal preference for saddles.
Then you need to decide whether you're more comfortable on a bike with drop handlebars or upright, flat handlebars. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. As a general rule, drop handlebars afford more hand positions, allowing you to move around to avoid hot spots on your hands. They also put more of your weight on your hands, typically 30-40% of your body weight. This is a good idea for longer-distance rides, but many people feel it is awkward at first. You will want to make sure that the bars are about as wide as your shoulders. The ideal position is that your arms remain parallel to one another when you're holding the brake hoods or the dropped sections.
Lots of people prefer flat handlebars. Especially with a pair of bar-end extensions, the problems with hand fatigue go away. With a wider distance between your hands, the bike feels more stable and controllable. Typically, the position is a bit more upright than with drop bars.
In either case, you've got a lot of flexibility for setting up your body position by switching out stems and handlebars.
My experience with inexperienced cyclists is that they feel more comfortable with a lower saddle, and a more upright position, than is actually ideal for long distance riding. Saddle position is easy to adjust, of course. When you have the ball of your foot over the pedal axle, and are seated, you want your leg to be at almost full extension. You should be able to move your knee backwards, dropping your heel and lock your knee, without straining or rising off the saddle. This will probably feel precarious. If you're very uncomfortable, drop the saddle an inch and raise it a little bit every few days until you are where you need to be.
If you're going to be commuting daily, the first thing you'll want on your bike is a good, sturdy wheelset with narrow(ish) high-pressure tires. Aluminum rims are pretty standard nowadays, and you want to make sure that the bike you pick has good ones. If you select a mountain-style bike, get some high pressure road tires. Commuting on knobbies is noisy and inefficient. For a road bike, get a middle-width to wide tire. Racers use tires 18-23mm. 23-27 will be more appropriate for commuting.
Make sure you're getting a good frameset. In your price range, you'll certainly be looking at steel frames, with perhaps some aluminum bikes as well. You'll notice that shifter and brake models are stratified by price. Typically, an aluminum bike will have components that are one or two levels "lower" than a steel bike for the same price.
As far as componentry goes, any bike you buy is probably going to shift and brake really really reallyreally well. More expensive components tend to be lighter and sturdier, but this is not a huge concern for a commuter or recreational cyclist. Spend your money to get a good frame and wheels, and appropriate clothing. I feel that a bike with derailleurs is simpler to maintain than those with internally-geared hubs, although those geared hubs have come a long way from my dad's three-speed.
If you're going to be carrying groceries, get a rear-mounted rack and a set of panniers or open-top fabric bags. This setup is a lot more comfortable and safer than carrying a big backpack.
Rules of thumb:
1) Go to a bike store. Do not buy from a department store. You'll pay more at the bike store than you will (say) buying a bike online, but the experience of the sales staff in helping you evaluate your options will more than pay for itself. If you do not feel the staff is being helpful, go to another bike shop.
2) Take time to get the bike fitted to yourself. Most good shops will swap out handlebars and stems and (sometimes) saddles, at your request. You might pay a little upcharge if you select a much more expensive part, but the shop should do the labor for free.
3) Don't neglect clothing. A good pair of gloves and shorts will make more difference to your enjoyment of riding your bicycle than spending an extra $100 to get a bike with shinier parts.
4) Toe clips are your friend. They position your foot on the pedal, and allow you to lengthen your power stroke. They are, however, scary as heck the first time you use them. See 5.
5) Shoes and clipless pedals are a very nice upgrade for your bike, and I'd say they're pretty important if you're going to be riding frequently. I feel they're safer than toe clips.
6) Suspension systems are heavy, and will not dramatically improve your riding on the road. Become accustomed to standing over bumps and rough pavement. If you want to ride more aggressively off-road, front suspension is far more important for control. I would not buy a fully sustpended bike that costs less than $800-1000. And, even at that price range, I'd expect the bike to be several pounds heavier than other bikes that cost
much less.
7) Carry tools, and know how to use them. You must be able to replace and inflate a tire on the road. I prefer pumps to the C0-2 inflaters. Carry a spare tube and a tube patch kit.
8) Rudimentary bicycle maintenance is very easy, and doesn't require a lot in the way of expensive tools. Adjusting your brakes and shifters are not difficult. Have the bike shop give you a run down of how the systems work.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!