A new campaigning group is calling for a fairer balance between cars, cycles, buses and pedestrians on Enfield's roads. Better Streets for Enfield supports the Cycle Enfield (Mini Holland) plans to boost cycling and walking rates by installing bike lanes, 'quieter neighbourhoods', and redesigned high streets.
Devonshire Road should by rights be a quiet residential street, but most of the time is a "rat run". For two hours a month it turns into a Play Street (Photo: Phil Rogers)While local opposition to the scheme rumbles on, Better Streets is encouraged by new mayor Sadiq Khan's pledge to roll out more Mini Hollands. And they admire another Sadik-Khan: the former New York City transport commissioner who reallocated over 400 miles of road space for cycling, walking and public transport.
Setting out on the school run (Photo: Phil Rogers)'We're not "anti-car" - most of us drive,' says Palmers Green resident Clare Rogers, a member of the group. 'And less than half the people at our first meeting said they cycle. We just want balance - streets that work for everyone.'
The group includes school governors, play street organisers and clean air campaigners.
Father of three Alan O'Rourke says, 'Our road is a rat run, but we close it to through traffic once a month to let local kids play out together. It shows how friendly a "quieter neighbourhood" could be.'
Claire O' Donnell cycles her six-year-old daughter to school - but says she's virtually the only parent who does. 'More families would cycle to school if we had bike lanes,' she says.
The group's manifesto, launched today, cites problems in the borough such as childhood obesity, air pollution and struggling high street businesses. It says: 'Now is the time to act.'
Better Streets for Enfield aims to support Enfield Council while holding it to account in implementing Cycle Enfield. They will also seek to raise public awareness of the scheme's benefits, and promote other means to achieve better streets in Enfield for everyone.
The group have a public Facebook page: Better Streets for Enfield. You can find them on Twitter at BetterSts4Enfield. You can read the Better Streets for Enfield manifesto below.
Better Streets for Enfield
If you can change the street, you can change the world – Janette Sadik-Khan
Better Streets for Enfield seeks a people-friendly borough, with streets designed in a fair and balanced way to meet the needs of everyone who uses them.
We believe that Cycle Enfield (Mini Holland) helps towards this vision with its reallocation of space on roads, town centres and residential streets, so that:
- Streets cater for walking, cycling and public transport as well as driving
- High streets are pleasant places to spend time as well as money to help local businesses
- Children can safely play, walk and cycle, including to school, for better health, wellbeing and independence
- Cycling is a safe, convenient travel option for all ages and abilities
- Fewer short journeys are made by car, helping reduce air pollution and freeing up road space
- People can follow healthier, more active lifestyles, saving money for our NHS
- Residential streets can become communities rather than conduits for traffic.
Ultimately, this means that everyone can enjoy where they live, work and shop while still being able to travel safely by whatever means they choose.
The reality today is that Enfield is highly car-dependent, and the design of its roads makes travel by any other means difficult, unattractive and often unsafe. It has unhealthy levels of physical inactivity; high rates of childhood obesity; congested roads; adverse levels of air pollution and noise; limited space for car parking; and high streets where businesses struggle to stay afloat. Its growing population is likely to make these problems worse.
Now is the time for change: make better streets for a better Enfield.