The local council proposal: rid the on-street parking and grant parking for residents (and of course nice little earner for the local council).
No. Get rid of the on-street parking, seize the opportunity for radical change, pedestrianise Bailgate and make traffic free.
The only surprise is that this has not been done years ago. For that thank backward Bailgate Guild that is not doing Bailgate any favours.
Bailgate Guild are carrying out a survey. Maybe I should say ‘survey’. I have seen bad surveys, they nearly always are, slanted to deliver a desired result. But never this bad, so bad I could not in all honesty even call it a survey, this is prejudice and bias masquerading as a survey.
In local shops, asked to complete ‘survey’, but so-called survey takes as read have arrived by car, how many arrived by car etc etc.
Nowhere the option to say walked or used public transport.
Today I did both, is was raining, caught the bus, then walked to Bailgate along East Gate.
Usually I would walk up Steep Hill, a very pleasant walk, linger, but did walk back down.
At a guess, but quite an educated guess, 90% of those in Bailgate had walked.
The local council should treat this so-called survey with the contempt it deserves, ignore it.
A survey should ask, how did arrive:
- walk
- public transport
- car
Then go on to ask
- purpose of visit
- time of day
- how long
- where visit
- expenditure
I spent nigh on £50 if include a bill paid in the Post Office, which helps keep the little post office open.
I also walked around to The Lawn, had a coffee, then back through the grounds of Lincoln Castle, to then walk down Steep Hill.
There is on-street parking for about half a dozen cars. What do people do, drive round and round in the hope of finding a parking space?
Whilst I was walking along Bailgate, an idiot drove through at high speed in a 4×4.
Pedestrianise the street, make traffic free.
To do so immediately improves the environment for pedestrians, creates a safer environment, decreases pollution, contributes to reduction in greenhouse gases. Can then wander around without the risk of being run down, crisscross from side to side, will increase footfall, all the businesses benefit.
The focus should always be on making environments car free pedestrian friendly. On how do we benefit the environment, slow the rise in global temperature.
Creating a car free Bailgate would then create a pedestrian route from the High Street, up through The Strait, up Steep Hill, across Castle Hill and into Bailgate.
And for those who insist on using their cars, car parks nearby on two sides of the Lincoln Castle, and more car parking at The Lawn.
Bailgate could be divided into two halves. Castle Hill to Westgate business sector, Newport to Westgate residential. There would be an argument for resident parking in the residential sector. I would say no, grant permits to park in the nearby car parks.
