500 signatures reached
To: Brighton and Hove City Council
Keep George St, HOVE traffic free until 6pm in the summer months
George St in Hove has been traffic free until 6pm during the summer months since 1999. The pedestrianised street is a vehicle free environment with shoppers able to sit outside the numerous cafes in the sunshine. With so many cars on roads and so much pollution in the city of Brighton and Hove, George St has long been seen as an example of a reduced pollution and traffic accident free shopping experience. Brighton and Hove City Council are changing the vehicle free hours in the summer months and opening up the street to traffic at 4pm instead of 6pm, in a seven month trial. We the undersigned ask the Council NOT to reduce the current traffic free period! We ask that the Council consider how many school children walk along this street after 4pm? We ask the council to consider the already high pollution in our city and that to be able to shop in a reduced pollution environment should not be taken away from us. We ask the Council to consider how many pedestrian and traffic accidents will happen at this busy late afternoon shopping period when the traffic-free hours are reduced?
Why is this important?
Brighton and Hove City Council have voted on a trial period of opening up the road to traffic at 4pm from April 2018 for a seven month period. We point out to the council that even one child knocked over by a car whilst walking along this currently pedestrianised street is one child too many. A public consultation took place in 2015 on this same issue and the Council decided not to change the traffic-free times as 'A number of road safety issues were identified' and '85% of the public who responded to the consultation did NOT want any change to the times'. We, the undersigned believe that the safety and health of the many city residents who shop in George St should be of utmost importance and that the current pedestrianisation of George Street in the summer months up to 6pm should be upheld.
How it will be delivered
To a Full Council meeting
