One of Brighton's most popular shopping street could be closed to traffic at the weekends

[Acker79]

The next road they can look at pedestrianising is that one that runs past the pub called 'The Office'. Don't know the name but it runs from Trafalgar Street down towards the old Argus building (left) and Kensington Gardens (right)

Half of Sydney street is pedestrianised at weekends already. You can only join it at that road that joins it opposite 'the office'

 

[Grassman]

As long as I can can still get a bunk up in Jimmys Alley it sounds good

I remember, as a young lad, being taken to watch Grease at the cinema in East Street one evening, they were filming Quadrophenia at the time. In fact they were filming the running battles in East Street at that time. My mates mum went mad thinking it was a proper fight and turned to flee until someone pointed out the cameras. I become a mod 2yrs later. I like to think the two are connected.

 

[The Large One]

Sidney Street

Yes, there are a few streets in North Laine that could do with being pedestrianised- they're so crowded sometimes that it seems they already are.

The East Street one is interesting: the pressure for it is coming from the shop owners, giving the lie to the idea that banning cars is bad for business

The Brighton Chamber of Commerce has a quarterly debate or forum, where local business get to debate a topic of the day. The motion for the most recent debate was along the lines of Business would be better in Brighton if we took cars out of the city centre' .

Before the debate started, there was a show of hands, and around about two-thirds of people (who were mostly business people in Brighton, though many other groups and individuals - including doctors, transport specialists, political representatives etc.) voted against the motion. It was, by all accounts, a lively, interesting and at times heated debate.

At the end of the debate, the same question was asked, and the split was closer to 55/45 against.

A secondary question was asked of the audience at the end - 'Business would be better in Brighton if we reduced the number of cars in the city centre' (rather than an outright ban). The show of hands was over-whelmingly in favour. The question didn't stipulate where the reduction of motor traffic should be, but listening to the debate, it was evident that many, if not most, traders in the centre of Brighton would prefer to have their street at least part-pedestrianised.

Personally, I feel a blanket ban is wrong, discriminatory and unenforceable. But, on the subject of this thread, pedestrianising East Street has been talked about for quite a while and - even if just for the weekends - will be a good thing.

 

[Badger]

I rarely go in any of the shops on East Street, especially not the bit with cars on. However, I do often use it as a route to get to the seafront and that part of the street can be a pain with narrow pavements and cars parked all along it, so I think it would be a good idea at weekends.