I was scanning the current archive of stories from January and February. I looked at the stories I have in draft and those planned.
Oh.
They were, taken together, strongly against private cars. I think I know why.
I launched this blog in January, 2025 with a broad but pressing question:
How do I live my best life in the world's greatest city during this climate emergency?
This is not a drill. I want practical answers. I want to address all five elements of this question. But there is one issue which needed addressing immediately.
The Bridge
The next major decision on the future of Hammersmith Bridge, a Grade II* listed structure, is expected in June. I have six months to work through my instinctive view: Hammersmith Bridge should not be restored to vehicles.
There’s so much detail here. This requires time to explore, test, and refine my view. Timeliness then is the first reason for so many stories at this stage about the Bridge.
The second reason is the impact of that decision, either way, on Barnes and it’s surroundings. The Bridge has shaped the area in profound ways. I have (unqualified and untested) ideas on so many things - pavements, parking, bus routes, signage, developments. None of them match the probable impact lorries, cars and other vehicles being allowed over Hammersmith Bridge again. Reducing the car dependency will be like a golden thread running throughout this blog.
My final reason for writing so much about cars in the first few weeks is the way they shine a light on other issues. How have local businesses responded to the bridge closure? What has been the effect on air quality? What do politicians think? Starting with the Bridge has provided me with a long list of things I want to understand.
Sir Sadiq and me
Having researching the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS), I find myself mirroring his approach.
By all means, imagine living a better life in Barnes but first reduce the number and use of cars in the area. It’s a necessary foundation for a broader conversation about a better life in this corner of the city.
Next few months
There will be much more on the MTS, some of it about cars. Car ownership. Trips. But as the weeks pass and the story count increases there will be more on answering my organising question. Is this a climate emergency? What is it about London that I think makes it the world’s greatest city? What does living my best life mean in 2025?
I am pro-people, not anti-driver. I am pro-Barnes, not anti-roads. Judge me again in six months time on whether this true. I will.