Cycle Hub for Forest Hill, Kirkdale and Sydenham

[brencud]

Hi everyone,

The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, made a pre-election pledge to implement a 'cycling hub' in every borough. This follows the three 'mini-Holland' schemes that Boris and TfL funded in Walthamstow, Enfield and Kingston. Assuming Sadiq pursues this, I'd love to see a bid for Lewisham's hub to cover the SEE3 area - Forest Hill, Kirkdale and Sydenham.

I'll be getting in touch with our local councillors to see if there is appetite to go for this. It won't be easy - the railway represents a major constraint, and it may involve changes to streets that would mean we have to change our driving routes and behaviours. I'd love to hear on here any views people have on this.

Thanks.

[rustya]

Lawrie park rd would be good to convert to cycling zone.
The cars speed massively down this road, and considering it adjoins crystal palace park pretty much, this could be an ideal place to convert

[stuart]

Lawrie park rd would be good to convert to cycling zone.

LPR is an important bus route. That must be preserved/enhanced. I did once ask the cycling officer (when Lewisham had one) to campaign for putting a bus lane down LPR. This has the advantage of:

1) Being wider than any likely cycle provision ie better for bikes
2) They are nearly always honoured by other road users (unlike cycle lanes)
3) It removes parking from the side of the road (currently cars tend to play chicken dangerously on who is going to give way)
4) TfL should support because it would speed up buses and other traffic hence non-cyclists also benefit. Pedestrians would also be safer.

I really can't see any disbenefit apart from denying space to commuters who insist on blocking the road to save them an extra zone travel cost. Which achieves one objective from another thread without a CPZ.

Shall we have another go at getting one?

Stuart

[_HB]

I think there is a lot of confusion about what the 'cycle hubs' actually mean in practice. Unlike the mini-Holland schemes you are probably looking at some kind of cycle hire provision (probably folding bikes) and upgraded cycling parking centered around mainline train stations. This is politically easy to do and not expensive. But puts the cart before the horse. I would be surprised to see significant infrastructure interventions in the Borough as Lewisham are just not interested, frankly.

I disagree with Stuart on the bus lane issue, if you're settling for sharing space with buses then you have failed. But he's probably right that overall conditions on Lawrie Park road might be improved.

What the area really needs is the closure to through traffic of rat runs. Lewisham has the lowest rate of car ownership in London (and among the lowest nationally) and yet Sydenham is blighted by through traffic. The side streets are often narrow, dangerous.and inhospitable for children and pedestrians. Again, limited political will for change.

Get yourself down to Blackfriars Rd to see what can be done with a little boldness and imagination.

[brencud]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Great to see the level of interest. Details will of course need to be developed over time, and the problems mentioned about Lawrie Park Road are not unique to that road. I think it's quite an exciting prospect to consider how each of our streets can be made better places for local people.

I think there is a lot of confusion about what the 'cycle hubs' actually mean in practice. Unlike the mini-Holland schemes you are probably looking at some kind of cycle hire provision (probably folding bikes) and upgraded cycling parking centered around mainline train stations.

Sadiq was a bit vague in his manifesto which used the term "cycle hub", but he did sign up to the London Cycle Campaign's election campaign so effectively promised a mini-Holland in each borough. I do very much hope he follows this up with a firm commitment.

Get yourself down to Blackfriars Rd to see what can be done with a little boldness and imagination.

I agree - a great change. What was a fairly grim street has been transformed into something much more pleasant for everyone.

[rustya]

LPR should be made cpz in that case with no bus lane.
That would force commuters to use their feet to get to the station, or dare i say it.....use public transport

[aunty]

Hi all.
I'm not a cyclist, but I am a daily user of public transport. Would just like to reinforce a previous comment re: the importance of the bus routes along Lawrie Park Rd. Vitally important that these services are maintained and are not adversely affected, in any way, by any potential changes.

[brencud]

Hi aunty, thanks for your post. Maintaining (or improving) bus routes and frequencies should remain a priority, I agree.

[Mulberry]

Could we get an open bike-repair shed? Fairly cheap, and could go almost anywhere. In a train station forecourt, or at the intersection of Southend Lane and the Ravensbourne Linear Park Cycleway, for instance (near the big Sainsbury's, map with marker).