2018 wish list

[syd]

Evening all,

I must say I have noticed an improvement in Sydenham especially the work the street cleaners are doing.

Now this isn't a Sydenham bashing post, I'd like a list of positive proposals and perhaps we could chose a top three to peruse as a team?

Let me know what you think and I hope you all have a fun evening and a happy and prosperous 2018.

Cheers,
Syd

[parker]

An Argos inside Sainsbury’s, it’s certainly big enough for one.

[Nigel]

For me , Huuuuuuuge amount of tree planting all along the high street, artistic bollards to keep pedestrians safe from thug-man-baby drivers parking and driving on the pavements and even more trees on the highstreet
A very good 2018
Nigel

[Larky]

parking on the pavement, is becoming a big issue

[syd-gal]

I definitely agree with the tree planting.

[Pally]

Improving shop frontages ...not spending loads of money not got, just looking at and coming up with anything that might perk things up for some of them

[The Clown]

Agree - more trees!

[syd]

Hey all thanks for your replies. If it's not possible to have trees would planters be acceptable? I think a general greening of Sydenham would be nice.

[mosy]

I'd love an idyllic setting of sunshine and trees along the high street (or planters) but there are pros and cons, the latter being mostly cost, both initial and ongoing maintenance, but also space. I find it hard to make a coherent argument for "pretty" if e.g. school or social care funding is reduced commensurately. I wholly accept intangible spin-off "pros", like the unmistakable feeling of well being greenery gives, so it's a tricky one.

As to space, the high street was refurbished to remove as much street furniture (railings etc) as possible yet the pavements are still obstructed by many posts with notices of one sort or another. (Anyone remember the slogan "Pavements are for people"?)

My fundamental wish would be that Sydenham Road wasn't a TFL through route. I know it's a dream too far. Maybe Westwood Hill and Kirkdale could have a central (middle of the road so cyclists either side) rolling road freight transporter, or better still, on existing rail lines and keep Syd. Rd for local traffic

[syenhamboy]

Resident Parking!

[vbsydenham]

My fundamental wish would be that Sydenham Road wasn't a TFL through route.

Been saying this for years. No through road except buses, access and cycles from the Greyhound roundabout to Dartmouth Rd. And no on street parking on the High St except disabled and time limited loading.

Orford Rd in Walthamstow a good example of a similar scheme and the transformational effect it can have.

[stuart]

No through road except buses, access and cycles from the Greyhound roundabout to Dartmouth Rd. And no on street parking on the High St except disabled and time limited loading.

Orford Rd in Walthamstow a good example of a similar scheme and the transformational effect it can have.

Yep, I would go even further removing all non-disabled parking on the high street. It is possibly the best and easiest action to do. Totally unneccessary when I've never seen the free Girton Road car park full. It was a blockheaded and real lost opportunity in the Syd Road 'improvement'.

We should keep pushing on this. The objections of car drivers can be countered that it would improve throughput by eliminationg the congestion and danger of cars reversing, u-turning, dooring and other stupid stuff. Makes crossing the road easier since the ignored consultation on the road showed the community DID NOT WANT to be coralled into light controlled crossings to stop them crossing!

As to limiting traffic as you suggest, my heart is with you but my head isn't. Sorry.

You cannot compare it with Orford Road which is a side street and keeps that traffic on the main road. Sydenham Road is the main road. Closing it shifts the problem to Forest Hill and Penge which is a bit nimby-ish. And Forest Hill really doesn't have an option of joining with South Circ.

More importantly pushing for that is just going to get you too much opposition both from TfL, Lewisham even without our own piston heads. Whereas returning and optimising Sydenham Road as both a through route (also limiting the extra space to buses & bikes by your great idea of a westward (up hill) bus lane) and for shopper access with unclogged pavements would still be a great improvement.

Only the terminally lazy lose out. What's not to like?

Stuart

[vbsydenham]

Only the terminally lazy lose out. What's not to like?

What's not to like is it remains a through road. Forest Hill is on the South Circular, that's where the traffic should be. Anything else is fiddling at the edges. There are only negative externalities for Sydenham from the through traffic, only benefits for Sydenham to closing it.

Also, I agree with Nigel: Trees, lots of trees.

[Pally]

Certainly agree about the parking Stuart! Girton Rd is big and free and never full!!

[Robin Orton]

Forest Hill is on the South Circular, that's where the traffic should be. Anything else is fiddling at the edges. There are only negative externalities for Sydenham from the through traffic, only benefits for Sydenham to closing it.

Forest Hill is where the traffic is. Have you ever tried driving along London Road or Dartmouth Road during the rush hour?
As someone with joint Sydenham/Forest Hill citizenship, I would object to Sydenham transferring its 'negative externalities' to FH. The biggest obstacle to FH establishing itself as a civilised neighbourhood is the South Circular traffic, which tears out its heart.

(And yes, I know that cars are evil and that we should all cycle or jog.)

[vbsydenham]

Forest Hill is where the traffic is.

Sorry, I should re-word that. Forest Hill is where Sydenham's through traffic should be.

Have you ever tried driving along London Road or Dartmouth Road during the rush hour?

Yes, it's awful. There are too many people making short journeys by car. That's why through traffic should be restricted to trunk roads like the South Circular.

As someone with joint Sydenham/Forest Hill citizenship, I would object to Sydenham transferring its 'negative externalities' to FH.

It's not so much Sydenham's negative externalities. It is the negative externalities of people who choose to drive through Sydenham. All the benefits privatised, all the negatives socialised. Thatcher's Britain in a nutshell.

The biggest obstacle to FH establishing itself as a civilised neighbourhood is the South Circular traffic, which tears out its heart.

Twas ever thus. And the spill over is tearing the heart out of Sydenham too. You can keep it. And by you I mean the 50% of you that has FH citizenship

[Robin Orton]

Excellent. We all throw our rubbish over the fence into our neighbour's garden.

[mikej]

That's what drivers do every day, Robin!!

[Robin Orton]

You may be right, Mike , but that's a different argument.

[vbsydenham]

Excellent. We all throw our rubbish over the fence into our neighbour's garden.

To be honest Robin, I'm not being entirely serious about the impacts on FH. Obviously that would be very difficult and community objections would probably be enough to scupper any serious scheme in the real world.

But in the spirit of this thread, in the utopian world of Sydenham 2018, wouldn't it be lovely if all the horrible through traffic was removed and the high street could just be a peaceful shopping and leisure space? Somewhere that you would actually look forward to visiting to run your errands and meet friends and family?

DREAM ON HIPPY!