Roadworks in Kirkdale??

[castiron73]

People also tell me part of the problem with the High Street is people getting off the South Circular at Catford and heading to rejoin it at Forest Hill using Sydenham as a cut through.

If that's true, it makes no sense. The South Circular is much quicker when you've finally gone under the railway bridge at Catford.

The school run is the major problem. The council should stop wasting money on road improvements and put on free yellow buses for all the schools instead.

A few of the cars must be heading to or from Sainsbury's. What's it going to be like when the rest of the Bell Green development is complete?

[Greg Whitehead]

People also tell me part of the problem with the High Street is people getting off the South Circular at Catford and heading to rejoin it at Forest Hill using Sydenham as a cut through.

If that's true, it makes no sense. The South Circular is much quicker when you've finally gone under the railway bridge at Catford.

The school run is the major problem. The council should stop wasting money on road improvements and put on free yellow buses for all the schools instead.

A few of the cars must be heading to or from Sainsbury's. What's it going to be like when the rest of the Bell Green development is complete?

I thought about that too castiron73 - it would be very odd indeed, they seemed certain though that people would look to avoid Stanstead Road etc at all costs.

[leaf]

ooh er!
this is all getting a bit catty here!

pardon me for contributing,no one has actually responded to my points[greg excepted]

im not talking about changing things to aid traffic flow,im a pedestrian %100 as greg is,i am just pointing out that two of the traffic lights are dangerous...and dont get me started on the stupid zebra crossing on the brow of the hill.

you cant say it is all down to school traffic either,look at the times of day concerned,not much to do with school start/finish times.

greg
from what i understood of it,the kirkdale works would put a bus lane going down towards sydenham?

maybe im wrong

[castiron73]

My partner and I have two small children, Leaf, and that crossing is terrifying. We live on the Thorpes and if the traffic isn't narrowly missing you while crossing by Slatters, it's bombing along Queensthorpe Road in order to avoid waiting at the lights at all.

Agree about the buses too. If they're going too fast they veer on to the pavement by the pet shop - and by the greengrocer opposite Newlands Road.

Trouble is, the more you help pedestrians by adding crossings or giving the green man longer, the more frustrated car and bus drivers get and speed up. The only solution seems to be to encourage people to abandon their cars through c charge and better school buses etc

[Greg Whitehead]

ooh er!
this is all getting a bit catty here!

pardon me for contributing,no one has actually responded to my points[greg excepted]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that Leaf and for a change it wasn't being instigated by me

Whilst my suggestions seem to be being shot down (and yes, because they're not particularly good or well-thought out) why don't we just make the whole of Sydenham High Street pedestrian only. Put some nice sandstone cobbles down (think Leicester Square type thing) and in one foul swoop we'll stop the problem of the traffic jams on the High Street - wahey! Vote me in for Mayor!!?? I mean, what we're really debating here are measures to force the traffic to use somewhere else. Traffic, as with electricity and water follows the least line of resistance, block it at Sydenham and it'll just move along the next available conduit. Let's face it the problem of more cars on the road isn't being tackled so whatever we do to help Sydenham will only result in some other town or main road getting more traffic.

Just my opinion, tell me to keep it to myself it you wish.

[leaf]

castiron

im not the only one who feels as though im taking mine and my childrens lives in my hands when trying to cross syd rd then!

good point about the green grocers across from newlands pk,id forgotton that one,that is scary!

greg
you're right of course,if it isnt along syd rd it will only be somewhere else,what id like to see is the folk who design the road crossing layout,come out with me and my children and attempt to cross at these crossings,maybe if these could be improved id be happier and a lot of other pedestrians.

[Steve Grindlay]

...in one foul swoop we'll stop the problem...

A clever pun, Greg, or a Freudian slip?

[Greg Whitehead]

...in one foul swoop we'll stop the problem...

A clever pun, Greg, or a Freudian slip?

Living proof Steve that men have trouble multi-tasking (I was reading www.football365.com at the same time as posting and didn't notice).

[Pat Trembath]

At the end of November/beginning of December the council is due to be consulting residents about what improvements could be made in the high street from Cobbs Corner to Mayow Road to improve its "walkability".

Sydenham Society is trying to ascertain exactly how this consultation will be carried out. A council officer is due to attend the next meeting of Sydenham Road Regeneration Partnership at 7 pm at the Naborhood Centre on Thursday 8 December to talk about this consultation. This meeting is open to all interested in the future of Sydenham

[Paddy Pantsdown]

I would register a slight degree of caution when I hear you talk of Bruges and the Dutch cities having a better approach to this problem. These cities have sensibly done this by largely banning the motor car from their centres, pedestrianising large areas or making parking for vehicles absurdly expensive or non-existent.

Errr ... no! I guess you have not done it by car?

I regulary drive to Brugges. I can drive straight through (at a steady 50kph) or always park in the centre at reasonable cost or within walking distance free. The car is hardly visible which may explain your supposition. The same was true of the last Dutch city I visited (sorry Dutch placenames all look like random keystrokes to me:)

Brugges is a compact heavily visited heritage site with the most challenging terrain in a poorer country. The result, as I think you agree, is both convenient and delightful.

Scratch the surface of any UK road planner and he (always seems to be a he) will say "improve the road for car users and you just get more cars". Absolutely right of course. Because London public transport is so diabolical few car owners would choose to travel by bus/train/tube if they can avoid it. When you force people onto public transport (Ken Livingstone's current policy) you can charge outrageous fares and provide very poor service - and still tax the users to boot.

You have all the ingredients to create an inefficient traffic system which costs use of all transport modes dear.

If, as in many continental countries, you have superb low cost non-car access, then people actually freely choose to travel that way. It even makes room for more pleasureable car access too.

[Juwlz]

Make school buses free and compulsory.

[leaf]

or....make everyone walk!!
much healthier