Cobbs Corner Roundabout and other related issues!

[hairybuddha]

Cheers Eagle. I understand that being in agreement with you on here is something that one is supposed to avoid . So I'll take issue with your claim that cars are elitist. Most of the cars that I see around Sydenham are not examples of the upper echelons of society wafting around town. Quite the opposite.

[paultreacy]

I will read all posts here later. For now I would just like to say that the odds are stacked against pedestrians in London. I walk to and from school every day with my two lads whatever the weather and mostly it's safe enough. However, there are just too many arrogant, selfish and aggressive drivers around who make it known they are severely pained when made to wait for people to cross at a zebra crossing. Do they not realise that they will be held up for mere seconds? That they'll quickly make up those ever so brief moments? Too, too many obnoxious drivers block the crossing when traffic is briefly held up and many jump their vehicles in front of families just as they are about to set foot on the road in an effort to get across.

I would so love to get all those crap motorists and knock their stupid, pompous skulls together. There are too many damn cars around. Substantially more than is necessary. Get out of the damn things and WALK to the train or bus, why don't you.

Please, please try to be a little more courteous to us vulnerable pedestrians. We're trying to get to our destinations IN ONE PIECE too and without a metal cage and airbags to protect us.

"Sick of the continued discrimination against road users" is it? Give me a break.

- Paul.

[hairybuddha]

I also need to take specific issue with this point from the OP

I am sick of the continued discrimination against road users every time there is redesign of a streetscape (which is usually paid for from the myriad taxes applied to people who have the audacity to drive motor vehicles).

Vehicle Exise Duty and taxation on fuel do not even come vanishingly close to paying for the road network and it's upkeep. The link between Vehicle Exise Duty and road maintenance was abolised by none other than Winston Churchill. The vast majority of the funding for roads comes from general taxation i.e income and council tax. This is to say nothing of the negative externalities of the motor car: Pollution, wear and tear, the mopping up (sometimes quite literally) when things go wrong and the burden on the NHS from the sedentary lifestyle that excessive car use breeds.

So why should the motorist get priority when a new streetscape is designed?

[maestro]

Maestro - Hello again. Yep, still got the Jag, but only for high days and holidays. Petrol's expensive you know, even more so when it's being wasted in queues created by badly designed road schemes and slowing down and accelerating for every "speed table". How's your Prius battery? Due for it's £4000 replacement soon I'd expect. Or you could just import another new one from Japan and ruin the planet a little more.

You were spouting the same claptrap about Prius batteries in the last debate we had, when I pointed out the slight flaw in your argument that they're protected by an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty. I think the soot and fumes you are breathing in from that old jalopy you drive must be affecting your memory. I'm now on my third Prius having covered 140,000 miles between them and not had to spend a penny repairing anything, I certainly couldn't say that of any of the four XJ Jags I had years ago.

[stuart]

Stuart - Do I understand from your post that you don't think Sydenham should allow cars to pass through either?

Only if they use the road DB, only if they use the road. Or are you the fella who prefers pavements

But a toll gate on the bridge could keep the Lower & Mid-Syd rabble at bay ...

Stuart

[leenewham]

Here here Stuart, keep the rif raf from us in upper beckenham.

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[leenewham]

I drove over the 'speed tables' yesterday. No problem. They seem to work well.

Drove up Sydenham road too. Now the traffic lights have gone, no problem. Traffic flow Arond the roundabout seems to be no problem.

New paving didn't seem slippy, although it's smooth so may be in rain, but it will soon grit in. But to be honest, I didn't really notice the new paving. It's better now the railings have gone.

It is odd that they lay the paving, then dig it up and put down the trees.

Went in the Sydenham Hub Jill (which the stupid Agents have stuck a huge for sale sign on so it looks like it's shut, surely our local Cllr Chris Best can exert some influence on the agents to remove it as she has with other signs she has told me she has had removed? The final images for the mosaic on the Nabourhood Centre are in there so you can see what will be erected there. It takes up a lot of space in the hub so it must have a lot of support from the team behind it. I still think it's totally wrong for the building. Amazing local fundraising skills, but the wrong art for the wrong building in my humble view (I hope the Sydsoc don't have a go at me for expressing my opinion on this this time and i'm sure Robin and Valerie respect my view, I still think they are both amazing!).

We went in the pop up sops, Modernish on Kirkdale was quiet but still make me drool by what they sell. Really lovely stuff.

Finally, if you are interested in retro clothing and furnitire and stuff, the old floor zone shop is worth a visit. It's cool. Really cool. When it first opened I wasn't sure about it, it looked like a junk shop going past, but passing by today, it looks great. It was fairly busy too.

[maverick]

Completely agree,i'ts a complete mess,undoubtedly more congestion.

[Rachael]

Someone needs to paint the yellow lines back on the road outside the Co-op.

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[perryman]

Is this the right thread to ask what has happened to the zebra crossing at Sydenham station?
The LED beacons have gone and high concrete kerbs installed so It is not coming back anytime soon.
It is true that drivers were often too preoccupied with their busy lives and mobiles to stop for those crossing, and I have had some close shaves, but removing the crossing point altogether does not resolve this.
People still need to get to the other side from a busy station, and just relying on the good manners of drivers (see opening post) to stop at informal crossings points is laughable.

[Rachael]

perryman - have a look at the link I posted upthread. It shows the plans and where the relocated crossing will be.

As a driver, that crossing was difficult as cars cresting the bridge at night would dazzle drivers coming the other way. It was sometimes very difficult to see pedestrians on the crossing.

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[perryman]

Thanks Rachael.

I think all zebra crossing were dangerous at night, and why they have got phased out.
It is a shame as they can work well during the day. And they are attractive features.

I'll be amazed if they replace the zebra with 2 pelican style crossings, especially as they consider it fine to have no crossing at all at the moment - not even a temporary arrangement.
In Perry Vale next to FH station, they famously created a non-cross-able crossing, so as not to disrupt the traffic. They are quite mad and answerable to no-one, so it will be interesting to see what they come up with here in practice.

[Rachael]

It says there will be a 'controlled' crossing raised to footway height at the Greyhound. As this is just past the roundabout, I think it would have to be a zebra. Zebra crossing are still popular at roundabouts because (in theory) traffic is already slower. A pelican crossing would cause tailbacks on the roundabout.

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