Below is the presentation provided in the Forest Hill Ward Assembly and SEE3 Town Team Meeting for some of the concepts for Dartmouth Road. There are still many further months of consultation to agree the detail of the scheme. The Forest Hill Society has some concerns about the current designs, but we welcome the opportunity to see a transformation of this road.
Proposals for road narrowing, to allow for more space for pedestrians and parking:
Proposed areas of the road for existing and increased parking, and drop-off at the pool:
Proposed additional bus stops for the centre of Dartmouth Road (outside the pool and The Hill):
Proposals for road narrowing, to allow for more space for pedestrians and parking:
Proposed areas of the road for existing and increased parking, and drop-off at the pool:
Proposed additional bus stops for the centre of Dartmouth Road (outside the pool and The Hill):
7 comments:
Looks lovely but will it just cause increased congestion with the resultant pollution as the "beautification" of Sydenham has done. Large buses travel and stop in Dartmouth Road causing bottle necks and back ups. Those of us who live at this end of Forest Hill use this road when travelling out to Catford and beyond. Can't use Sydenham anymore because of the constant traffic jam there. People do sometimes need to use cars.
Narrower road? The road needs to be wider, not narrower, to deal with the serious congestion and backed-up traffic, especially at rush hours. The short traffic lights at the corner of London Road and Dartmouth Road, plus the parking on Dartmouth Road, lead to very long waiting times for those of us trying to take buses travelling north on Dartmouth Road.
I am all for increased pedestrianisation. It will make Dartmouth Road a much more pleasant street overall. We shouldn't be widening roads to accommodate cars. With the staggering amount of unnecessary car journeys that contribute to severe pollution in London we need to reduce car usage and providing better pedestrian access helps achieve that over time. The plans to plant more trees sound great too. So thumbs up from me!
Whilst I understand that there is already congestion on this part of the road, widening it will not help. There should be an absolute ban on parking outside of the proposed bays, and I'd go as far as making one way a bus only route. There is little provision for cycling on the road, although there are plenty of bike parking facilities on Dartmouth road, you have to take your life in your hands to get to them!
Agreed re the cycling point - and there is also an emerging body of research that suggests that cycle friendly high streets increase trade - much easier for that quick impulse buy if you can just hop off your bike, lock up and nip into the shops/stop for a coffee etc - so if we're widening pavements, more bike racks please - it's good for local business!
I am also in support of the traffic calming measures being introduced making Dartmouth road more pedestrian/cycle friendly and including creative spaces for people to use. This should increase footfall benefiting traders and improve the street. You do need to make provision for loading bays for traders and ensure strict enforcement of parking restrictions to keep traffic moving. Wonder if it would be possible to make the pavements mixed use for both pedestrians and cyclists?
If they want to support convenience stores, then encourage short term parking and busses etc.
If they want to encourage community, days out, shopping, cycling, night time economy, pavement cafes, small businesses and trade, make it a pedestrian only zone, but only at certain times so people and cycles use the same space. Allow busses and deliveries to use them the area or re-route them, keep paving and road at the same level.
Whatever happens, which will essentially be a pretty standard paving scheme as par normal with Lewisham, keep an eye on the detail. The finishing in Sydenham is pretty rubbish to be honest. The lights, toilet, benches etc are nothing like what was in the original documents and no-one with any sort of design training would have picked them.
Make sure what is promised is delivered too. In lower Sydenham, much of what was shown didn't happen. Many of the ideas that were supposed to be designed out in the scheme were totally ignored. Million were spent on paving which is now dirty and filthy. Cars still park on the pavements which isn't enforced etc. Million sent, but cycling not encouraged, traffic much worse, shops still the same, no imagination, no real improvement.
I hope this doesn't happen in Forest HIll and more tax payers money essentially wasted.
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