Transport in south london

[Henry_17]

Indiepanda,

Take Underhill all the way down, over Barry road, right at the Exhibition onto Crystal Palace road.

At this stage you will find yourself alongside quite a few other cyclists,

Take Crystal Place road all the way down, crossing East Dulwich Road at the lights onto Adys road,

Adys all the way down, right onto Oglander,

first left at the end into Maxted,

Maxted to the end right onto Bellenden (again, often you will be in a group of 4-6 cyclists at this stage),

Bellenden takes you all the way down to Peckham road, however there is a one way system that takes you off and then back on it (via Chadwick, Lyndhurst, then Holly grove - have a look at Maps to see)

When at the end of Bellenden wait for the lights to cross Peckham road and enter Melon road,

Here some cyclists choose to mount the pavement and take the path by the leisure centre that takes you to the very start of the cycle highway through the park,

However you can choose to take Melon road to the end (very short and very rarely cars) right onto Jocelyn street which then also joins the path in the park.

[rendelharris]

Hi Indiepanda,

Managed to get out for a quick look this morning and there's a nice little virtually traffic free route for you:

From the Ryedale/Underhill junction go back up Ryedale, left onto Balcher Road and right down Dunstan's Road (traffic controlled)

At the bottom of Dunstan's Road dismount, push over the pelican crossing and enter Peckham Rye park (where cycling is permitted, before any naysayers jump in, I checked the signs!). Go straight ahead then take the first path to the left and follow it round to the park gate. Exiting the gate turn left on the path back towards Forest Hill Road/Peckham Rye.

When you reach the road, either push your bike along the pavement twenty yards or there's a dirt path to the side which is fine in all but the nastiest weather.

Take the diagonal path on your right across the common. At the end of the path, dismount and walk across the lights and take the short, usually quiet, stretch of road up to the Rye pub. If you don't like traffic you probably won't want to ride round the junction, so dismount, walk across the zebra and remount at the buses and cycles only left turn into Rye Lane. Straight up Rye Lane, come out at the traffic lights by Peckham Library (which cyclists are allowed to ride across), ride across the plaza and the Surrey Canal path starts to the left of the library.

The Southwark bike train can show you the rest of the route, briefly it's (or the way I go is) Surrey Canal path to Burgess Park, exit Burgess Park by the BMX track, all the way up Portland Road and Brandon Street (both very quiet), top of Brandon Street a short cycle path takes you onto Rodney Road, right into Rodney Place, pavement cycle path to your left takes you along OKR to Elephant from where you join the wonderful new totally segregated cycle tracks which can take you to Blackfriars and on to the city, Westminster, Farringdon, Limehouse etc all without ever sharing a road with motors.

Hope that's some use, I've drawn it out on the map attached. The one drawback is, obviously, that in winter the park will be closed in the evenings. However, even if you got off and walked from the end of the diagonal path across the common (opposite Roy Brooks) it's only a third of a mile to Dunstan's Road, so an extra 5/10 minutes. The whole route to the centre of Blackfriars Bridge is 5.7 miles, so even at a very gentle pace you'll get there in half an hour.

Let us know how you get on!

Cheers,

Rendel

[NewWave]

Its all a joke tbh.

I live in Forest Hill and work in Bond Street. My overground trains are dangerously overcrowded at peak times.the interchange at Canada water is ill thought out and again positively dangerous at peak times with acute overcrowding and pushing and shoving at peak times.

To add insult to injury today there were no trains at all on the Overground beyond New Cross gate and of course none from London Bridge either.

I was working today, and it was one of the busiest shopping days in the west end, getting to and from work took me 90mins each way.

We desperately need more bus-routes going from Forest-hill/East Dulwich to Marble arch.

Better train services with increased interchanges as Canada water is really overstretched.

It would be amazing to have an express bus route like they have in parts of west London which could connect us easily to the west-end.

[Passiflora]

Wherever you live or work it's the last weekend before Christmas so expect lots of traffic and delays!

There's already enough buses, trains, tubes but just too many people!

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Zebedee Tring Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Grayling doesn't seem to care much about

> > cyclists

> > > if recent reports are true.

> > >

> > > How about a bus to Elephant and then Bakerloo

> > or

> > > Northern? Masses of buses go to the Elephant

> > > including two from the LL area. Or a 37 or P4

> > to

> > > Brixton - not so good but a possibility.

> > >

> > > But I agree with the comments about the

> > inadequacy

> > > of S London transport.

> >

> >

> > Also 185 to Oval (for Northern Line) or

> Vauxhall

> > (for Victoria Line). 63 (I think) also goes to

> > Oval.

> >

> > Often quicker than going to the Elephant, once

> you

> > are on the bus, but does depend on how long you

> > would have to wait for it.

>

> 63 goes Old Kent rd-- New Kent Rd-- Elephant and

> Castle then Blackfriars -- Farrindon -- Kings

> Cross

>

> Foxy

Sorry I meant 36 not 63 to go to Oval

[Earl Aelfheah]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> How about cycling - cover four miles in about 15

> minutes?

I do cycle, but it's not always an option.

Seeing as we pay taxes (in part) to provide public transport, there should also be reasonable alternatives to private transport on offer which are quicker than just walking.

[Jess85]

Agree with OP, transport a joke south of the river. Our daily commute has gotten so bad over the past 3 years, we are contemplating upping sticks. The trains are hugely overcrowded, if they turn up and aren't cancelled.. If they turn up, they are late. The buses too are now incredibly packed even early morning, we are lucky to get on. I'd love to cycle but personally I would not do so in London due to the pollution and I'd be worried about being knocked off etc, however safe a cyclist I was (that's my personal opinion, appreciate a lot of people do it and enjoy it!). We pay a lot for our monthly pass and it's just not worth it anymore.

We are in WD and I believe trains will no longer go direct to Black friars from 2018. This is such a step back and a decision I really cannot understand, that train is packed!? Those people will now pour onto the Victoria trains which are already, as I mentioned, horrendous!

Rubbish!

[d.b]

It has been awful. When I moved here in late 2012 there were 6 trains an hour scheduled to take 12 minutes into London Bridge. Then we have had the rebuild of the station, huge disruptions, and now the strikes. We are on 4 trains per hour if we're lucky (official timetables get changed on a whim) and huge numbers of cancellations due to strikes or staff shortages. When they run the timetabled journey time is now 20 minutes.

This is all against a backdrop of rising passenger numbers. I'm sure most people who use the trains here are fed up with Southern and their poor communication, poor labour relations, and crap excuses. The RMT are not much better but as a long-time Londoner I'm used to that. Unfortunately the government seems to want to play politics with Southern rail, either to embarrass the new mayor or to try and break support for the unions. We just get caught up in the middle.

One thing that would really ease the burden would be more Overground services through Denmark Hill and Forest Hill/Honor Oak. 4 tph through Denmark Hill is not enough, they are always hugely overcrowded. It's a great route connecting into the tube and a lifeline for people who would normally go to London Bridge. I know there are problems with the number of trains running through Surrey Quays, with so many lines converging there. But maybe we could have some that just shuttle as far as that, where we can change to one of the many other services to go onwards. It might help a little?

[DulwichFox]

Buses no longer collect fares.. Everyone uses Oyster. No need to run extra Buses to get revenue.

No conductors so more savings..

Big profits -- Poor service.

Big Bonuses for transport bosses.

DulwichFox

[JohnL]

Today train seems to have lost power at Blackfriars.

Can hear someone shouting down the train - no tannoy (are we back in the 40s)

Loads of people move to Victoria line (no way am I going there - hub of horror) - 30 minutes lat eventually.

I hate it that media is blaming last weeks strike for issues that are day to day.

[rendelharris]

Jess85 Wrote:

> I'd love to cycle but personally I would not do so

> in London due to the pollution and I'd be worried

> about being knocked off etc, however safe a

> cyclist I was

I do appreciate that cycling in London can seem incredibly daunting (though the new segregated cycle routes and quietways are amazing - I can now get from Peckham Library to Canary Wharf with only about half a mile on-road, and that on quiet backstreets) but in terms of pollution, a King's College study in 2014 demonstrated that cyclists have the lowest pollution absorption of any road users, with car drivers having the worst, bus passengers next, then pedestrians, then cyclists, so nobody should let pollution levels put them off.

[nunhead_man]

Rather than starting a new thread, can anyone provide info here?

Has anyone used Honor Oak station today? I ask as our visitors propose to get back by train to Gatwick via Forest Hill and East Croydon and I believe the first leg is run by Southern and also Gatwick Express is also affected?

We have looked here ....http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/strike/conductor-strike/

[mikeb]

Suggest they aim for an Overground train to West Croydon (every 15 minutes, takes 20 minutes) and then walk to East Croydon - it's only about 10 minutes between them, plus you get to enjoy some of the finest architecture in south London.

[Rosetta]

A minicab is safer.

[KidKruger]

Which part of "I don't want to cycle" does not penetrate to the bit of the brain that says 'Oh, OK, I recognise that is your CHOICE' ?

Back to the strikes - Surely strikes are meant to have a purpose ? What difference does it make to the RMT/workers or the firm responsible for running Southern (or Govt for that matter) whether customers can get to work or not ?

My point is if it makes no difference to any of those parties, then why strike ?

It's just causing pain to the customers perpetually, with no gain for those in contention in this dispute.

[Bic Basher]

There are no through trains to East Croydon during the day on weekdays until further notice. They can either get on another train to Norwood Junction from East Croydon to change for the Overground, or get the tram Routes 1 or 2 to West Croydon and change for the Overground or as mentioned walk between the two stations.

[nunhead_man]

OK - ta! Anyhow travellers have departed to try the oversgound with 5 hrs to spare - complete with climbing ropes ice axes and skiis - and hope not to use them before they get to Iceland :-)

[rendelharris]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Which part of "I don't want to cycle" does not

> penetrate to the bit of the brain that says 'Oh,

> OK, I recognise that is your CHOICE' ?

Why the entirely unnecessary aggressive response? I said I quite understood the reasons for not cycling, I just wanted to point out - as far as I can see, completely non-judgementally and politely - that fear of pollution shouldn't necessarily be one of them.

It's a discussion board. People make comments, other people respond to them. That's kind of the point.

ETA: By the way, both the people on here to whom I've responded with what are intended to be helpful comments didn't say "I don't want to cycle," they said "I'd like to cycle but...", so I was just addressing the but.

[Otta]

TheCat Wrote:

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> Yeah, it's shocking that it takes this long to get

> anywhere central when you consider most of Dulwich

> is in zone 2.....

Back when zones mattered to buses, zone 2 ended at Goose Green, so most of East Dulwich is actually zone 3.

Not that that matters. Forest Hill, Sydenham, Penge all have the overground which is great. They really do need to sort t out.

I recently changed jobs from Newham (overground, tube, DLR) to Lewisham (one bus). Thought it would be great journey wise, but I hate it. How I long for the queues at Canada Water as I sit in traffic crawling in to Catford.

[nunhead_man]

And the expedition reports a 20 min delay on Overground to Norwood and Caterham train cancelled

And on the other topic cyclists are strangely better off in traffic that those in cars especially if you have a window open or air flow system bringing in air from outside - partly to do with red blood cell count and NOx being heavier than air and cyclists being higher up than some vehicle drivers - http://www.conspec-controls.com/products/nitrogen-dioxide-gas-detector.asp

[Bovine Juice]

Otta

Have you considered walking to Clock House? - 12 mins from there to Lewisham on train

[Otta]

Hi, have been meaning to try that. But usually end up taking kids to school in Sydenham then getting a 75/202.

[Jules-and-Boo]

Transport for London's funding is self-generated. There are no longer grants from government - which means it's income comes from fares or property/ advertising etc.

There isn't money for elaborate plans - literally only functional self-funded things.

The Crossrail line is opening up in two years which will help massively but is far away.

The problems with existing train lines are diabolical. I think it's inexcusable. Insult is added by the money that changes hands at the top.

[Nigello]

I agree that the transport issue in and around SE22 is bad and will not get better soon. I wrote to our MP telling her about our woes (reduced number of trains into London Bridge etc; packed buses; spotty policing of cars parked in bus lanes etc) and she passed it onto the GLA, which replied to say that there will be no Tube, no Camberwell Green rail link and no special provisions for buses (such as more services or express versions of existing services).

With that in mind I walk more and more, sometimes up to 2 miles from Herne Hill or Denmark Hill just to avoid the overcrowded and slow buses at peak times and to get more exercise and stay calm!

[Earl Aelfheah]

TFL should be handed the Southern franchise. Chris Grayling's decision to put political spitefulness over commuters well being is disgraceful.