Dulwich Village Junction - Tailbacks up Woodwarde Rd?

[slarti b]

I normally cycle to work down Woodwarde Rd and through the DV junction around 8.30 every morning.

Over the last couple of weeks (not during half term) the tailbacks from the junction up Calton Ave and Woodwarde from have been massive, up to 20 cars queuing all the way back to Druce Road. This doesn't seem to be caused by any school coaches or such like.

in the past there were normally only 3\4 cars queuing, if that. Have other people noticed this and if so, is it because the timing of the traffic lights

[EDOldie]

It's not just the tailbacks up Woodwarde, which are getting huge as drivers realise that if coming down Court Lane they have to give way to traffic coming along Calton so divert along Woodwarde. It's also the junction itself which is adding to the chaos every morning. The phasing of the lights is such that traffic coming from Turney Road moves off before traffic opposite from Calton Avenue can move as the light is still red for a few seconds. As far I can see the lights both go red again at the same time.

The result is that any traffic coming from Calton which needs to turn right into Dulwich Village towards North Dulwich gets stuck across the middle of the road. The problem is further compounded by the Dulwich Village (north, south direction)turning green almost immediately the Calton/Turney lights turn red!

A simple solution would be a green filter right from Calton Avenue into the Village. As there is on the junction with East Dulwich Grove and Red Post Hill and the junction of East Dulwich Grove with Townley Road. It only needs to be on in the morning the rest of the day it's fine.

As a regular user, mainly pedestrian but also car and cycle. It's very rarely indeed that I see any cyclist actually use the cycles lanes as it is often quicker to go through (or ignore) the traffic lights.

[Kosmo]

It?s not a coincidence that this started happening two weeks ago. As that is when the disastrous decision to close Champion Hill to traffic to Denmark hill was made, forcing the traffic onto East Dulwich Grove (I've Edited this it used to say East Dulwich road my mistake) which is now grid locked - I now have to drive down this road. I strongly suspect this is a knock on effect as drivers who normally would go down East Dulwich Grove now try Woodarde road.

BTW this decision has grid locked several other routes that used to flow freely. Please feel free to post your thoughts with the council.[consultations.southwark.gov.uk]

[James Barber]

Are you sure this is not related to the Thames water works on Lordship Lane which started 16 February?

[mac4]

You've lost me there. I can't see any connection between Woodwarde Rd and East Dulwich Rd, they're about a mile apart.

[Kosmo]

It's not a mile it's 300 meters. But I agree the water works on Lordship lane can't be helping.

[mac4]

According to my map East Dulwich Rd finishes at the roundabout at the north end of Lordship Lane. Maybe you meant East Dulwich Grove.

[Kosmo]

Yes I meant East Dulwich Grove. Sorry

[MarkT]

Tree felling by roundabout Red Post Hill.

[sand12]

This has a lot to do with the junction changes from last year, but honestly the problem is more complicated than just the junction signals or cycle lanes. The area has seen a major increase in traffic due to the increased use of satnavs. Village way is a useful rattan for people avoiding other major roads to cut N/S. The village already had to contendwith lots of commuter traffic due to the concentration of schools, but this was manageable since it was during specific peak school times. Now, you have all manner of thru traffic using these roads. Carlton ave from the village junction to the new zebra crossing is completely backed up some mornings even further. Woodward?s is backed up to Druce. Folks trying to ditch Court lane due to the wait time there, cut to Woodwarde. I see it everyday. It was happening last Novembeer as well, so I don?t think it has anything to do with any water works.

I?ve lodged a complaint with the council. I would urge everyone to do the same, since nothing happens until you document it and follow up. Woodwarde is a major artery for kids and families to walk for school. The congestion, air pollution, and dangerous driving I have experienced and witnessed everyday now for more than two years is making it very dangerous and I fear a tragedy is only waiting to happen unless this is sorted out. To give you an idea of what I have seen...last year a motorcyclist in broad daylight, during the morning school drop off jumped the curb near Gilkes crescent on Carlton and went right up the hill towards EDG-Townley Road. We were on the opposite side, but there were kids, prams, pedestrians all along his path.

The only way to deter motorists is to put in speed cameras and fine offenders till people get the idea that the area is not suitable to use as a thru way. Carlton Avenue also needs to not have so many cars parked on both sides perhaps at peak times like morning 7-9 am and 3-6 pm. Something has to be done.

[tiddles]

Long tail backs in all directions at this junctio today around 4pm - and dont think it was school pick ups

[slarti b]

James, The Lordship Lane roadworks may be an issue eg if cars bypassed Lordhip Lane and went down Forest Hill rd, ending up coming along Barry Road then Eynella\Woodwarde. The timing sounds about right but I am not convinced since this assumes displacement from Court lane which doesn't seem to be happening.

I totally agree the new DV junction has many flaws and the advance release for cars from Turney conflicts with the Cars from Calton turning right.. However I think that problem has always been there.

Maybe we wait till Lordship Lane waters works are finished and see if it returns to normal? Cureently Thames Water seems to have 2 lots of works and road closures, 16 Feb - 9 Mar and 6 April - 12 April

[Alexthecamel]

Crazy today- I took an hour to get from Peckham to Court Lane. Admittedly via the south circular when I realised I?d missed my appointment.

[Passiflora]

MarkT Wrote:

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

> Tree felling by roundabout Red Post Hill.

The tree felling only started today.

[wulfhound]

Roadworks on Gipsy Hill and Palace playing a home game kicking off right after evening rush hour certainly can't have helped. Croxted Road, South Croxted Road and all the alternatives were at a standstill southbound yesterday.

[seenbeen]

EDOldie Wrote:

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

> It's not just the tailbacks up Woodwarde, which

> are getting huge as drivers realise that if coming

> down Court Lane they have to give way to traffic

> coming along Calton so divert along Woodwarde.

> It's also the junction itself which is adding to

> the chaos every morning. The phasing of the lights

> is such that traffic coming from Turney Road moves

> off before traffic opposite from Calton Avenue can

> move as the light is still red for a few seconds.

> As far I can see the lights both go red again at

> the same time.

>

> The result is that any traffic coming from Calton

> which needs to turn right into Dulwich Village

> towards North Dulwich gets stuck across the middle

> of the road. The problem is further compounded by

> the Dulwich Village (north, south

> direction)turning green almost immediately the

> Calton/Turney lights turn red!

>

> A simple solution would be a green filter right

> from Calton Avenue into the Village. As there is

> on the junction with East Dulwich Grove and Red

> Post Hill and the junction of East Dulwich Grove

> with Townley Road. It only needs to be on in the

> morning the rest of the day it's fine.

>

> As a regular user, mainly pedestrian but also car

> and cycle. It's very rarely indeed that I see any

> cyclist actually use the cycles lanes as it is

> often quicker to go through (or ignore) the

> traffic lights.

You say they 'have to give way'- yes they are SUPPOSED to give way coming from Court Lane but this morning I was coming from Calton Ave. to turn right and an idiot in a car pulled right across me from Court lane, blatantly ignoring the Give Way.. and I was stuck in the yellow box....

[EDOldie]

That's exactly part of the problem seenbeen of the design of the new junction. The old junction gave Court Lane the right of way but that was changed to Calton Avenue. Coming the other way, from the Village to Calton Ave/Court Lane, it is immediately apparent who has the right of way. The yellow box has done something to solve this but as you say is open to abuse. I've also seen traffic approaching the junction from Calton towards the Village speed up considerably to make the lights knowing that Court Lane has to now give way to them.

There's clearly a knock on effect from other roadworks and road closures in the area but this junction just goes to prove that remote politicians stuck in their ivory tower in Tooley Street should not design road junctions in areas they know little about. They should leave it to the locals who use these roads and pavements everyday.

Also just mention that since the introduction of the CPZ in Village Way that seem to have turned into a racetrack! I can't believe the speed cars and lorries are flying down there now that no one is parked there.

[Melihoople]

It's not just rush hour. This junction was completely snarled up today, a Saturday with traffic backed up right over the round about at gallery/Burbage roads.

I've noticed the traffic crossing from Turney to Carlton/Court Lane getting stuck blocking the junction as there are simply so many cars coming from Carlton avenue currently. If one car is trying to turn into Court Lane everyone gets stuck. It's been blocking the junction all this week.

[Lucyalexandra]

It was utter chaos just now as we made our way through it - 6pm Saturday. While the junction layout is a bit of a mess this must be some kind of spillover from something else? Never seen anything like it and we have lived here 8 years.

[Lozellen]

I'm pretty sure it's largely because of influx of people using the back way to join the south circular going westbound avoiding the partial closure near Grove Tavern Harvester. Another five weeks to go I believe...

[rendelharris]

Lucyalexandra Wrote:

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

> It was utter chaos just now as we made our way

> through it - 6pm Saturday. While the junction

> layout is a bit of a mess this must be some kind

> of spillover from something else? Never seen

> anything like it and we have lived here 8 years.

We came through at the same time - there must have been an incident/accident on the South Circular, the police had closed the road in both directions from the College Road Junction going east, so all South Circular traffic was diverting through the village. It was indeed chaos, not helped by those people who think that leaning on the horn is in any way going to resolve matters...

[tas]

>

> We came through at the same time - there must have

> been an incident/accident on the South Circular,

> the police had closed the road in both directions

> from the College Road Junction going east, so all

> South Circular traffic was diverting through the

> village. It was indeed chaos, not helped by those

> people who think that leaning on the horn is in

> any way going to resolve matters...

[heartblock]

Over 25 years the traffic on East Dulwich Grove has become worse and worse. Every time there is a new set of lights or a new traffic calming hump or island put in it just makes it worse. There is either long queues of traffic at rush hour or speeding traffic at other times, with cars not stopping at pedestrian crossings or racing across speed bumps at ridiculous speeds. The pollution is also terrible. It is an A road but it is also a residential area and has 3 schools. Closing other roads and not planning globally across the road system combined with a preference to please residents in more expensive housing areas has pushed more traffic onto this road.