LTN: Our Healthy Streets - Dulwich: Phase 3

[Metallic]

Well we all know whose fault it will be if someone is involved in an accident there.

[heartblock]

My partner who used to work for a homeless charity commented on the benches on the square of shame and Elsie Rd (not Melbourne..my mistake). The design with an arm-rest bar off centre is there to stop any cold, poor homeless people from sleeping on them.. a bit like those spikes under bridges or outside of very posh shops. Homelessness isn't a crime...we are all only a few steps of bad luck away from being homeless and I find this obvious purchase of anti-homeless benches really sad.

[redpost]

heartblock Wrote:

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

> My partner who used to work for a homeless charity

> commented on the benches on the square of shame

> and Elsie Rd (not Melbourne..my mistake). The

> design with an arm-rest bar off centre is there to

> stop any cold, poor homeless people from sleeping

> on them.. a bit like those spikes under bridges or

> outside of very posh shops. Homelessness isn't a

> crime...we are all only a few steps of bad luck

> away from being homeless and I find this obvious

> purchase of anti-homeless benches really sad.

I agree, the legions of homeless folk around Dulwich Village will have to bed down in Gails doorway instead.

[redpost]

Metallic Wrote:

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

> Well we all know whose fault it will be if someone

> is involved in an accident there.

Yes, I agree fully. Only Wednesday did I witness a cyclist and yummy mummy politely sidestep each other causing her to spill her oat latte.

[alice]

heartblock Wrote:

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

> My partner who used to work for a homeless charity

> commented on the benches on the square of shame

> and Elsie Rd (not Melbourne..my mistake). The

> design with an arm-rest bar off centre is there to

> stop any cold, poor homeless people from sleeping

> on them.. a bit like those spikes under bridges or

> outside of very posh shops. Homelessness isn't a

> crime...we are all only a few steps of bad luck

> away from being homeless and I find this obvious

> purchase of anti-homeless benches really sad.

I understand the company that makes them do a non hostile version. The design is a choice.

[Metallic]

It is probably something they thought of to stop the skateboarders grinding. They will always find a way!!

[slarti b]

As we are entering mayoral election period and our local Labour Councillors are having to engage with their actual constituents (rather than just minority activists) it seems they are trying to re-write history.

In conversations with neighbours the councillors have claimed:

- When they opened the OHS public meetings by insisting a 47% increase in traffic through DV required urgent action, and continued using it over many months despite repeated queries, they had no idea it was a totally misleading figure; they had themselves been misled by Southwark officers.

- The councillors had investigated timed closures at Calton\DV junction but it was not technically possible.

- Implementing a permit scheme for residents is also not possible ( even though it had been included in the OHS proposals)

- Councillors had been concerned about the effect of closures on disabled and less mobile users right from the start and had been fighting for exemptions

- The traffic displacement and increased congestion along the DV bypass roads is the fault of the Tory Government for funding the Covid emergency traffic orders and not the responsibility of teh C'llrs or Southwark Council (who together designed and forced through the measures despite many local objections).

Deceitful, disingenuous, desperate, if not outright lies.

I am a floating voter and have voted for all major parties at different points. After Brexit, I vowed I would never vote Tory again but given the complete contempt for democracy, decency and truth shown by this disgraceful Southwark Labour administration and our local Labour Councillors I will vote for any mayoral and GLA candidate with a chance of unseating or upsetting labour.

[snowy]

The Mayor has no power over LTNs - they?re Tory party policy delegated to local authorities of all flavours across the UK. Active travel and ltns are in every major party manifesto with the exception of Farage and the local failed actor and some of the other potential deposit losing anti vaccine candidates.

Their removal isn?t even in Baileys? manifesto.

Latest yougov survey (based on mayoral voting intentions) shows 52% of the public surveyed support LTN and 35% objecting. Which leaves 13% in the don?t know or don?t care category.

Details on p15

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/yf4kwp7gmh/QMUL_Results_MayoralVI_210401.pdf

And isn?t looking great for Bailey either - close to not even getting enough support to merit a second round of voting.

[slarti b]

@Snowy,

Many people, including One Dulwich, can support the concept of LTN's but still object to the poorly thought out, badly implmented, undemocratic mess imposed on Dulwich by the Southwark Labour administration.

Are you suggesting the Tory Government is to blame for the 24\7 closure of DV\Calton and the displaced traffic and congestion on EDG and Lordship Lane?

My understanding is that all the Covid " temporary" work is being designed and implemented by Southwark Council under the auspices of Mayor Khan's TfL Streetpspace scheme ? That's certainly what is says on the planters but happy to be corrected.

As for Bailey, he is a poor candidate from a Brexit supporting Tory Govt, he should be completely wiped out, if he isn't Labour should get worried.

Finally, are you able to give me a bit more information about Academic peer review as you promised a few days ago?

In particular, can you answer my query whether a peer review would approve a report based on a tiny, self-selecting sample, unrepresentative of the local community, supplemented by a potentially biased database, claiming to be a long term longtitdinal survey but with a 50% drop out after a year. If so, are the peer reviewers named?

[Otto2]

Here's a Dept of Transport report on walking and cycling with a forward by Boris...not all re: Ltn's but mentioned...

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/904146/gear-change-a-bold-vision-for-cycling-and-walking.pdf

[Bicknell]

dulwich alliance raising money for a fighting fund

www.gofundme.com/f/help-end-road-closures-in-dulwich

[legalalien]

I?ve donated but I am really cross. I think the council has failed to comply with the law, as a result my council tax will be funding the council?s legal bill and I?ll be funding the challenge to the council. If only all that money could be spent on something practical/useful.

[Pugwash]

From long experience doing community work in Southwark - it is the officers who make the decisions and it is pot luck whether the Councillors are aware of why/when decisions made.

Can give an example - years ago officers informed local Councillors that the East Dulwich Community Centre (previously called Alleyn Community Centre) was only used 2 hours each morning by a play group. When the management committee heard of this they contacted their councillors and discovered what the officers had broadcasted which was completely untrue as the premises were being used by several groups and local residents on a daily basis.

Those of you who have lived in ED for at least 40 years will have known that misinformation by officers resulted in 2 very successful campaigns to retain the centre.

[slarti b]

@Pugwash

In the case of the OHS consultation and the subsequent so called "Covid" traffic measures the changes have been promoted and pushed through by the local Councillors, mainly C'llrs Newens and Leeming.

It is those councillors who set up the secret working group of activists to help steer the OHSD process; together with C'llr Simmonds they chaired and led the public meetings and happily trotted out the misleading statistics; they have been cheer leaders for the schemes while ignoring the displaced traffic and abusing and bad mouthing anyone who queried them or suggested compromises ( C'llr Leeming even making Private Eye's "rotten boroughs" section!). It is C'llrs Newens and Leeming who awarded ?3,000 of tax payers money to the anonymous so called "Friends of Dulwich Square" (aka Margy Plaza) and they are the people who instigated the benches in the road as part of their land grab.

In the case of the misleading statistics, the C'llrs were repeatedly challenged whether the numbers were correct. Despite being presented with the evidence, they insisted, and till recently were still insisting, the figures were correct. So, either they are naive, incompetent and innumerate or they were lying. Not sure which is worse.

Furthermore, if Council officers were misleading Councillors I would expect disciplinary action to be taken. That does not seem to have happened.

[Spartacus]

Whilst this relates to Crystal Palace, the narrative seems very familiar.

[legalalien]

The planters on Court Lane and Calton Avenue seem to have acquired blue ?pedestrian priority? signs. I think they are new?

[Nigello]

God - here we go! There'll be piggin' crocheted bench coverers next. Please - no more bloody road signage on already badly-placed hunks of sub-Next furniture! I can see all kinds of clutter arriving - both council-approved and "organic" Pinteresty stuff - slapped all over the new Village Square...

[Abe_froeman]

The benches are made by the same people who make the cycle hangars. I do wonder if that was the cheapest option.

[Rockets]

I suspect they are putting them on there to warn cyclists that pedestrians may be crossing, especially now due to the narrowing caused by the new benches. The junction is just so confusing now and no-one knows who has priority - I was sitting enjoying a sandwich from Au Ceil with my family on the new seats and a few bikes came hurtling down the hill which caused a few people walking across the road to do the pre-collision shuffle - that quick couple of stutter steps people take when they think a collision is imminent.

[Metallic]

alice Wrote:

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> It?s good to hear that people within the

> beneficial zone of Dulwich Village are embarrassed

> by or do not agree with some of the changes;

> perhaps they could add their comments to the

> consultation map because at the moment it?s

> weighed in favour of those who love the changes.

No it is not. Look at the investigation done by S

Dulwich Alliance. https://dulwichalliance.org/?page_id=101

[Peckham Park]

If Sadiq Khan says the LTNs are here to stay, and local roads are not for local people, can?t see Southwark Council changing anything! Amazing that he said the following in an Independent article ?Our roads should be limited to blue light services, to electricians, to plumbers, to commercial drivers, to taxis, to those that need to use our roads - delivery drivers and so forth - rather than individuals that could be walking, cycling and using public transport.?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-traffic-b1834758.html

[Siduhe]

The increase in traffic on Wood Vale, Underhill and Melford in the last two days has been nothing short of astonishing.

To be clear, we have major roadworks again at the junction of Underhill and Melford (SGN replacing the gas main that Thames Water cracked when they replaced the cracked water main - don't get me started) so the delays to traffic are nothing to do with the LTNs - but those works have been going for a few weeks now without the same build up of traffic, so there is definitely a change in volume - not to mention hooting of horns, pollution etc as the traffic gets held up by the lights.

This is completely unscientific, but when the lights are red, there are five vehicles directly visible from my window - so I did a vehicle count around 8am, over ten light phases going one way (towards Lordship Lane) this morning. Of the fifty vehicles there were:

2 buses;

21 cars with one or more children in the back;

18 commercial vehicles - delivery vans, tradesmen etc;

9 cars with no children in the back.

And yes I need to get out more, but it does rather suggest the school run continues to loom large in traffic at peak times. And for the residents of our street, we're getting back to the volumes of traffic we saw at the end of the last lockdown as people look for alternative routes down residential streets as a result of the Dulwich Village LTN. I keep waiting for the promised dispersion of traffic, but at the moment it definitely feels displaced only.

[legalalien]

Meanwhile the parklet outside Romeo Jones has appeared but is not yet operational...

[malumbu]

Khan could have phrased this better - ie I want those that need to drive to be the priority.

Sidhue - good points, halve the number driving their kids to school and that is the sort of evaporation that is needed and will hopefully happen in coming months. It would be interesting to hear what level of disincentive you need - financial and/or journey time, to get those that don't need to drive (need of course is subjective), to not.

[heartblock]

The amazing evaporation... yes let's wait for that ..meanwhile who cares about illegal levels of pollution on Underhill, Croxted, Lordship... who cares about asthma, heart disease..it will all just disappear apparently.