Traffic Calming measures in Scutari Road... Has the council gone mad???

[Brian Tee]

Call me a curmudgeon, but I thought the reason for 'traffic calming' measures was to regulate the speed of traffic in areas where there was an issue with road safety/accidents or there was a sensible reason, like high volumes of kids crossing the road on their way to school.

As a resident of Scutari Road for the last 18 years, I can report that there have been no traffic accidents on Scutari Road involving any kind of injury to people or animals since I have been here. A recent consultation notice was sent out by the council, to which I responded with this information, and also informed them that their last plan for unwanted speed humps was cancelled as a result of the consensus of residents submitted to the council planning officer involved. So far, everyone that I have spoken to at the same end of the street is of the same opinion - we don't want the speed humps - yet the painted guides and parking restrictions are now in place. Some are a matter of just 40 feet apart!!!

What is the point of a council that does not listen to it's residents, and which also blindly ignores the opinions and wishes of the people that it's decisions affect. The money could seriously be better spent on a whole bunch of other stuff that deserves way more attention than changes to a quiet residential road which has proven safe and 'no real issue' for traffic since the major tunnelling works on Beechcroft Reservoir affected us all so much.

The engineer involved seems to hold the view that 80% of the 30 or so households on Scutari Road were in favour of the humps, which is in complete contrast to the petition that prevented the humps only a few years ago. So it appears that now we must suffer the noise of frequent braking and accelerating as traffic uses our street, and also put up with the discomfort of having to drive over the humps whenever we leave our own homes.

Am I on my own here, or has the council gone completely bonkers with their money, in such otherwise difficult times???

If you are affected by this, or similar 'traffic calming' nonsense (as residents of Marmora Road will soon be) then let's just create a wave of visible opposition and outrage, as I feel certain the glossy consultation process was the end of a 'fait a complit' tactic.

I'd also really like to hear if anyone in Scutari Road actually supports the sinusoidal speed hump installation, and why???

Outraged, of Scutari Road!!!!

[Brian Tee]

While I'm at it, I would like to say that I do agree with the raised junctions along Scutari Road. If we have to live with some for of 'traffic calming' they will do the trick. Why bugger up the entire road when the measure at junctions will probably do the trick?

Come on local people, get your views out here!!!

[Blueskies]

To my mind forest hill road is more in need of traffic calming measures, can't see much happening there though.. My letters to southwark and lewisham have gone unanswered.

[Brian Tee]

Forest Hill Road has new things happening at the crossroads with Colyton Road/Dunstans Road. A kind of next step from the traffic lights at the crossroads that were installed for the Reservoir Works lorries 3 years ago.

Completely agree with you that Forest Hill Rd has far greater need than Scutari Rd!,,

[sheilarose]

Yes, there is a minor shunt at the top of Forest Hill Rd at least once a week, whereas Scutari Rd is one of the quietest roads in the area.

[Drxyster]

I totally agree with Brian.What a total waste of money.

As a resident of Therapia for over 40 years, I cannot recall a motor vehicle accident of any kind in Scutari, Therapia, Mundania or Marmora roads.Good ED Effers, please correct me if I am mistaken.

I seem to remember a consultation document from the council a few years ago, asking residents views on speed humps in the aforementioned roads.In my reply I expressed the opinion that it would be a waste of the councils money and in fact the noise and thumps of vehicles negotiating the humps could probably damage adjacent properties, leading to insurance claims for underpinning to certain properties. This in turn could possibly lead to the insurers claiming against the council for installing speed humps, that caused the damage.

Forest Hill Road may need speed humps. but certainly not Scutari or adjacent roads.

[edhistory]

Which company was awarded the contract?

John K

[Burbage]

Brian Tee Wrote:

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> Come on local people, get your views out here!!!

I'm not really local enough for your purposes. But, in case it helps, this suggests there were traffic incidents resulting in two serious injuries and one slight one on Scutari Road between 2000 and 2010.

[Marmora Man]

Unfortunately the contractors are already there - woken this morning as they set up shop.

My main concern about Scutari is not any degree of speeding - where I agree with BT about lack of need and waste of money on speed humps, but the tendency for people to use it as a rat run from Peckham Rye, via Homestall, Scutari and Marmora into Forest Hill Road - missing out various traffic lights. As Scutari and Marmora are also plagued by appalling parking, the Scutari / Marmora junction is usually a very dangerous junction for pedestrians and car users alike.

[mynamehere]

edhistory Wrote:

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> Which company was awarded the contract?

>

> John K

Just curious what your thinking is here ed?

[Brian Tee]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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

> Unfortunately the contractors are already there -

> woken this morning as they set up shop.

>

> My main concern about Scutari is not any degree of

> speeding - where I agree with BT about lack of

> need and waste of money on speed humps, but the

> tendency for people to use it as a rat run from

> Peckham Rye, via Homestall, Scutari and Marmora

> into Forest Hill Road - missing out various

> traffic lights. As Scutari and Marmora are also

> plagued by appalling parking, the Scutari /

> Marmora junction is usually a very dangerous

> junction for pedestrians and car users alike.

Based on this (very useful) resource, it looks like the main danger area is the crossroads at Mundani/Scutari, which should be sorted by the raised junction that is being being installed. The only other casualty on Scutari was a vehicle occupant, and I remember the ambulance that came up the road was because the driver (one of our neighbours) had suffered a minor heart attack at the wheel. He is sadly no longer with us, but the incident was not strictly a 'traffic' incident.

[Brian Tee]

mynamehere Wrote:

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

> edhistory Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Which company was awarded the contract?

> >

> > John K

>

> Just curious what your thinking is here ed?

Conway were hired to do the resurfacing of the road a few weeks ago (which we're all very pleased with!!!) and are also now installing the humps. Is there a conspiracy theory at large here John?

[Brian Tee]

Brian Tee Wrote:

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

> Marmora Man Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Unfortunately the contractors are already there

> -

> > woken this morning as they set up shop.

> >

> > My main concern about Scutari is not any degree

> of

> > speeding - where I agree with BT about lack of

> > need and waste of money on speed humps, but the

> > tendency for people to use it as a rat run from

> > Peckham Rye, via Homestall, Scutari and Marmora

> > into Forest Hill Road - missing out various

> > traffic lights. As Scutari and Marmora are also

> > plagued by appalling parking, the Scutari /

> > Marmora junction is usually a very dangerous

> > junction for pedestrians and car users alike.

>

>

> Based on this (very useful) resource, it looks

> like the main danger area is the crossroads at

> Mundani/Scutari, which should be sorted by the

> raised junction that is being being installed. The

> only other casualty on Scutari was a vehicle

> occupant, and I remember the ambulance that came

> up the road was because the driver (one of our

> neighbours) had suffered a minor heart attack at

> the wheel. He is sadly no longer with us, but the

> incident was not strictly a 'traffic' incident.

The Road casualty Britain resource also demonstrates incredibly clearly the huge difference between the roads of the Colyton estate (Marmora, Mundania, Therapia, Shelbury, Dovedale and, of course Scutari, and the carnage that appears to occur along the entire adjacent length of Forest Hill Road. This is now even more complete madness!!! Screen-shot attached, to save everyone time!!!

[Brian Tee]

Burbage Wrote:

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

> Brian Tee Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Come on local people, get your views out

> here!!!

>

> I'm not really local enough for your purposes.

> But, in case it helps, this suggests there were

> traffic incidents resulting in two serious

> injuries and one slight one on Scutari Road

> between 2000 and 2010.

And here (screen shot attached) is another reliable and similar resource, (which contains more detailed information) and which paints a slightly different picture.

No accidents on Scutari, and only one 'slight' incident at the junction of Mundania and Dovedale.

I must say,this is more consistent with the memories of other long term neighbourhood residents, and myself. It also reconfirms the carnage of Forest Hill Road. The Council is simply wasting money here, when they could be spending it wisely just a few hundred yards away!!!

[henryb]

I believe there were some complaints about speeding and that people were using Scutari and Marmora as a rat run.

The Council?s answer to anything like that is speed bumps and there is a seemingly endless budget for them.

I agree it does seem a reckless spend in these time of austerity when there is no data about traffic volumes or number of speeders and certainly, as you point out, the accident rate is not supportive of this measure. Likewise I doubt this information will be gathered after to see if the bumps were actually effective. There is even less justification if local residents are against it.

Personally I don?t think bumps are a very good solution to speeders: they affect small cars and bikes more than the 4x4 and they affect everyone rather than just speeders; they cause increased wear to the road; they cause accelerate/brake driving which causes more population and noise; and they don?t actually stop a determined speeder - I regularly see people racing along Colyton rd.

If there is a problem with speeders I don?t see why the police aren?t doing anything about it. Why isn't the 20 limit being enforced?

The consultation was not very well publicised and as a resident of a neighbouring street I have the concern that if they are effective then it will just cause traffic to shift to them.

[Medley]

Right, I've had enough of this preposterous lack of action on Forest Hill Road. Those screen shots are damning. Am emailing all my councillors and MP again now.

Should we/could we get a petition up? Seems futile given what's happened on Scutari.

Just WTF is going on here? Who sanctions this spending in the face of the clear consensus of the people living and using the roads?

GRRRRRR.

[Brian Tee]

I have just contacted one of the local ward councillors to see what background there might be to this that helps us to understand what's happening with local traffic management/speed calming strategies.

Hopefully it will reveal more than we know at present.

Thanks for all of your support so far!! If I see the head engineer outside, I might just show him this thread.

[James Barber]

Looking at Southwark Councils mapping pages - filtered to show Southwark traffic flow survey - http://maps.southwark.gov.uk/connect/index.jsp?tooltip=yes no traffic counts have been undertaken.

Such traffic counts would show vehicle numbers, speeds, average speed, mean speed and 85th percentile speeds.

In East Dulwich ward we've always ensured we've had that data before pushing for speed calming.

These roads are in Peckham Rye ward.

[Brian Tee]

Thanks for that James. Curiouser and curiouser....

[Blueskies]

Those screen shots are concerning. Of course there are more vehicles and pedestrians on forest hill road meaning there is always likely to be more incidents but the sheer number is very stark. I will again email lewisham and southwark councillors and mps to ask for action. Hopefully I will actually get a response this time!

I think a petition is a good idea if there is a strength of opinion locally, as i suspect there is. An online petition through change.org or similar perhaps? If it is to be done properly would need quite a bit of local coordination to get people to sign up. The petition itself Would need careful framing since southwark will probably just say that they are planning on doing traffic calming measures (there was a recent consultation) - but these seem inadequate in my opinion.

[Medley]

How about

'In the light of the number and severity of accidents regularly happening on Forest Hill Road, we call for a thorough investigation of traffic levels and dangers on Forest Hill Road, London SE22, followed by appropriate traffic-calming measures for the safety of road users and local residents alike'?

[Brian Tee]

Nice, but it doesn't solve the unnecessary work currently happening right outside my front door!!!

[johnie]

We live on Scutari too, and since the road has been resurfaced and the original speed humps and potholes removed the traffic has seemed faster. My 4 year old was nearly hit by a van a couple of days back. I don't like speed bumps much myself, but somethijng needs to be there to slow speeding motorists down.

[Medley]

Brian, see your point - but I can't see getting the work stopped is going to happen, and is a separate point really anyway.

Interesting about the increased speeds since the resurfacing.

[davidh]

I have lived in scutari for 8 years and have been pressing the council for some means of reducing speeds. it is a long, wide road and is used as a rapid rat run morning and evening. the so-called bumps put in today are waste of time and our money. they hardly qualify as bumps at all, so weeny are they. note johnie... there were no speed bumps on scutari at all before this rubbish attempt.