Rye Lane buses again: Consultation open on one way option

[Jenijenjen]

It’s not a referendum so expressing your views in the consultation believing you’re voting will lead to disappointment.

[Spartacus]

It’s not a referendum so expressing your views in the consultation believing you’re voting will lead to disappointment.

 

So what's the point?

Another tick box exercise for the council, ignoring any results they don't want to see?

It's about time this council is held to account and listens to what residents actually want and stop predetermining what the outcome should be and fudging consultations to suit.

[Jenijenjen]

Network Rail see above) have given a very good succinct, unemotional and to the point response. I would suggest those who oppose a one way Rye Lane, as do I, use this as a template. The point of a consultation is for the public and statutory bodies to draw attention to matters that may have been overlooked that will have an impact, not to merely say yay or nay.

Edited to correct error that quoted TFL which should have been Network Rail.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Jenijenjen

[IainJ]

I agree, ed26, and judging by responses on here cyclists are happy to share Rye Lane with buses and pedestrians, and for some Copland Road would work. The alternative route through Bellenden Road is used by many cyclists and also links through to the Surrey Canal route northwards on quiet roads.

But you are right, the main priority is to provide for people travelling to and from the station as well as other amenities in Rye Lane.

Network Rail (bringing £40m funding to the station project) and the operators TfL and Govia Thameslink have all been consulted and we look forward to receiving their responses. As we know Southwark requires full accessibility in the station so it there should be seamless onward two way bus connectivity.

I urge people to support the two way option.

Edited August 24, 2022 by IainJ

[Jenijenjen]

Once more, people do not vote in a consultation. You are undermining your stance by repeating this misinformation. It is also considered rude to use capital letters.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

It’s not a referendum so expressing your views in the consultation believing you’re voting will lead to disappointment.

 

So what's the point? ...

It's about time this council is held to account

A consultation is not a referendum. You know this. The point of a consultation is to seek feedback and comments, and get an idea if there are topics that haven't been anticipated in preparation that mean strategy or tactics should be changed in next steps.

The best time for holding councils to account is at local government elections, when voters do vote on who should be in charge at the council. Those elections were just held and voters en masse voted to keep going in the same direction.

You are just flabbergasted that you didn't get your way on something...

[Spartacus]

Billy, the issue here is that they are offering two options

One way buses

Or

Two way buses

That's as close to a referendum as we seem to get

In terms of the recent election, it was obviously ABC (anything but Conservatives) after the scandle of central government and our councillors could have stood on any agenda including building on estate green space and still won.

My issue isn't that I didn't get my way on something but that time and time again they ask a question then wiggle out when they don't get the answer they wanted which makes consultations baseless and a tick box exercise rather then listening to what people actually are saying.

[IainJ]

Southwark News has today published a leading article critical of the one way proposal for Rye Lane, showing how it would impact particularly on the elderly, vulnerable, disabled, women and local businesses;

https://southwarknews.co.uk/comment/comment-tred-lightly-with-rye-lane-bus-changes/

and a main article about the consultation, following up one the previous week;

https://southwarknews.co.uk/news/transport/network-rail-and-govia-thameslink-railway-concerned-by-one-way-rye-lane-proposal/

Network Rail (funding the station upgrade) has now said formally 'two way traffic is too important to lose', 'and Govia Thameslink also comments, ' it would be 'highly inconvenient for customers, especially people with restricted mobility, and could discourage sustainable travel'. These responses come from key stakeholders.

The one way proposal would mean Southwark residents in East Dulwich, Honor Oak and Nunhead (and north Peckham) having to walk long distances, day and night, to catch a bus safely home. Southwark is requiring Network Rail to make the station full accessible yet is consulting on a proposal which would severely impact vulnerable users.

If you have not done so already, please respond to the consultation and show your support for the existing two way option, by 16 September.

https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/environment-leisure/rye-lane-traffic/

[Earl Aelfheah]

It's not a vote, it's not a referendum... It's a consultation and will be used along with data to make a decision.

That said, there is almost no information on the website about what is actually proposed. Have I missed something? I can't even see where it says buses will be diverted and in which direction?

[CPR Dave]

It's also not entirely clear that it is the actual Councillors who come up with all of these hair brained ideas. What if the consultation was dreamt up by some unelected cycling fanatic with a vendetta against south london who is employed by the council permanently???

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

What if the consultation was dreampt up by a magic carrot with an ambition to become Nebraska's leading tap dancer?

[CPR Dave]

Which particular councillor do you think is responsible for this scheme then DKHB??

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Why don't you just get to the point and say what you mean? You've obviously got some conspiracy theory going. Spit it out!

[Spartacus]

Just saw this on twitter

Interesting view on the consultation

[McMurphy]

Interesting... Thanks for posting.

Has anyone tried writing to councillors on this topic? Effective/ineffective way of getting voices heard?

[IainJ]

Yes, I intend to take this up with members. The consultation has been very clearly directed at residents in and around Rye Lane who have been leafleted by the Council.

Unless you are on the Council's email list, very little has been done to ensure that residents in East Dulwich, Honor Oak, Nunhead or North Peckham (served by the 8 bus routes into Peckham Rye Station) are aware of the consultation yet they are very much affected. Whether this is at the behest of members or is a failure of the officer process I do not know.

There are a few street posters in Rye Lane but these are easy to miss, and nothing in the station itself. Neither were the two consultative events well publicised.

We had a stall at the Peckham Rye Fete and I have put up posters by all the bus stops encouraging local residents to respond to the consultation by 16 September. If you have not already done so, please reply now and encourage your neighbours to do the same.

[CPR Dave]

Was there not a local campaign against the redevelopment of the Ailsham Centre? If you could get those people on board with opposing these changes they could highlight the issue to an already interested mailing list

[Earl Aelfheah]

What if the consultation was dreampt up by a magic carrot with an ambition to become Nebraska's leading tap dancer?

 

😂

[Pugwash]

There is a Multi Ward meeting at Christ Church Barry Road on Tuesday 20th September 7 - 9 pm. This is for all the Dulwich Wards and Champion Hill. On the agenda is -

Safer Neighbourhood Teams on local policing

GP performance and Recovery plans post pandemic.

Community Announcements including Cleaner, Greener Safer Fund, Devolved Highways , Neighbourhood Fund etc.

Council's response to local bus review.

Make your voices heard at this meeting.

[IainJ]

Pugwash, thanks for that notice.

I fear it may be too late as the consultation will have closed by then, although elected members should hear that it has been so flawed , i.e.,

* held in the summer when people are away

* no drawings or proposals yet Council is making final decisions

* only residents living in and around Rye Lane informed by leaflet - nothing to affected bus users in East Dulwich, Honor Oak and Nunhead

* very limited posters in Rye Lane itself

* consultation events held at times and venues where bus users unlikely to be aware or attend

* nothing in Peckham Rye Station to alert commuters

as for the one way option itself, making everyone walk 600m from the station -

* violates the principle of seamless bus/rail connectivity

* actively discriminates against disabled people, those with heavy shopping, luggage or small children

* potentially dangerous for women walking alone down Rye Lane at night

* and very inconvenient for every other bus user

If anyone has seen a Council consultation in the station in the last few days please let me know.

Otherwise I will write to Councillors on these lines and hope that they might have some answers in time for the meeting.

[L_M]

Completed this.

Would be a ridiculous decision if they change from the 2 way traffic flow.

How can a zone 2 station potentially be made less accessible/ convenient??

[Bic Basher]

It'll make Peckham Rye station less viable if they cut the bus service in half by going in one direction only. Fine if you're going towards the Old Kent Road or Camberwell, but I can see passengers using Denmark Hill instead if they're heading to Dulwich and I include those who live in Barry Road who find Peckham Rye easier to use currently.

[IainJ]

I attended the Dulwich Wards meeting last night and at one minute to the close was able to respond to Cllr Rose's presentation about the TfL bus cuts to say how unsatisfactory the Rye Lane process had been, particularly for people living on the bus routes feeding into Rye Lane, and how the very people that she claimed would be badly affected by the reductions in buses - the old, disabled etc - would be even more impacted by the one way option. She claimed there has been a very good response to the Rye Lane consultation and indeed that they had targeted Peckham Rye Station although there was nothing on the ground to indicate that.

The Chair (Cllr Andy Simmonds) and the other Dulwich Councillors present then firmly endorsed the two way option.

So Cllr Rose heard that and should have it in her mind when the report comes to Cabinet.

So thank you to all you lovely EDFers who responded to the consultation and seem to have helped to swing it in favour of the two way option.

[CPR Dave]

I wouldn't count your chickens yet Iain.

This council quite often says one thing in public and then does something else behind closed doors in Tooley St, and on a number of occasions recently have gone against quite overwhelming popular responses to consultations, especially when it comes to roads and transport.

[first mate]

Given the possible stated link with Berkley Developments, this link may be of interest, noting Cllr Rose' profile

https://www.35percent.org/revolving-doors/