Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I read weeks ago that the council had decided to implement a number of safer pedestrian crossings at the top end of Lordship Lane (near Goose Green). What followed was the usual conway guys digging up the road (and leering at girls) for weeks. This work now seems to be complete, with newly visible redbricks on the crossing. Does anyone know what is next? Are they going to install lights? New Zebra crossings?


I was nearly mowed down trying to cross at one of the worst places for pedestrians - outside Oliver Bonas over to East Dulwich Grove to the other side (off licence/news agent). There are cars from Lordship Lane trying to turn left and right into East Dulwich Grove. Those turning right get little opportunity to do so (they need a light here) and when they do, they make a sharp, speedy right. I was already crossing the road and the guy didnt even slow down. If I hadn't run, he would have hit me - he was inches away. I believe the Highway code still gives overall right of way to pedestrians over cyclists and motorists. Too often in this area, if you are crossing the road and a car wants to turn into it, they do not wait for you - it is you who has to speed up or else be hit. It's madness!

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/7202-new-crossings-on-lordship-lane/
Share on other sites

I'm so glad you brought up the LL and East Dulwich Grove crossing. I have stood at the crossing with my 7yr old,4yr old and 6month old in pushchair for what can seem like hours just waiting for an opportunity to cross. And as you said,if you manage to cross and a car wants to turn in or turn out then you really don't stand a chance. I really do think a zebra crossing is needed there. Petition time???????????????
Not sure if Zebra crossing would be sufficient, because cars turning right are looking for a break in the traffic or someone to let them turn, not watching for pedestrians. As soon as they get the opportunity, they swing right, usually at speed. If they are then met immediately by a zebra crossing, they will have to brake hard. There is also a good chance there will be a car behind them who has just turned right as well, who could go into the back of them. I tend to agree with Jeremy's suggestion of a right hand green light at that junction. I do not know how one goes about suggesting this. I do not find the council very responsive at all to suggestions!
I requested the accident statistics for this junction last time we talked about this issue. There is no real collision problem recorded at this junction and therefore will not be on the council?s road safety action list. Your best bet is to hassle your local councillor so see if they can force something through and get some money out a non-road safety budget.
I was actually thinking about the crossing problem on Lordship Lane the other day when I was filling in a survey for Living Streets (they are trying to make streets more people friendly and to get people out and about more on them by foot rather than by car). I filled in the survey naming Lordship Lane and how it is pretty dangerous to cross the road. For a road with so many shops there are disappointingly few crossings and there is a big gap between the zebra crossing at the roundabout and the next crossing up by Iceland. Surely there should be more frequent crossings then there already are? If anyone else is interested in filling in the survey it can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=54yqRjec75xdxPL1toXZUQ_3d_3d not sure if they will be able to do anything for us, but it might be worth a try!

Multiple crossings on one fairly short stretch of road are not always a good idea in practise.


My experience of Sydenham High St (4 crossings, within a distance of @ roundabout to the Police Stn.) is that during busy periods the queue for one just merges with the last one creating a definite traffic jam & bottleneck down the main road.

With a subsequent slow down of the high street buses etc. & a corresponding rise in (speeding) traffic along all parallel side roads.


One of which maybe a good idea, bit with the other side effect definitely being a bad thing.

I see you've given more standing space for those outside the Bishop! ;-)


I'd say 20 mph max speed would be good between Iceland and Goose Green


From the last post we did on this subject it seems a number of car drivers were unaware of pedestrians having priority when crossing at junctions. What might also be useful is a lollipop man at that box junction?

The Highway Code also says to drivers that at road junctions, "you should watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way." http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070332


So next time you're almost run over outside Oliver Boner, at least you know that legally they're in the wrong as well as being a twonk.

Amelie wrote:-


According to the Highway Code pedestrians have the right of way as soon as they set foot on a pedestrian crossing, regardless of what the driver may be doing.


I well remember my mother, in the context of Zebra crossings, teaching me the poem


He was right, dead right, as he walked along

But he was just as dead as if he'd been dead wrong


It stuck, after nearly 60 years.

Good grief. I thought we'd sorted this out last time...


Amelie is correct (notwithstanding the excellent advice from Penguin68) - the pedestrian has right of way on a zebra crossing. If you are approaching a zebra crossing and a pedestrian looks like they want to cross you must give them the right of way. If you step out in front of a moving car at a zebra crossing the driver will be at fault.


Mark is partially correct. At a junction, if they have begun to cross, the driver must give way to the pedestrian. Otherwise, if you step out in front of a moving car then legally you will be in the wrong. And dead.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Another glowing recco for Jon, he painted our rental flat which after 8 years of a single tenancy was in quite a state. He listened carefully to our requirements, and worked incredibly speedily to deliver us a beautiful job, with real attention-to-detail. I was particularly impressed with how tidy Jon was - he took great care to protect any furniture and flooring and left the place spotless! Highly recommend.
    • Our current councillors follow a rather opposite course, in my view. They certainly don't respect the views of their electorate. 
    • The planters would be lovely if only the plants had been maintained once they had been planted. I think it would have been better not to have had them at all than to just leave them with plants in very poor condition. Were whoever installed them hoping that  residents in the relevant streets would look after them? 
    • I spoke at the council meeting last night to object. 400 people objected to the development. I, and I suspect everyone else, is not against development, BUT the size of this too BIG to accept. The council is held hostage by the developer who is promising 53 affordable homes. And in return they get to build 360 bedrooms for students. The original plan was all student accommodation. 8 stories is completely out of sync. It’s sets a precedent for future development. They have been taking to the council since 2022.  What did not help our cause whatsoever was Counsellors McAsh and Mwangangye speaking as ward counsellors at the meeting. As the Chair of the committee said, it’s not often ward counsellors attend such meetings. The counsellors will say they didn’t speak for or against the development. However, they did speak up for the benefits of the site bringing more affordable housing to the borough. They asked for a window to have frosted glass to protect privacy. They asked for residents to be consulted during the building phase. So let’s be really clear, they did not say anything about the “optimisation” of the site. They did not ask for the site to be scaled down. Now I know why James would not be drawn into discussing the development before now….   Make no mistake, this development is optimised for profit and the trade off is the developer profits at scale and the council have 53 affordable homes. The Southwark Plan says they should respect the character of East Dulwich. How can an 8 story building be ever respectful to the character of East Dulwich. It’s a hugely imposing building.  Unless we stand up together as a community, then we shall be stuck with it, although I suspect we won’t be stuck with our Labour counsellors for much longer… Feeling let down and disappointed this morning.   
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...