Barry Road - Speeding

[sheff]

Are there any other people living in and around Barry Road that find the speeding cars, buses, lorries a bit frustrating? Although it's an issue elsewhere.

People still don't stick to the old 30mph limit!

Cars overtake buses at speed.

Getting kids out of a car is an absolute nightmare.

I'm not sure what can be done, or, whether I'm turning into Victor Meldrew NIMBY...

[intexasatthe moment]

sheff - robin ,poster rch has been trying to arrange a speed monitoring exercise with police and residents to look at speed on Barry Rd .

I'm not up on all the details or ethos ,but believe that such action is a first step towards "doing something " ( don't know how to express it better before imbibing my first coffee ) .

If you ( or any one else )is able to join in any speed monitoring sessions that would be great .

[ruffers]

Seems to me speeds have dropped on that road over the last year or two and people seem more careful.

Maybe it's just me?

[tomskip]

Is Barry Road exempt from the 20 mph limit?

[sheff]

Thanks INtexas.. I remember seeing that post so will contact them.

I'd already spoken to TFL and the police scheme people so will see what they plan.

I think speeds may have dropped slightly but I guess it's still excessive at some times.

As a random sample I tracked buses to and from Peckham rye for the last week on Strava! See Victor Meldrew!

Not once were they under 20mph and in fact all topped almost 30, and one at 36. And that's in rush hour.

I need to find a hobby!!

[Earl Aelfheah]

ruffers Wrote:

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> Seems to me speeds have dropped on that road over

> the last year or two and people seem more

> careful.

> Maybe it's just me?

I think this is probably true, although it's starting from a pretty high base. It would be good (as elsewhere) to see a bit of enforcement going on.

[sheff]

tomskip Wrote:

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> Is Barry Road exempt from the 20 mph limit?

Not that I'm aware, I think it originally was but there are those 20 signs on the road now. Have been for a while

[Tractorlad]

I can not agree more. Speeding on Barry Road is a real problem. I'd even go so far as to say that things are worse since the 20mph limit was introduced from the Peckham Rye end. The occasional vehicle that observes the limit is overtaken at speed by someone blind the the fact that its built-up area. All they see in a nice straight piece of road with no speed bumps and gun it. I'd certainly advocate monitoring of traffic on this stretch of road and a few fines being handed out. TractorLad.

[rch]

I'm still trying to organise speed monitoring sessions, but I keep hitting dead ends in coordinating residents with police, especially now that police numbers in Dulwich are so low that it's inevitably restricting priorities (this is another discussion).

In a meeting with the local police team last week, they said that if interested residents could organise a group of six people with a selection of available dates, then we could get a traffic team booked to come for a session.

The main problem appears to be that Dulwich is low priority for speed monitoring because our speed stats are so low... unfortunately the overblown claims of speeding on Melbourne Grove have backfired, as none of the sessions showed extreme speeding.

Also, a trial speed session was done on Barry Rd without residents in August and none of the cars were observed going fast enough to issue a summons.

Bear in mind that the official speeding guidelines require a vehicle to be going 35mph in a 20mph zone in order to be considered extreme enough for a summons.

But I'm happy to try to help to organise something, just be aware that we need to have a minimum of 6 residents prepared to commit to attending.

PM me with your email address if you want to follow this up...

[sheff]

Sent you a PM with details...

Thanks!

The Met officer I spoke to was

Mason-Moore lynsey J - Roads and Transport Policing Command

[rch]

Hi guys... I've got a couple PMs now, will email you all so that we're all on the same page... will include intexas as well.

sheff, it's useful that you've spoken to Lynsey, hopefully she can help us. Suggestions that any sessions should be put off until the spring because of the shorter days were discussed at our meeting, but it might be good to try to slip something in sooner.

It's also useful that you've measured a bus at 36mph, as I suspect that it will be TfL who will need to fund any improvements. The biggest problem seems to be awareness that it's a 20mph zone (despite the markings on the road), so a smiley face illuminated speed display like the one on Herne Hill, paid for by TfL, might be a good first step.

[tiddles]

I have often felt that many vehicles travel too fast down barry road, however I feel the 20mph limit is not appropriate and Speed humps would be a disaster for buses etc. Re instate the 30mps and why not just have a few speed cameras? one at each end and one or in the middle.

[first mate]

In my experience some of the very worst offenders are buses. They do not seem to adhere to 20 or even 30mph.

[worldwiser]

The manner of introducing the 20mph limit has been very poorly thought through. Obeying it means drivers will go to suicidal lengths to get around you or aggressively tailgate. Not obeying it means risking a ticket or far worse. Why should I be put in this position for merely obeying the law (and far more importantly not putting children and other pedestrians at risk.) If we're going to have 20 limits there needs to be proper enforcement because experience shows me almost no-one takes it seriously. And that includes bus drivers.

[kford]

Just do this:

http://www.roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/3817.html

[davidk]

Completely agree. Barry Rd is a horrible environment in just about any mode of transport. For 20mph to be taken seriously in the Borough it needs to be enforced and this isn't happening.

[ruffers]

rch Wrote:

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> The main problem appears to be that Dulwich is low

> priority for speed monitoring because our speed

> stats are so low...

Can you clarify what this means please?

[rch]

It basically means that our accident rates and average traffic speeds are lower than in the problem hotspot areas, so we won't get assigned as many personnel as in the higher priority areas.

Speeding is assessed according to complicated formulas set up by legislation and what is known as the ACPO guidelines and that determines what kind of action can be taken. A summons can't be served unless a vehicle is going 35mph in a 20mph limit.

But the local teams are very supportive and will make the effort to come out and explain the procedure to residents and show them how it works if there is a high amount of interest.

[Pugwash]

I live in Barry Road and try to keep to 20mph however with an automatic car going down to the Rye end, it is difficult unless I go into my 'hill gear' 2. I find that I do around 22-25 mph. It is the idiots who keep bleeping me and overtaking me at 40 mph that are the problems.

[sheff]

Agreed, it's a fair few idiots that so those speeds though.

I live opposite the bus stop near underhill road and the overtaking there is often ridiculous. I don't think people even check sometimes.

My main annoyance is buses, like I said, using Strava I've tracked them doing a new record of 39mph. Go-Ahead ignored my complaint and TFL are still silent.

If anyone who isn't on Robins email want to PM me to see if we can coordinate a Speedwatch day with the police then please do.

[first mate]

On the stretch of road after Sydenham Hill, towards Crystal Palace, speed camera was going off last night.

Yesterday evening traffic through Dulwich Village was really bad, lots of private buses and lots of cyclists weaving in and out. It is especially diffcult when cyclists do this at speed and from both sides. If you are moving forward with cars close in front it is very difficult to monitor blind spots either side. Quite aside from aggressive car drivers, I am seeing much more reckless and aggressive cycling.

[James Barber]

Hi first mate,

Interesting you should buses. a local resident has been using their smart phone to measure the speed of buses they catch along Barry Road. Regularly over 30mph.

[Beulah]

first mate Wrote:

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> On the stretch of road after Sydenham Hill,

> towards Crystal Palace, speed camera was going off

> last night.

>

> Yesterday evening traffic through Dulwich Village

> was really bad, lots of private buses and lots of

> cyclists weaving in and out. It is especially

> diffcult when cyclists do this at speed and from

> both sides. If you are moving forward with cars

> close in front it is very difficult to monitor

> blind spots either side. Quite aside from

> aggressive car drivers, I am seeing much more

> reckless and aggressive cycling.

Yeah evil cyclists are the problem aren't they?

What speed were they doing 10mph - maybe 15mph tops?

[Charles Notice]

The key words you have not commented on are

Reckless and agressive cycling

[ruffers]

rch Wrote:

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> It basically means that our accident rates and

> average traffic speeds are lower than in the

> problem hotspot areas, so we won't get assigned as

> many personnel as in the higher priority areas.

So we're not a problem hotspot area then? The 20mph limit may well be a good idea where there is a problem hotspot but for us it's starting to look a like a sledgehammer for a non existent nut.