former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[James Barber]

This is the response I've had - and as a pedestrian it does feel an improvement:

"

Dear Councillor Barber

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding changes to signal timings at the Townley Road/East Dulwich Grove junction.

The signals at this junction, as with all others in London, are controlled by TfL rather than the council.

New UTC control equipment has been installed at the junction, however TfL have confirmed that the site is currently running under local control as previously, and not controlled from the central computer. The signal timings have not been changed from before the UTC infrastructure was installed & commissioned however the signals stage order has been revised for what they consider to be greater capacity and efficiency. It is likely that this is the change that has been observed, which includes the pedestrian stage appearing after the East Dulwich Grove eastbound right turn rather than Townley & Green Dale. This change was not requested by the council. The signal staging and timings will be further altered on completion of the junction improvement works.

Concerns such as this can be raised directly with TfL via Report It.

I trust this answers your concern adequately but please contact me if you require further information.

"

urbanfox Wrote:

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> James, are you able to find out what has happened

> to the traffic phasing at

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5

> ,1426742,page=30 - its causing daily traffic tail

> backs?

> many thanks

[James Barber]

It appears the Murco Petrol Station 13-19 East Dulwich Raod is being replaced by a 24/7 BP Service Station from 26 May.

[jonl5]

James - re the new timings at Townley Road/East Dulwich Grove junction - we are now seeing people rat run through the Glengarry/Hillsboro roads to avoid the queues which is making traffic (always tricky with the Alleyns drop off) even worse in the area, even before you can get out on to East Dulwich Grove.

They really need to reinstate or improve the east/west flow on EDG.

[spider69]

How long before people admit it should have been as it was?

Change for the sake of change and lust for free money handouts

[BrandNewGuy]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> This is the response I've had - and as a

> pedestrian it does feel an improvement:

[snip] The signal timings have not been changed

> from before the UTC infrastructure was installed &

> commissioned however the signals stage order has

> been revised for what they consider to be greater

> capacity and efficiency. It is likely that this is

> the change that has been observed, which includes

> the pedestrian stage appearing after the East

> Dulwich Grove eastbound right turn rather than

> Townley & Green Dale.

I can't see how that can be right. Changing the order of the lights (but not the timings) to have the pedestrian phase at a different point shouldn't affect the volume of traffic able to pass through from any one direction. Am I missing something?

You say that it 'does feel an improvement'. In what sense? Safer? But it wasn't unsafe before.

Every morning (some time between 7.45 and 8.15) I either walk to work, going up EDG and turning right down Green Dale, or get the train, walking the other way down EDG and turning left down Melbourne Grove. And I haven't noticed the lights at the junction be 'safer' in any way, but I have noticed the large queues of westbound traffic. This morning at about 8.10 I could see that the queue stretched back to the junction of Matham Grove and EDG. And, like jonl5, I too have noticed cars dipping left into Glengarry Road to get round to the Hillsborough road exit onto EDG just below the lights. Is this an acceptable knock-on effect of the changes?

[cookie]

I use East Dulwich Grove daily as a cyclist, motorcyclist or car driver. The stretch between Melbourne Grove and Townley Road has never been as unsafe as it is currently. Although it may feel safer to cross at Townley Road junction (I haven't noticed this), there are multiple issues occurring downstream.

- The zebra crossing near the hospital now has a constant jam of traffic heading towards Townley Road. This makes traffic driving towards Lordship Lane unable to see pedestrians crossing. Similarly pdestrians using the crossing may not appreciate that there will be fast moving traffic coming in the opposite direction who may not have seen them. Particularly dangerous for schoolchildren.

- Cyclists are filtering on the inside of the traffic, even with lorries and the large coaches used to bus in school children. Extremely hazardous in light of large vehicle blind-spots.

- Cyclists and motorcyclists are also filtering on the outside of the queue, potentially into oncoming traffic appearing from a blind bend.

- Cars are performing u-turns to escape the jam. Not good when combined with cyclists and motorcyclists filtering.

- Cars are disgorging their passengers by opening car doors while stationary in the road, again at risk to cyclists and motorcyclists.

- Motorists become frustrated when held in a jam for long periods. Frustrated motorists are more likley to make rash decisions or race lights.

I can't imagine how the change can be seen as anything other than disastrous.

[James Barber]

I'm bemused. If the timings of phases have not changed just the order then somehow the capacity has been reduced.

Cookie - what you've described would be/is dangerous. But I've often seen traffic queuing towards Melbourne Grove before and since the changes.

Hi BNG,

It feels safer crossing as cars from Townley road aren't jumping the lights into the pedestrian green phase as they were before. This might be reducing the capacity of E-W along East Dulwich Grove if this is taking place into their green traffic phase.

Bigger concern is when the UTC is switched on. I believe this will mean variable phasing from a central computer to try and smooth traffic.

Hi jonl5,

Hopefully it wont be so bad the through route doesn't have to be closed which would inconveniece people.

[Burbage]

Dear Cllr Barber,

The bicycle stand at the South-East corner of the Plough junction, outside the florist's, disappeared while TfL was fiddling with the traffic signals last month and has not been returned.

I don't know if this is the result of a blunder, a theft or a strategic oversight. A local business has told me they've reported its absence to someone, but they haven't heard back and it's still not there.

As we know, parking is at a premium in the area, and the apparentaly arbitrary removal of two spaces (possibly four if I didn't imagine the one outside the bank - though that's in Village ward) is bound to have a deleterious affect on trade, substantially reduce the attractiveness of the area to passing traffic and may even affect house prices. So I wonder if you could have a word with the aim of restoring this vital facility.

Thanks.

[spider69]

Is the last paragraph a wind up. Give me strength

[sdrs]

Hi James, I just posted on the thread of the forum about the change to the phasing of the traffic lights on a Dog Kennel Hill which has caused such long tailbacks on the hill in recent months - think a few people have done the same, asking if you've had any joy chasing TFL about it, but posted on that thread rather than here! So apologies for repeating myself here. Quite apart from the effect on traffic (major delays for motorists), having cars sit in tailbacks going all the way up the hill with their engines idling is terrible for the environment, adding to air pollution in the area (ie impacting on all, not just motorists - pedestrians, cyclists, residents, local school children). The system worked fine when the arrival of a bus triggered a light change, automatically giving the bus priority. How can TFL be persuaded to reinstate this?

[Chief]

Hi James - should Yama Momo, the new Japanese restaurant in Lordship Lane be required to pay for its waste to be collected? The bags of rubbish left on the pavement are disgusting - and presumably a health hazard? Thanks.

[jammyaileen]

Can you do anything about the graffiti that has appeared at the end of Lacon Road, this is a lovely street and it's ruined by it. It's on a wall by the end of the road where Lacon meets Carthew Grove?

[James Barber]

Hi Chief,

Yes all commercial businesses are required to have commercial waste contracts.

If you think they don't please email as I'll get it checked out. Quite often new businesses aren't aware of this requirement.

Hi jammyaileen,

Yes, I have reported it and usually it gets removed within 48 hours. For future if you spot any graffiti you can email environment@southwark.gov.uk giving the ocations, attaching a photo can help. If you copy me

IF you ever see racist of sexist graffiti please email me direct with photo and I'll try and get it removed within a couple of hours. Very rare but everyone tries to get that sort removed with gusto.

Hi sdrs,

I have reported it and hopefully this time being the third attempt will have better luck. TfL who control all the lights will review again but this time also the Project Manager for the recent resurfacing so they can check the ground loops that trigger the lgihts haven't been damaged. fingers crossed we nail this this time.

Hi Burbage,

I've reported and asked for the missing cycle parking to be replaced. I don't recall this cycle parking but eitherway we'll get it checked out.

[Sue]

Just want to thank you for all the hard work you put in locally and via this forum, James.

Thanks.

[Jennys]

I would like to second what Sue said.

[James Barber]

That's very kind Sue and Jennys.

Hi LD929, Nigello,

Zebra crossings vs. Pelican/Puffin crossings - the allter prioritises pedestrians and are quite hard on busy roads to persuade TfL to allow. The latter TfL prefer as it limits pedestrian crossings - they don't like isntalling Puffin's anymore but Sotuhwark Prefer them despite research showing bad idea.

To me more instresting is getting diagonal crossing of the traffic lights at East Dulwich Road/Adys Road/Crystal Palace Road. That would really aid people getting to/from the playground/school. Once we have the Townley Road/East Dulwich Grove diagonal crossing in place I will push to get one at Goose Green as described. Can you wait 1-2 years?

[Green Goose]

James Barber Wrote:

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> Hi Chief,

> Yes all commercial businesses are required to have

> commercial waste contracts.

James,

Surprisingly this even includes barbers and hair dressers. My barber quit his premises because of this. He was over a barrel as he had to sign a contract with a private refuse collector and this was prohibitively expensive. All this for one small bin bag off hair clippings each week.

He now goes round to cater to his loyal clients by visiting them at their homes. It was difficult at first but it has built into a bit of a social event because a client will get all the family members done in one visit. Plus some of the neighbours come round for a clip too.

His old premises are still vacant after 2 years and so the Council has missed out on rates etc just because this ruling about waste collection is complete overkill.

Can something be done about this?

[James Barber]

Hi Green Goose,

Yes, something can be done.

Nothing to stop a business sharing a contract with another business/es to spread the cost - such a business as you've described would clearly pay a small proportion.

I have in the past suggested to the South Southwark Business Association they organsie a collective contract saving lots of money and most lcoal businesses waste collections would then be coordinated.

Hi jammyaileen,

Graffiti removed.

[James Barber]

Last weeks planning sub-committee A we approved change of Vodafone cell site in Dulwich Village from 3G to 3G&4G. It shouldn't take more than few weeks for the upgrade to happen.

[Ozymodo]

Afternoon James,

Is there anything that can be done with the rubbish bin by the bus stop at the top of Lordship Lane towards the Library, outside the Plough DIY shop? Each morning rubbish is strewn all over the pavement and by the bus stop. I have attached a couple of example pictures, one from this morning which included a number of used sanitary towels!

I appreciate that there is a need to have a rubbish bin by the bus stop but it seems that people are leaving bin bags next to the bin which are then opened by foxes overnight and aren't cleaned up until later during the day leaving an appalling mess until they are cleared.

Perhaps you might be able to look into it and see if there is a workable solution to make everybody's morning that little bit nicer - perhaps the bin could be moved/removed.

Sorry to raise such a seemingly trivial problem but it has got worse and worse over the last month or so.

Thanks,

O

[James Barber]

Hi Oxymodo,

Synchronicity - I received a PM earlier today from someone else asking the same quesrtion and then an email from them.

I have raised this with council officers - asknig that the residents above all those shops have the current system explaiend so they jnoe when and what to put out.

I've also asked why the street cleaning people either havent asked for help resolving this or don't have a mechansim to do this.

Hopefully both together will get this sorted.

But we have a mroe general problem in this part of East Dulwich looking down at heal. So I hope to get local residents together in the next few weeks to talk about what we can do to make it better.

[first mate]

James,

is there any news on M&S site and the penthouse, salami slicing, developer application? Last we heard the application was to be called in, is this still the case, has it happened yet? Any news very welcome.

[wonderwoman]

There are now two mattresses aling with rubbish flying around outside the plough bus stop. Have we heard from council officials yet on this matter have the residents been notified or advised about this? Also what are cleaning sceles do we know?

[James Barber]

Hi wonderwoman,

Three council teams are on the case. One to keep it clean every day and this location is apparently getting extra scrutiny. Second to educat the flats above those shops about their waste collection arrangements. Third is enforcement.

Clearly this wont have an instant impact but we should see an improvement over the next fortnight.

[Jennys]

I think the work of the street sweepers needs careful monitoring.