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Forest Hill to Bell Green by bus?

Author Message
Roz
Joined 17-03-2005
Posted on Thursday, 28 June, 2007 - 08:14 pm:   

Any ideas how to get there by bus? I need to get to the Bell Green end of Sydenham Road just before the junction of Kangley Bridge Road. I thought maybe a bus from FH to Kirkdale ( 122) and then a long walk down Sydenham High Street however are there any other buses that go down this route that I could change onto? Thanks in advance for assistance.
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
Posted on Thursday, 28 June, 2007 - 08:29 pm:   

Either take 122, 197, 176 to end of Kirkdale, and change to 202, or walk down Sydenham Road to the first stop past Newlands Park which will give you the choice of a couple of other buses.

There is a direct bus from Forest Hill, leaving from the 185 southbound stop the 356, I think, but only 3 per hour.

I think the walk down Sydenham Road is as long as the walk all the way from Forest Hill.
Perryman
Joined 12-12-2006
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 01:31 am:   

"the junction of Kangley Bridge Road"
Now, there is a pedestrian nightmare of a crossing that presumably the road planner created as a warning to us not to complain about other crossings.

To get from the saver-centre to Kangley Bridge Road, (swimming pool side), you need to cross just the one road.
However those junction planning road-lovers have designed the crossing into a labyrinth of about 6 separate, traffic light controlled, out of sequence, randomly scattered, small pedestrian islands, surrounded by railings to stop you cheating.
Make sure you take them in the right order - it is not obvious, and if you get the impression you are doubling back on yourself and are getting further away from your destination, then you are on the right path.

This junction is clear evidence, if any more were needed, that road traffic planners are not fit to plan pedestrian traffic - it should be a separate exercise, and sensible pelican crossings should be slapped over the top of any new road nightmare created.
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 06:56 am:   

But as the man once said: 'sure now, but I wouldn't start from here'.

There is a minor urban myth that you have to walk through the Sainsbury's (Savacentre) car park to get to the Bridge Leisure Centre. The best thing is to get off at the bus at the stop before Bell Green, cross Sydenham Road and walk from there, thus avoiding the Savacentre junction, and a couple of hundred yard soff the walk.

The traffic engineering at Bell Green is far from incompetent. The problems of competing priorities between cars and pedestrians is caused by the levels of road traffic at a pinch point in the system. It's a nice idea that if only the highway engineers did better, everything would all flow much better without conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, and no one would suffer any inconvenience. Alas, it isn't so.
Pattrembath
Joined 04-05-2005
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 08:00 am:   

Just wait until there is a massive Homebase and Garden Centre, Carpetright, an electrical wholesaler and whatever other retail warehouse is planned together with industrial units as well as 162 residences for people built on the island site, in addition to the already existing Savacentre/Sainsburys.

It is highly unlikely that we can expect any improved pedestrian or cycling crossings (incidentally there is a cycle route across Southend Road by the bridge) in this area as this will slow down even further by increasing traffic around this area. TfL are unlikely to agree to any such idea.

Lewisham Council has approved all the planning applications for the Bell Green Gasworks site despite warnings as far back as 1991 from the London Planning Advisory Committee that a huge retail park with 1800 free car parking spaces would bring increased car borne traffic into the area surrounding Bell Green. All that happens is that each time a planning application has been approved "improvements" are made to the Bell Green gyratory system in order to make the traffic flow more smoothly around Bell Green, only to hit the various pinch points within the area forming massive tailbacks at peak periods.

I wont even go into the probability of local traders of both Forest Hill and Sydenham Town Centres being hit by the competition from the giants trading at Bell Green, unless of course you want me to!

I hate to open old wound but Dave Whiting has been on the planning committees which approved these applications, although he is at great pains to say he was the only councillor who voted against back in November 1994. However in June 2005 he was the councillor who moved the motion to approve.
Elizabeth25
Joined 04-03-2005
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 09:55 am:   

Which bus is better? I know you can take the 356 (if you can get it the once a day it arrives)to the Sainsbury's then walk across. But does the 176 take you closer?
Davidwhiting
Joined 07-12-2003
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 11:45 am:   

The 176 takes you to the end of Kirkdale from where you have to take another bus.

I'll respond to Pat's post in due course. It's not a 'wound' so far as I'm concerned. I think the Planning Committee made the right decision in 2005, and the Inspector upheld them on appeal.
Brian
Joined 18-04-2005
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 01:40 pm:   

I find the 356 excellent bus . Drivers usually more friendly and other customers more civilised.
Calvin
Joined 20-02-2006
Posted on Friday, 29 June, 2007 - 07:10 pm:   

I agree with Brian, at least about the drivers; I take the 356 regularly when returning from Sainsbury's or the Bridge in Sydenham. It's usually pretty empty too and I have never had an issue getting on with two children, one of them in a buggy (wish I could say the same for the 185!).
Roz
Joined 17-03-2005
Posted on Saturday, 30 June, 2007 - 05:24 pm:   

Thanks for the tip, will try the 356 for now.
Pvp
Joined 17-03-2005
Posted on Tuesday, 03 July, 2007 - 08:20 am:   

356 the best option.
Perryman
Joined 12-12-2006
Posted on Thursday, 05 July, 2007 - 12:18 pm:   

"The <pedestrian> traffic engineering at Bell Green is far from incompetent." - Davidwhiting

Very much agreed.
Much improvement would need to be made before the crossing to Kangley Bridge Road could aspire to be incompetent.