| Author |
Message |
Doc
Joined 23-02-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 07 February, 2007 - 02:25 pm: | |
The traffic lights on Honor Oak Road at the junction with London Road have been a problem for a long time now. They're green for 15 seconds and red for 65 seconds, which allows only 3-5 vehicles through at a time and causes permanent queues on Honor Oak Road, tempting many drivers to turn down Manor Mount in the wrong direction. Does anyone know the correct procedure for requesting a change to the phasing? |
Domc
Joined 17-03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 07 February, 2007 - 02:29 pm: | |
I think some of the problem will be sorted when the road "improvements" are put in.
"improvements" being speed bumps and reduced width roads etc.
I think these will reduce some of the traffic which uses the road as a cut through to avoid Devonshire road and the South Circular.
Works supposed to be in Feb. |
Johnc
Joined 09-01-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, 07 February, 2007 - 03:23 pm: | |
It also results in a lot of through traffic in Devonshire Road |
Roz
Joined 17-03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 07 February, 2007 - 09:53 pm: | |
I can see most of this traffic going down Ewelme Road as well as Manor Mount as a result of the Honor Oak Road improvements. I think this 'improvement' strategy is not area-based-something that I thought the council was keen on. We approached the Council some years ago about the Ewelme/Woodcombe rat run and the response was very much that the area had to be considered as a whole to avoid causing detriment to adjacent areas.
The traffic lights are a problem particular at rush hour and also somehow on Sunday afternoons- I believe they are phased to prioritise pedestrians crossing London Road, but I could be wrong.
I think this whole issue of traffic flow, management of, congestion and rat running needs to be brought to the attention of the Forest Hill Society for some action.! There are so many cars deliberately either going the wrong way down Manor Mount or up Davids Road at the moment that a serious accident cannot be too far off. |
Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, 07 February, 2007 - 11:04 pm: | |
This is an issue that I have raised at the Lewisham Transport Liason Committee and discussed with the Forest Hill councillors.
Unfortunately the south circular is a red route and is managed by TfL. Their policy is to keep the traffic flowing along the south circular for the benefit of people moving across London and for buses. This is why sections of what was once a two lane road in places (between Horniman and the Harvester) are now single lane roads for motorist not driving a bus. To keep traffic moving it is vital for them to time traffic lights to benefit people passing through Forest Hill rather than local residents, and the council seem unable or incapable of having any impact on this. Local residents coming out of side roads are mearly an irritant for their carefully worked out traffic models.
This junction has nothing to do with pedestrian safety or requirements - this is not a pedestrian crossing (which is why there is an additonal set of lights less than 50 metres down the road with pedestians are expected to use).
The traffic calming on Honor Oak Road will hopefully improve the situation, particularly by reducing hold ups while lorries or buses try to pass each other beside parked cars on both sides of the road. This should reduce congestion at the junction but we will not have to wait long to find out if it improves the situation or makes the situation worse. If queuing is reduced on Honor Oak Road then less people will be using the rat runs down the hill so I can only think that this will help the situation rather than make it worse.
Personally I regularly travel from the 'vibrant side of the track' (with our new gastropub) to the 'posh estate'. I have a choice of going along the south circular and Honor Oak Road (4 sets of traffic lights and heavy traffic) or Ewelme Road (no traffic lights), sorry Roz but you can guess which route I take. Coming back I have the choice of the line of traffic on Honor Oak Road plus 4 sets of lights or the quick exit from Devonshire, even less of a contest.
If I knew that I would get straight on to the south circular from the traffic lights on Honor Oak Road I would use this route. I can wait for 65 seconds, but not for 5 minutes of a journey that should only take 10 minutes. |
Roz
Joined 17-03-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, 08 February, 2007 - 08:32 am: | |
Presumably the Council have done some studies to calculate whether the net effect on the local areas is beneficial or detrimental before this decision was made.? This was always the approach of Darien Goodwin , Head of Transport at Lewisham. I for one would like to see some evidence. It should be a matter of tested fact, not just of personal opinion as to what effect this has.
I really cannot fathom how reducing the width of the road will stop people trying to use it necessarily,with the consequence that if they are stuck in HOR then the obvious answer is to use one of the cut throughs, whether they are one way or not.
Please enlighten me further if anyone can. Diagrams, anyone? |
Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, 08 February, 2007 - 08:45 am: | |
I do not think the plan is to narrow the road but to have some speed cushions, some pedestrian islands, and lots of yellow lines.
A diagram is available at http://www.freewebs.com/foresthill/HonorOakTraffic .pdf |
Domc
Joined 17-03-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, 08 February, 2007 - 10:05 am: | |
One of the main reasons for it is because the road has two schools on it and there have been several accidents over the years.
I think it will reduce traffic flow as I for one hate speed bumps as wreck my car due to it being close to ground and so if two routes and one without bumps then that is the one to take. |
Doc
Joined 23-02-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, 08 February, 2007 - 10:48 am: | |
Thanks to all for the information. I hope I'm wrong, and please correct me if I am, but according to the diagram it appears that the new system will make turning right from Honor Oak Road onto Forest Hill Road even more difficult than at present, as the plan includes a 'kerb build-out to make the junction entry tighter'. |
Les
Joined 28-01-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, 08 February, 2007 - 02:49 pm: | |
Micheal, I trust the journey you describe from gastropub to posh estate isn't the whole journey.
If it is, then the obvious question is why not walk?
Too many cars is the essence of the problem. |
Woody
Joined 31-10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, 09 February, 2007 - 08:44 am: | |
Yes, too many cars but I am afraid that is something we will have to live with for the forseeable future. In the meantime I am all in favour of traffic calming on Honor Oak Road. It might have slowed the idiot in the black 4 x 4 who overtook me on Honor Oak Road last night doing about 45 mph. As for the junction of Forest Hill Road and Honor Oak Road it is a nightmare if you want to cross it on foot and the planned improvements are long overdue - sorry if that makes it harder for the motorist but at least if you are in a car you are protected by air bags and crumple zones. |
Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
| | Posted on Friday, 09 February, 2007 - 02:39 pm: | |
Doc,
The kerb build out should only affect cars turning left into Honor Oak Road from Honor Oak Park. The double yellow lines around the junction should affectively widen the road so that it is easier to get round the corner.
Les,
You are right, I am part of the problem. But given the choice between walking up the hill (right to the very top) taking 30-40 minutes each way, or driving it in less than 10 minutes I always pick the lazy option. I have a great deal of admiration for people who have the energy, time, and inclination to walk rather than driving but I'm not one of them and I'm not going to try to defend myself in any way other than saying it is quicker. |
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