As someone who owns a business in Forest Hill, I dream that one day, the South Circular will be diverted away from Forest Hill Town Centre.
The A205 is the biggest obstacle to creating a more pleasant high street experience for pedestrians. GO GO JIM DOWD!!
So where would the traffic go then? There's probably more chance of getting Dartmouth Road part-pedestrianised over the artery that is London Road. Even then, it'd affect at least two bus routes that would no longer serve FH as they'd be diverted via Kirkdale and go straight to Dulwich.
So do we keep our good transport links or have a peaceful town centre?
Mr Dowd did say that buses should continue to use the road, it is only cars and lorries that would be diverted. I assume this would allow for the pavement to be widened to remove the bus lane.
The A205 would need to go up Kirkdale and either down Dartmouth Road or through Sydenham and down Perry Hill. I don't think Dartmouth Road is wide enough to deal with this level of traffic (it is bearly wide enough in places for two buses to pass each other), so we will have to generously allow Sydenham to have all the lorries from the South Circular.
London Road would still remain open to local traffic while through traffic can be routed by means of an underground bypass that would start on the incline towards Horniman Museum and end in Waldram Park Road…..
And pigs will fly.
Diverting the 185 and 176 to go up Sydenham Hill, down Kirkdale and round the houses to Perry Rise etc is a splendid idea in theory. But I expect that there'd be an outcry from local FH residents who might have to walk an extra 150 yards or so to catch a bus. Certainly Sydenham residents might applaud the plan until the High Street gets clogged up with buses, just like Oxford Street!
Sydenham Road is bad enough as it is with the never ending roadworks to replace the gas pipes. Travelling from Peterborough to London is easier than going down to Bell Green on a 202!
Blimey, I don't look at this thread for a week and the world goes mad! Are they seriously thinking of re-routing the South Circ from a reasonably robust wide road down onto a narrow "side street'? It's like shutting the M25 and sending everyone round the A25. Am I missing something?
Hrmmm B
ack to 1980's anyone? Tunnel under F/H maybe or was that just for Dulwich I can't quite remember.....
At least the s/c reopened today.
I remember a scheme from the late 80s/early 90s which was either a tunnel or flyover which would have started from Dulwich Common to Hornimans.