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Speed of cars from Honor Oak Park/Forest Hill road - does it bother anyone?
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paddygirl


Posts: 4
Joined: Feb 2012
Post: #1
20-02-2013 04:34 PM

Hi

I've lived on Forest Hill Road for over a year now and this is something that bothers me. I walk down to HOP station regularly or also down to the parade of shops on Forest Hill road. The speed of cars in both directions bothers me. There are speed bumps from HOP up to the top of the hill but they are not very effective. Sometimes I feel very unsafe walking up that road from HOP to one tree hilll if a vehicle seems to be coming quite fast in my direction, you are very near the road. Wouldn't be so bad if they would slow down!

Does it worry/bother anyone else? I don't have kids but would probably be a nervous wreck if I did.

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Southlonder


Posts: 119
Joined: Aug 2009
Post: #2
20-02-2013 07:06 PM

As someone who drives up and down that hill frequently I must say the speed bumps don't require you to slow down

It is therefore quite a "fast" road

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mrm1ag1


Posts: 15
Joined: Jul 2010
Post: #3
20-02-2013 08:24 PM

I completely agree... the speed that buses and trucks come down the hill is sometimes crazy and I have often had to dodge speeding cars at the zebra crossing.

Don't know if much can be done about it though. As Southlonder says the speed bumps are basically useless as you can just position your car to drive straight over them.

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Medley


Posts: 87
Joined: Nov 2011
Post: #4
21-02-2013 11:10 AM

There's no effective speed enforcement from the speed camera at the southern end of Peckham Rye Park all the way to the traffic lights where Honor Oak Park joins Stondon Park.

Consequently enraged London drivers who think they'll get ahead by driving quicker sprint over this whole section.

I can't think of any other solution than some effective traffic-calming.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #5
21-02-2013 11:50 AM

It is true that it can be a bit of a race track at times. Many times at the Zebra crossing cars whizz past with no intention, or indeed likelyhood of stopping.

Maybe some shared space solutions would work nicely here too, cf:
Traffic lights Dartmouth Road/London Road

I am thinking junction of Honor Oak Park/Honor Oak Road/Forest Hill Road, Honor Oak Park section Devonshire Road to Grierson, perhaps even Stondon Park junction too. Actually, why not whole shopping parade?

This is relevant too:
Complaining about traffic on Forest Hill Road

I suppose the wrinkle here, at least going up the hill, is that there are 2 councils involved. One for the neighbourhood plan?

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paddygirl


Posts: 4
Joined: Feb 2012
Post: #6
21-02-2013 01:56 PM

Ok, thanks. I've looked on that post on the east dulwich forum and they seem to be taking some form of action there so I'll email the council contacts they suggest to complain to...the more complaints they get, they more chance something will be done.

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TonyQuinn


Posts: 3
Joined: Feb 2013
Post: #7
21-02-2013 02:35 PM

Clearly something is in the air when two similar threads begin on two forums within days of each other. For those concerned about road safety on Forest Hill Road what follows is what I posted on the eastdulwichforum. I agree with you paddygirl, I also find it a concern walking down to Honor Oak Park station given the tiny pavement and the speed of the traffic. Clearly that traffic measure did not work.


I have been led to believe that nothing will be done to make the traffic safer at the top of Forest Hill Road despite clear indications that the junction with Honor Oak Park and Honor Oak Road is a potential deathtrap. Only a couple of weeks ago I saw a car had crashed into the school gates at Francesca Cabrini. Luckily it was Saturday afternoon and not half 8 on a Monday morning. Because the school is in Southwark but the road is half in Lewisham, Lewisham Council I understand is not interested. Ideally, my contact at Southwark council says, is we get people from the Lewisham side of Forest Hill Road, or parents at Fairlawn School or any other interested party to make their concerns direct to. I think the speed and the insanity that is often visible on that road requires a response from Lewisham and Southwark councils, whether it be speed cameras, zebra crossing, traffic lights, new road design something.
Please send emails to following
Bill.Tarplett@lewisham.gov.uk
keith.gasson@lewisham.gov.uk
tom.henry@lewisham.gov.uk

Simon.phillips@southwark.gov.uk is the representative at Southwark
They are awaiting your comments.

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paddygirl


Posts: 4
Joined: Feb 2012
Post: #8
21-02-2013 03:08 PM

I do live on the Lewisham side of Forest Hill Road and have just emailed all of those contacts. thanks.

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152047
No Longer Registered

Posts: 135
Joined: Jan 2011
Post: #9
21-02-2013 05:51 PM

I can only agree. I cycle up and down FH Road every weekday and regularly witness dangerous driving/inconsiderate road use.

It starts at the bottom outside the Harris Academy with parents dropping off their children either by stopping in the middle of no-park zone or pulling into the private car park of the flats next to the school. Further up the hill you have drivers using roads like Mundania and Ryedale as rat runs at break neck speed.

At the junction of Wood Vale I have seen cars going uphill undertake using the bus lane. Coming downhill it is not uncommon to see cars doing well over the speed limit. Further up the junction with Brenchley Gardens and Canonbie Road is very dangerous and I have been cut up here many times.

The stretch of road between Brenchley Gardens and the junction with Honor Oak Road is simply too narrow and if you look carefully on the road you will often see the remains of the wing mirrors from the cars parked on the Honor Oak Rise side. As a cyclist going uphill you have to be very careful to give yourself enough space to overtake the parked cars without being squashed by the rush hour rally drivers.

Past Honor Oak Rise and if it is mid-afternoon it is time for the St Cabrini parents to show that they are as inconsiderate as the ones outside the Harris Academy. Interestingly, whilst I have seen signs at other schools urging parents to be responsible road users there are none here or at Harris. Perhaps those in charge of those schools could do their bit.

The junction at the top is, as noted, very dangerous and the drivers coming from Honor Oak Road regularly do stupid and selfish things to get across the junction without waiting for a break in the traffic. Once into Honor Oak Road it is time for the worst drivers to accelerate up to 40 mph as soon as they can.

I am not sure what the solution is but perhaps yellow box junctions at the top by Honor Oak Road and lower down at Brenchley/Canonbie both policed by cameras giving out fixed penalty notices. I would also be in favour of either blocking the junction with Canonbie or making it impossible to cross FH Road at this point by putting in a long traffic island.

Cutting down on the speeding should be the responsibility of the police but given that they seem to have given up on road traffic enforcement outside the City of London I don't suppose we are likely to see them stopping these idiots anytime soon.

Don't get me started about the FH drivers who think it is OK to use their mobile phone/drink their oversized cup of coffee/use their laptop (yes, honestly)/eat their breakfast/put on their makeup/have a running argument with their passengers/smoke a joint (it really is a very distinctive smell) whilst driving up and down this road.

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TonyQuinn


Posts: 3
Joined: Feb 2013
Post: #10
21-02-2013 06:33 PM

Excellent response, can I urge you to basically cut and paste that post and email it to the individuals I have listed above. This is a campaign that's also being pursued by participants on the eastdulwichforum.co.uk

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Jemmalrc


Posts: 8
Joined: Nov 2012
Post: #11
11-03-2013 05:14 PM

We moved to the top of Honor Oak Park last year and we have been thinking exactly the same thing about the speed of traffic.

It is quite difficult to cross the road anywhere near the top of the hill because you can't rely on cars travelling at a sensible speed. I also saw the damage to the school gates. It's quite worrying that the car was clearly travelling with enough speed to damage the huge metal school gates which had to be removed for repair. There are two schools very nearby and I do not think car drivers should be allowed to treat a residential street as if it is a major highway.

I also agree with the previous comments about the crossings further down the hill - cars approach the crossings so fast that you just don't know whether they will stop.

Two of our neighbours have also me mentioned concerns about traffic to us recently. I am told that the road was very much quieter 10 years ago. I can only presume that the traffic has been redirected along these routes from other places and most people probably use the route because it is one of the few places you can drive at speed without getting caught.

It seems there is a lot of support for getting something done about it.

I will also email my comments to Lewisham Council.

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TonyQuinn


Posts: 3
Joined: Feb 2013
Post: #12
11-03-2013 05:46 PM

Please do relay your concerns to the folks mentioned above and we can assess the situation soon. I couldn't cross the road with my kid in his pram just now.....only way I could was a kind tax driver stopping (the traffic) to give me the room to get across.

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kemamira


Posts: 50
Joined: Jul 2008
Post: #13
12-03-2013 10:25 PM

I walked up Honor Oak Park on the One Tree Hill entrance side recently with my young children and I agree, it's quite intimidating.

Maybe a mini roundabout at the top of the hill by the school to slow things down and help traffic flow?
Maybe a full width round-top speed hump in two places between the top of the hill and the zebra crossing by Devonshire?
Maybe the zebra crossing by Devonshire could be on top of a speed table on the downhill side?

Here's what it could cost though

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Fjgb


Posts: 18
Joined: Aug 2012
Post: #14
13-03-2013 11:44 AM

I agree this area of the road is a nightmare and quite scary. I think at school times the cars parked all over the place don't help either. People just seem to leave their cars everywhere (this must be particularly frustrating for people within walking distance of schools like fairlawn that have children that didn't get into the school - but that's a different post/rant Smile). Are there ever parking wardens around the area that can make people move so these cars aren't causing an additional hazard?

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ryananglem


Posts: 167
Joined: Apr 2009
Post: #15
16-03-2013 09:20 AM

I used to cycle up/down here until I found the cycle route that follows the tracks via Grierson Road. The cycle route is marked, but when I started going this way it was the winter (dark) and its not easy to see, or work out how you can get across the tracks (there is a cycle/pedestrian bridge behind Brockley). It may be fractionally further this way, but the savings in safety are huge!

I've also found that as a pedestrian, cars rarely stop for you at the pedestrian crossing near the HOP station on weekends, presumably so they can get speed/carry speed up/down the hill. Its fine during the week, the traffic is so slow they generally dont mind stopping..

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daveherne


Posts: 212
Joined: Jul 2012
Post: #16
16-03-2013 09:48 AM

Speaking as somebody who drives this route quite often. The speed bumps do nothing coming down the hill to slow drivers down and the hill is high enough that unless you actively brake you will pick up speed.

I agree it is not a good spot either for drivers or pedestrians. Some additional traffic calming measures need to be in place, on herne hill, on the approach to sainsburys, an electronic speed warning sign echos back your speed with a smiley face: happy, sad. I do always notice this and expect other do to, helps immensely.

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