Forest Hill Road speed reduction - Consultation

Southwark Council plan to introduce road clutter more “traffic calming” and street furniture in an attempt to force drivers to abide their ineffective 20mph limit. Here’s the consultation:

https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/environment-leisure/forest-hill-road-speed-reduction/consult_view/

From the consultation:

Average speeds more than 6mph above the limit, with many vehicles regularly exceeding 31mph, were observed in traffic heading northbound on Forest Hill Road, particularly around the junction with Canonbie Road. We have a duty to make any adjustments necessary to ensure that the law is being upheld, and to look after our residents’ safety.
Please see below for the plan showing the location of the changes that are planned for Forest Hill Road.

It seems quite proportionate and reasonable to me.

What happened to keeping things apolitical outside the politics section? Or I am confusing prejudice and politics?

I think your confusion risks taking this topic off-topic.

Nothing in my OP was political or prejudiced. The limits are currently ineffective, as pointed out by the council in the linked article. They plan to introduce road clutter, as stated in the article.

There’s no mention of clutter in the article. They talk about benches, cycle stands and changes to pedestrian crossings. The standard phrase for these amenities is ‘street furniture’.

The world ‘clutter’ doesn’t tend to have positive connotations so can how it could be read as a prejudiced view - rather than drawing attention to the consolation.

This is your own political view and soap box pet peeve to boot.

I would want the measures to extend down Honor Oak Park too.

Please argue the points, not the people making them.

We all have our views on the blanket 20mph limit, and I hope the mod team will agree not to censor any views on this topic.

It’s not “political” or even personal opinion to call the 20mph limit ineffective. The data is there in plain sight: Lewisham borough wide 20mph speed limit – update

Lewisham use it in their own documentation, I can’t link it for some reason but Google “Lewisham to reduce street clutter”.

I’ve seen lots of cars going much faster than 20mph and it’s frustrating and feels dangerous and “uncosy”. I definitely support “road clutter” to help with this.

The issue is road clutter is that it can cause information overload for road users. Lots of signs cause confusion and people focus on road signs and not the road and surroundings. Lots of Borroughs in London reducing street signage as a result.

I stand partially corrected. I did Google it and their definition seems to be “To reduce unnecessary street furniture” and much of the detail where it’s mentioned isn’t about roads but about pavements and making it more open for pedestrians rather than drivers. In this instance, they’ve presumably decided that new changes are necessary - and so perhaps they remain as ‘street furniture’

I do agree around signs. The point in the Lewisham document appears to focus more on avoiding poles on pavements. But it can be distracting for road-users unfamiliar to the area which can lead to more accidents. There’s probably a discussion over whether those are due to drivers unfamiliar trying to read them all or locals getting frustrated with those who have slowed down to read them all.

So far as the actual 20mph proposal goes, until there are proper teeth to stop speeding in them, there’s never going to be any evidence that they work or not - and both lobbies can claim the numbers show whatever they like.

Ah. I thought road clutter meant speed bumps etc.

I would like speed bumps on Sydenham Park. The cars whizz down there without a care despite the fact it’s by schools nursereys and there’s little room to see.

The problem with that is that speed bumps don’t necessarily slow people down.

@weepy - you mentioned nurseries and schools.

Targeted 20mph limits around schools would make drivers aware that there is a good reason to slow down. Drivers may not otherwise have realised they were driving past a school

However, the blanket 20mph zone has robbed us of this tool, and made a mockery of a limit that could have been targeted effectively to save lives.

As someone who lived on Waldenshaw Road for 16 years I can state quite unequivocally that speed humps have no effect on drivers who want to speed.

We don’t need more sineage, cameras etc. What we need are the people who make a difference. Police.

Sadly, and as I said above, there was a nursery on Waldenshaw Road which was well sign posted. Made no difference.

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