Parking on Devonshire Road

More damage done, HOP end of Devonshire, Someone is going to get a nasty surprise when they see their car.

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Yup, so many cars damaged since Lewisham demanded people stop parking on the pavement. This is nothing short of lunacy.

Though generally speaking - I don’t know about this particular bit of road and pavement - it seems undesirable to me for pavements to be given over to cars and something we look to Lewisham to control as needed.

I agree. So that leaves us with the suitability of the road for through traffic.

They could put double yellow lines on one side of the road, or time restricted parking on one side, or create alternate passing spots along the way, to help the traffic flow more easily.

Although is that the car that keeps parking over someone’s driveway?

I think the viable solution is in Michael’s post above (11th July 2017)

The detailed plan is here

I find Michael’s solution is overly complicated. But people have a different view of the problem we’re trying to solve. Is it that the road shouldn’t be as busy as it is? Because yes if that’s the problem then Michael’s solution will make it much harder for people to go down that road. Or is the problem that it’s hard for cars to pass and leads to arguments / cars being hit etc, especailly at the HOP park end? Because if it’s that, then not allowing cars to park on both sides, having passing bays or introducing permit parking and thus dissuading commuters to park may solve that problem. However, I appreciate if the problem is #2, if it’s solved it may lead to #1. But I don’t personally think redesigning all the roads in the area is a proportionate response at this point.

The problem as I experience it is the former. A narrow 100% residential road is used by commuter traffic. Michael’s plan addresses this problem in Devonshire Rd also in several other roads in the area similarly affected. It is both proportionate and overdue.

Depending on how you define “commuter traffic” (which seems to be “anyone who doesn’t live on the road”) the same thing could be said about lots of roads in London / any major city in the UK. Devonshire Road is undoubtedly bad and unpleasant for everyone, but it’s also the case that the issues are exacerbated by the pinch points created by parked cars.

Double-yellow lines along one side would be the cheapest way to ease the problem.

where would all the displaced cars park? I imagine they’re mostly either residents or commuters, residents will mostly fill the gaps that commuters leave on the one remaining parking side, so commuters will have to park further away. in other streets. only some of these people will decide to change mode of travel, so all you’re really doing is moving the problem from Dartmouth road to another local road somewhere else. This will always be the case if you just remove parking spaces and replace them with double yellows, without adding additional spaces elsewhere. The nearest spaces will just get more used, and nearby roads, which were ok will become the next issue.

Time to introduce CPZs

they’re just doing the same thing - displacing parking further away. you’d be amazed how some people will drive short distances to park nearer the station, but then when CPZs come in they’ll still drive short distances to end up further from the station. I don’t have a problem with commuters parking near a station (presumably so it’s cheaper to travel to work as they’ve driven in one or more travel zones), as long as there’s enough space to do so.
If there are parking spaces, it makes sense that they’re used, rather than sat empty because they’re dedicated to a specific permit holder.
A controlled parking zone around a station should (imo) be mostly residents only, or a mix of residents or P&D, so that residents purchase a parking permit for their zone, for a nominal fee (£10 a year?), and they can then park near their house, like previously, and then if there’s a space available then a none resident can park there if they pay the appropriate fee. If there’s a maximum stay of 4 hours (for those without a permit), you won’t get commuters parking all day, else they’ll get a ticket.
Any CPZ though will push commuter parking further away from the station so you will have to create extra spaces somewhere (unless there are roads with unrestricted parking within a reasonable walking distance that aren’t already utilised)

Perry Vale car park is next to the station and I gather rather underutilised.

The residents themselves voted against a CPZ. Which is the first stage/indicator that residents want a change. So I wouldn’t want any more time or money wasted on Devonshire Rd when there’s clearly not enough support for it.

CPZ is awesome. Ideally the whole area anywhere near the station should at a minimum have a 1hr restriction during the day to deter commuters. David’s Rd and Manor Mount are far better streets to live on since all day CPZ.

Even around HOP station you see people driving and parking on Grierson and Garthorne. It just shouldn’t be possible to do that. I have zero sympathy for people who drive to the station each day and clog up our streets.

The residents voted against it, but the problems faced by the different sections of the road are not equal, the choice was not a binary one and the options all included adding double yellow lines to a portion of the road.

The cost of the parking permit was very high and a large portion of the road is social housing (a lot of the large houses contain flats). A CPZ may be affordable to me, but the unreasonably high cost could likely be an issue for some residents and I found it unsavoury.

I would have to say there is no solution which suits all. The road was never build to carry the volumes of traffic that it does, nor the sizes of the vehicles which us it.
Sadly this is getting a more and more common issue these days.

Maybe the solution is to remove some of the fire gates further down running off Stansted also accessable via Wastdale etc, allowing a second through route between Forest Hill and Honor Oak. Beadnell Rd / Garthorne / Bovill. Imagine being able to turn off the High St, and get through to Forest Hill!

A long established closed thru route these days, but would surely take the pressure off Devonshire? And probably ease the traffic on Brockley Rise / Stansted too.

I’m sure this is not a popular option, but just recognising the impact road closures have on other surrounding roads.

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When other areas are left to bear the brunt of the through traffic, it can seem a little unfair.
As a driver in the area I am more than aware of the traffic that once flowed through, but given Devonshire is also a residential road, albeit a straight road , rather than a few turns, I am left wondering what made it so special.

Was #ebsworth-st traffic heavier without the gates, or did Garthorne and Bovill bear the brunt of the traffic flow?

From recollection the two through roads took the brunt. It was hardly queuing traffic either. Main aim of people is to get through to Forest Hill rather than joining the main roads and sitting in snarled up traffic.

Pretty much the same routes as people who currently run through the back roads to get onto Brockley Rise missing the south circ and the other way.

The thing to bear in mind here is, the majority of the traffic using Devonshire is trying to navigate from HOP to FH. So both routes being viable would spread the load. Also making the area more open and accessible off peak too. 5 min zip through to HOP from the other side of Forest Hill, to access the shops and businesses there.

Not ideal I realise. But with most streets in the area, and South London as a whole, being subjected to it, I am perplexed why it stays protected from this.

Just a thought.

Be an interesting subject to do a poll on. Maybe? Would the removal of them create any relief. Would locals benefit from getting home quicker, or would that be outweighed by inconvenience.

Feel free. Don’t forget the obligatory “other” and “none” options if it’s a single-choice poll.

To create a poll, tap the button in the editor and then Build Poll

Prob best in a separate, linked topic.

Would opening the firegates as shown above, be an option to relieve the traffic on Devonshire Road, and allow a sensible through route from FH to HOP?

I think you mean Devonshire Road (unless you subscribe to some sort of hybrid traffic / chaos theory).

Oops cheers Dave

The honest answer is that opening fire gates would probably help some on Devonshire. But I think it would be hypocritical to push for this as a solution which just shares the misery elsewhere.

I prefer @Michael’s idea.

I don’t live on the roads, but this sounds more like a race to the bottom than to the top. When you walk down those roads the great thing is the general lack of traffic.

I think a solution needs to be found for Devonshire (which I never drive down myself due to the issues around it) - but it’s not hard to get to FH now (either via Brockley Rise and S Circular or via Hop abd joining S Circular near the Tesco Garage.

I’d leave it up to the residents - if it was me I’d want it either made one way or half a barrier half way through.

I’m not a fan of full on CPZ (did the residents of Devonshire vote against this, or was this just the general consultation?) but I don’t mind ones with just restricted hours say between 12-2pm which deters commuters but allows trades people and friends \ family to visit.

I don’t think residents should no longer be able to park outside their houses to facilitate people rat-running down their road.

For the record I live on the busy bit of BRockley Rise, and I’d love less traffic \ buses \ lorries \ general traffic but not the solution is effectively in less traffic, not diverting it down more residential routes.