TfL changes to A24 Balham High Road Post Reply

[Sarah McDermott]

Do you have views on TfL’s proposed changes to A24 #Balham High Road? 🏍

conta.cc/30F4iSS

Please give your views to @TfL @MayorofLondon and copy Nightingale councillors Cllr.r.field@wandsworth.gov.uk Cllr.i.hart@wandsworth.gov.uk Cllr.s.mcdermott@wandsworth.gov.uk if you live in Nightingale ward or your own local councillors

[tootingbecuser]

Hi S, There does not appear to be an electronic Council link that works in your message and the one that the Council sent in a mailing that was put through our door is curiously not active. Are we expected to email councillors individually as I think this gives the wrong message? Given the very significant changes proposed along Balham High Road between Balham and Tooting Bec in particular and the implications for accessing roads off the High Road on either side it does seem as though the Council is making things rather challenging for those who wish to comment. I believe that a consultation about changes of this magnitude needs to have a proper Council website link and the public should not have to 'mail/canvas' individual councillors or respond to 38 degrees messages. This is also important given the changes are being proposed during the school holidays when many people are away. Hope someone can help with this as have tried 4 times already to use links without success.

[Motherslittlehelper]

I have a nasty feeling, these changes are going to be pushed through without any regard for what residents think.

They are so shortsighted, I predict they will last 12 months max!

[SarahMcDermott]

Hi TootingBecUser

The A24 changes are implemented by the Mayor of London & not Wandsworth Council. The consultation is with the Mayor. We Nightingale councillors have added the Mayor’s details in the link (which I have checked & works) in the original post.
If you wish to email me too on my Council email we are here to help & put forward local residents’ views to the Mayor.

Sarah

[Ratski]

Similar things afoot on Lavender Hill as we received a letter recently outlining changes to the road layout, new cycle lanes and environmental guff all in the name of social distancing.

Call me suspicious but I get the feeling these council and city hall jobsworths are using this covid ‘crisis’ to further their anti car/eco warrior quackery.

[Shaftesburymum]

Hi Sarah,

I can't find the proposals online and the link doesn't work for me either. Can you share a different way to view them? Thanks for posting about this!

I'm broadly very much in favour of making roads safer for cyclists and sharing road space equitably between buses, private vehicles and modes of active travel. There are numerous routes in Wandsworth that are still extremely dangerous for cyclists. My daily commute by bike from Wandsworth to Aldgate has been transformed but safe cycle infrastructure (outside of Wandsworth) and I'm delighted to see this being used by many new cyclists. It's a very different experience to pre-lockdown when peak commute times had cycle lanes dominated by experienced male cyclist moving at speed. Now I see more women, children, older people and sightseers. The city is feeling like a more inclusive and welcoming place as a result, rather than being focused on the ease of movement for the more affluent portion of the population who own cars. I'm often noting that there are more bikes on the roads than motor vehicles now - this is a huge transformation.

We have all benefited from less pollution during lockdown and the challenges now are how to recover economically as well as facilitate movement around the city in a safe way, whilst getting polution levels under legal limits and reducing carbon emissions. To put it starkly - recover economically and kill fewer people both now and in the future. Safe cycling and walking infrastructure is clearly a significant part of the solution to all of these challenges.

I'm delighted the mayors office are being as bold with their plans as is necessary at this time, and now they have the support of central government (if not sufficient funding). Over time Wandsworth seem to have been swayed by the very organised car lobby, rather than prioritising the view of residents that is overwhelmingly in favour of safer cycling and walking infrastructure.

Here's some good information for anyone interested to know more;

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... y-backlash

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... d-minority

Thanks

[Goldhawk]

Here are all the current TFL streetspace schemes


https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/general/streetspace/


And the A24 CS7 upgrade consultation
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/general/f2826d1b/

[GuyD73]

It will obviously only be some months after the works are completed, that a sensible consensus can be reached as to its success or failure. However, I absolutely welcome the re-balancing of the public highways towards walkers and cyclists. Segregated cycle lanes are really needed and will be much safer, rat running will be reduced. Moving loading bays into side streets is an absolute no-brainer.

There will inevitably be a few of the cyclist-hating, climate denying types ranting at any move away from the dominance of the motorist, but happily they're screaming into the void. This has to happen and is happening very successfully in cities across the world from Bogota to Copenhagen. It needs to happen here and will happen, so bring it on. 

Thank you to all who have made this happen, whether in City Hall or local cycling groups.     

[DavidT]

I agree that it is important for the environment and to prioritise cycling and walking over vehicle convenience. I use all three methods of travel, but we can't keep ignoring what is good for people and the planet.

My concern over these proposals is largely where it will move the traffic. Ideally all neighbourhoods should be liveable, low traffic, with speeding restrictions enforced and a plan focussing on residents who live there rather than through traffic seeking an easy way around.

Sarah, thanks for posting and as a resident of Nightingale what we need is your whole ward and Balham ward to the north, included in changes as well. Residents in our area are concerned that traffic will be displaced to our streets from those now restricted. Can the "Nightingale Triangle" become a low traffic neighbourhood as well? Would welcome your support on that.

[Denwand]

Similar things afoot on Lavender Hill as we received a letter recently outlining changes to the road layout, new cycle lanes and environmental guff all in the name of social distancing.

Call me suspicious but I get the feeling these council and city hall jobsworths are using this covid ‘crisis’ to further their anti car/eco warrior quackery.

Totally agree - wait till the main roads gridlock and buses /cars/workmans vans/taxis/Ambulances/delivery trucks/Police/Fire Engines get stuck in it- and the smog from these trapped vehicles is sooo bracing!

Local residents may initially agree with the forced restrictions and anti-car measures - until they find it takes them five times as long to do essential journeys or wait for an emergency vehicle.

Don't worry the Eco-Mob wants to force (Oops I mean "encourage" ) you onto a bicycle....What you are disabled, or elderly, or have mobility problems,  or ill , or have young kids to ferry around - Tough!  You are evil polluters so stay at home!

[Ratski]

The traffic chaos has already begun, try driving around the South Circular on a Saturday it’s pretty much gridlocked from Battersea to Crystal Palace thanks to road closures, lost lanes and people avoiding public transport due to face nappies been compulsory.

Elspeth Road is a like a car park most mornings and evenings during rush hours and this tails all the way around the common and down to the A3 in Wandsworth.

I’ve yet to see one cyclist use the new white bollard route opposite the police station at Lavender Hill, buses are forced in to the same lane as all the cars and the never ending traffic jam ensues.

It’s not just here but down in Chichester last week I saw similar schemes been implemented.

You read about the tin foil hat wearing plandemic thinkers but the more you see of this environmental power grab during a time when all focus should be getting the country back to normal rather than this ‘new normal’ Orwellian wet dream the state seem to be creating for us.

[Starr]

There has to be a compromise on this. These changes will hurt a lot of people. Mothers with young children, the elderly and disabled, businesses that deliver and receive deliveries, people caring for elderly, people dropping off children and driving to work.

I am pro cycling and look forward to doing more and watching my children become confident cyclists but clearly these changes are too tipped in the favour of those who don't own or need cars. That would have been me 10 years.

I hope people do give their feedback, particularly if we see congestion rise and pollution increase on the permitted roads. People live there too and there are pedestrians.

Could they come up with a solution to remove bollards during rush hour times? from 6- 9.30 am and 3-7pm. To allow traffic to flow and then make them nice car free zones in between. My feeling is we need compromise -as always in a city.

[Starr]

So far I have encountered 2 worrying incidents with cyclists just last week.

My children were almost knocked down as we were passing with a green man light by a cyclist and I had to push my child and his friend out of the way on the lane by playground on Tooting common otherwise they would have been knocked down by a speeding cyclist who was using it as a race course.

I have been enjoying cycling too and glad to have seen people on their bikes but I am very concerned about the power being tipped to far and abused.

[KatherineHepburn]

Does anyone know where you can see a map of all the changes taking place in Wandsworth?
A road closure/access only sign has gone up on Beechcroft Road (I live opposite) but it is the first we have heard anything about it.
I'm guessing, yet again, that Burntwood Lane is just meant to take the brunt of all the traffic? Or maybe I'm just being pessimistic.
I'd love to see a closures/changes map though.

[KatherineHepburn]

I found a link!
https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/augu ... r-tooting/

It's been chaos outside of our house all afternoon. The sign in the road keeps getting knocked over by 4x4's (maybe it is too low for them?), then it gets run over by a few other cars. Then some daring person puts it back in the road, for the whole thing to repeat again.

Car horns are blaring, the bollards have been knocked down again and general chaos is ensuing. 

Joy.