There is also an exhibition of the proposals at Devonport House in Greenwich this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 8pm, with traffic engineers in attendance to answer any questions you may wish to raise.
A description of the proposals and the opportunity to download detailed information can be found here. To call it a 'car-free scheme' is rather optimistic and even somewhat scaremongery - the only bits that would be car free would be College Approach and King William Walk. What the council wants to know is what you think should happen to the traffic if these closures are implemented.
One of the options is to create a new one-way system incorporating Norman Road, which would have implications for local drivers if Creek Road and Greenwich High Road also became one-way streets. It would also have implications for the cycle route and pedestrian route between Deptford and Greenwich which crossed Ha'penny Hatch footbridge and leads into Straightsmouth.
4 comments:
I would think that any change in the traffic lay out would have to provide a clear advantage for cyclists, public transport and pedestrians. Plans 2b and 2c seem to be presented as different plans, but surely plan 2b (bus contraflow) would also include cyclists for the Greenwich High Road section - what's needed is adequate provision for cyclists between the Ha'penny Hatch and Greenwich High Road, where they could join up with the bus lane contraflow into Greenwich. The reverse direction would present bigger problems, though.
Has anybody else thought it ironic that the company whose lorries currently impede both the pavement and visibility for cyclists are called ''Access Solutions?''
I share the monkey's view on this. I don't see any reason why a contra-flow bus lane could not be 4.5m wide to accommodate a cycle lane. In both of these bus/cycle options it looks as though they are trying to maximise capacity by providing two running lanes down Greenwich High Street and perhaps the widened bus lane is not feasible in their eyes. Would it not be more desirable to have one southbound running lane with a cycle lane going southbound down Greenwich High Street? I wonder if they have conducted any modelling on these proposals. In case I am unable to visit tomorrow, please would someone ask this if they get the chance?
I don't understand the 'pedestrian' improvements that are located outside of the town centre. Will extra footway width be of benefit away from the shops where there are low volumes of pedestrians? Personally, I rarely pass people outside of the town centre when I'm walking home down Greenwich High Street or when I'm out for a casual stroll down Creek Road.
I would just like to advise anyone visiting this exhibition or responding to the consultation that they also forward their comments to appropriate elected members as your comments will not be taken on board. The consultation will be a 'do you agree or don't you?' with no room for common sense amendments. Passing your comments through a councillor will add SOME accountability if you ask them to chase it.Don't be fobbed off!!
John, I've just been to the ''consultation'' thingummybob. The chap that I spoke to freely admitted that they hadn't thought about cyclists using the link from Greenwich to Deptford at the Ha'penny Hatch. He was happy to brainstorm about putting a cyclepath through the (now-shut) light industrial estate leading to the DLR entrance - while at the same time conceding that there's no budget and it would anyway be subject to the development plans of the owners. In other words, no chance.
I mentioned the possibility of putting a cycle contra-flow from the Ha'penny Hatch along past the North Pole to Greenwich High Road but this was rejected because the one-way system options intend to put two-lane traffic down Norman Road - though I'm not sure how you could get two-lane traffic right-turning into the rather narrow mouth of Norman Road.
So, no chance of a contra-flow for cyclists, though they're happy to put a supposed cycle path option into the 2c option - despite the fact that the plans actually prevent a significant number of cyclists getting to the route. Autrement dit, bikes, which aren't the problem, suffer. We'll just have to go by car then.
Thanks for that feedback, Marmoset. Disappointingly predictable! My main concern is how anyone on foot or bike will be able to cross Norman Road at the end of the Hapenny Hatch footpath unless they include a pedestrian crossing there. I anticipate the level of traffic along Norman Road will be fairly high.
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