Salter Road Safety Consultation
I went to the useful exhibition at Holy Trinity Church Hall
yesterday (Saturday 17 July). The display helpfully expanded on the
July 2004 four-scheme leaflet.
Below are my comments on the Salter Road proposals. I'm Coordinator
of the 580 member Southwark Cyclists (www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk)
but these are my personal views.
It would be very helpful if someone from Mott McDonald and
Southwark Council could be at our next monthly meeting on Wednesday
11 August to let us have your thoughts on my views and any others
received from Southwark Cyclists and others: 7pm, Blackfriars
Settlement, 1/5 Rushworth Street, London SE1. (Bike parking in the
hall. Southwark tube station is 2 minutes away. Loads of buses). Let
me know please.
General comments
1. The leaflet is "your guide to road-safety proposals in the
area". "These measures will help protect local people from the
adverse effects of road traffic". That's laudable and very welcome
but there is no stated mission statement, no clear overall aim or
intent. What was the brief?
2. The 4 road safety projects are being handled by you, Mott
McDonald as Southwark Council's consultants. This is nowhere
explained in the leaflet - or at the exhibitions. Phone the number on
the leaflet - 020 8774 2300 - and the tape says "This is Southwark
Road Safety hotline". Only the leaflet's email address - the one this
email is sent to - provides the clue:
LBS-safety@m... I am of course absolutely comfortable with the use
of specialist consultants, but such use needs to be explicit.
3. Anyone who wants to have a say in the consultation exercise is
asked to complete a postcard and return it by 30 July 2004. There
were comment forms available at the exhibition, but these were A5
size. I presume that longer comments by email and letter will be
acceptable.
4. I use all 4 areas being consulted one very often, and Lower Road
is my daily commute to work. Yet I first heard of the scheme by
seeing a leaflet at a Bankside Community Forum meeting. I saw nothing
in Southwark News.
Detailed comments on the Salter Road proposals
1. "Salter Road is a residential area. Please drive carefully" will
say the new signs at each gateway to the area. I welcome this. But
the current 30mph limit stays unchanged. It should be dropped to
20mph. Nothing improves road safety as much as lower speed limits. If
Southwark Council really wants to improve road safety here, in a
residential area with two primary schools, 20mph is quite fast
enough. Mott McDonald said at the exhibition that the police would
not enforce a 20mph zone here. That is no argument for keeping the
30mph limit.
2. Salter Road was effectively created in the 1970's as a fast
local through road. Since then the area has seen at least 10,000 new
homes locally and huge regeneration. This road safety plan needs to
recognise those changes and turn Salter Road into a route into that
new housing and away from its being a fast route through the area. It
is too often used as a rat-run by commuters. Through traffic must be
discouraged and so must speeding. (A car-driver at the exhibition
spoke forcefully against any safety proposals here because "it's
about the only place round here you can really put your foot down".
And of course modern cars soon hit 70mph in that mode).
3. Proposed new details such as the red anti-skid band throughout
will only encourage faster driving. (The Mott McDonald staffer on
site on 17 July said that the prime function of the anti-skid surface
was to stop fast vehicles skidding). The Salter Road philosophy must
be to slow traffic, not protect fast traffic.
4. Redriff Road leads into Salter Road. It's the A2202. It should
become a B road and calmed too. The two roads cannot but be treated
as one.
5. there should be raised speed tables at every junction to calm
traffic and help pedestrians.
6. speed cameras should cover the entire road.
7. all junctions should have Advanced Stop Lines and yellow boxes.
8. only one electronic speed detection sign is planned. Six are
needed to cover the road.
9. only one zebra crossing is planned - at Globe Pond Road. Around
10 are needed.
10. speed humps every 200 metres would slow traffic sensibly.
11. there is no evidence that cyclist-specific improvements have
been planned at all along here. That is a very strange omission that
needs explanation please. General trafffic calming will of course
make the street much safer for all users.
12. only one chichane is planned just north of the junction with
Russia Dock Road and Capstan Way. Three more should be
installed.....with cycle lanes through.
13. Mott McDonald staff at the exhibition - who were involved in
drafting these proposals - were not aware of the huge development
scheme at Canada Water that starts in a year's time. The intention
there is to produce 5,00 more homes and 4,000 new jobs with little
new vehicle impact. All the more reason to calm and slow Salter Road
now. (Nor were those staff aware of the Walworth Road project or the
Elephant and Castle regeneration schemes. Local knowledge is
important).
I look forward to your comments on the above. I'm copying this to
my 3 local Councillors, to Richard Thomas, to Roger Stocker,
Southwark's Cycling Officer - who I understand was not consulted in
the drawing up of these proposals, and to Southwark Cyclists.
Best wishes.
Barry Mason
07905 889 005
18 July 2004