Southwark Council propose expensive and disruptive alterations to the Camberwell Green junction and area. The plans do not provide safe space for cycling. Our local group, Southwark Cyclists have thoroughly examined their proposal with expert advice and they have decided to formally reject these plans. Read their blog for full details.
Please respond to the consultation today (Thursday 13th August), before the consultation closes, rejecting the proposal
The consultation has two sections and we’ve provided suggested answers to the relevant sections below.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS - SECTION A: Town centre improvements
2. Please provide your comments and feedback on the General arrangements plan
Reject this proposal
The proposal does little for pedestrians:
crossing times are hardly reduced, crossings are not convenient,
informal crossing will still occur (a symptom of tension between place and transport functions of this high street.)
The proposal actively worsens conditions for cyclists:
Bus lanes removed on Denmark Hill and additional turns allowed to Coldharbour Lane
Left hook dangers including the Orpheus St junction (already fatal this year) not addressed
No safe access to ASLs which are in any case a part time solution
No space for cycling
No attempt to address forecast and measured increases in cycle numbers through the junction, even though these are encouraged by the Southwark Cycling Strategy
The proposal appears to prioritise motor traffic capacity. This is odd since TfL and Southwark figures (and national travel stats) show motor mode falling.
The proposal does nothing to address the environment at Camberwell Green. What should be a pleasant town centre and retail hub is dominated by motor traffic (speeds/accelerations across the very large junction are aggressive) and will remain so under this proposal
Given the disruption the proposed work would cause anyway the Council must take this opportunity to reimagine the network more widely. Several alternatives have been considered which separately or in combination could drastically improve the environment without significant impact on traffic capacity in the long term:
a segregated junction,
an all-arms-green junction
a cycle bypass around the north and east of the Green itself, accessible from all directions
a bus hub in Orpheus St, freeing up bus stop space on Denmark Hill for walking and cycling
closing Daneville Rd to motor traffic at Coldharbour Lane (moving the car park entrance to Wren Rd), allowing a simplified/segregated T-junction at Coldharbour Lane and creating a wider pedestrian / retail space.
There appears to have been no Cycling Level of Service (CLoS) analysis performed on this proposal. A first analysis by an expert group Southwark Cyclists convened indicate the current proposal would score extremely poorly.
3. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Camberwell New Road Plan
Reject.
This is a heavily used commuter route for cycles and other modes.
No space for cycling whatsoever - a bus lane in one direction and nothing in the other.
Either provide segregated space for cycling in both directions, or create a viable bidirectional cycle bypass in Medlar St.
4. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Camberwell Green Junction plan
Reject.
This is a shocking design that could have come from the 1980s.
Lack of space’ does not apply: There is a vast amount of physical space available at this junction and the council can and must do much better.
Pedestrian crossings are still very long and crossing will be inconvenient and slow (at the crossings) or unsafe (at informal crossing points)
The junction is huge, with broad radii that will encourage very fast speeds and aggressive acceleration across the junction (as now)
Provision for cycles is essentially non-existent. This mode is not catered for at all by this design:
No safe access to ASLs
ASLs are part-time anyway
Narrowing of junction at Denmark Hill by buildouts, in conjunction with removal of bus lane, will create severe pinch points that pose an unacceptable risk to all cyclists, especially anyone other than confident young men.
Lethal left-hook hazards exist on every single arm of the junction. For a new proposal in 2015 this is completely unacceptable.
Given the accumulated evidence that this type of junction design is inherently unsafe in 2015, Southwark Council should consider that they may be open to legal proceedings for negligence when serious accidents / fatalities occur here if they fail to implement a safer design.
5. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Camberwell Church Road plan
Reject
This is a non-design. It provides tinkering only
Used by large and growing numbers of cycle commuters, this key route makes absolutely no concession to their safety
Also used by large volumes of heavy motor vehicles this road must have safe space for cycling or a safe, direct, and convenient alternative parallel route.
Applying junction treatments and kerb build-outs when there is no cycle lane to take cycles safely past the constrictions is inherently unsafe - policy from the 1990s. It is also counter-intuitive as other parts of the proposal (raised tables, contraflow on Grove Lane) recognise cycle traffic needs to be catered for.
6. 6. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Camberwell Road plan
Reject
This is a heavily-used road so people need safe space for cycling. None is provided
The N and E sides of the Green could provide an appropriate bypass route for cycles/pedestrians only, if cycles are able to access this bypass safely and efficiently.
Cycles will be unable to make use of the bus lanes safely at all as large numbers of busses entering / leaving them will block them, cut them up, or force them into the general traffic lane or pavement
7. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Denmark Hill and Coldharbour Lane plan
Reject
The left-hook into Orpheus St has already caused a fatality this year. The council proposal does absolutely nothing to address this.
Removal of the southbound bus lane and opening a right turn into Coldharbour Lane actively worsen conditions for people on bikes at this extremely busy junction.
Viable alternatives include:
moving several bus stops to Orpheus St. This would create a bus and retail hub in this currently under-used street only metres from the high street. Space on the high street (Denmark Hill) could then be reallocated to walking and cycling infrastructure.
Closing Daneville Rd to through motor traffic at the Denmark Hill end. This would allow the Coldharbour Lane junction to be simplified as a T-junction with segregated space for cycling and easier crossings for pedestrians (the Morrisons car park entrance could be moved to Wren St). This would also create a more pleasant retail / social / services environment on Daneville Road.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS – SECTION B. Pocket places
8. Pleas provide your comments and feedback on the Selborne Road plan
Accept.
Why not cobble or pave the whole close?
· 9. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Wren Road plan
Reject
It is virtually impossible for people on bikes to access Wren Road safely from the N or W as this requires turning right on C Ch St across four lanes of traffic.
10. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Artichoke Place/ Kimpton Road plan
Accept
11. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Grove Lane Option 1 plan
Reject
It is impossible for cycles to safely access Grove Lane from the N or W as they have to cross four lanes of traffic. This plan introduces a nice cycle lane but does nothing to address how cycles will actually get to it.
The cycle lane makes no sense when there is space for a cycle track.
12. Please provide your comments and feedback on the Grove Lane Option 2 plan
Reject
It is impossible for cycles to safely access Grove Lane from the N or W as they have to cross four lanes of traffic. This plan introduces a nice cycle track but does nothing to address how cycles will actually get to it.
The cycle track is a good idea but will be of very limited use unless it’s accessible.
13. Please provide your comments and feedback on the D'Eynsford Road plan
Reject
Every possible combination has been proposed except anything providing for cycling
The ‘shared space carriageway’ option (3) will turn this area into a rat-run
The council have found room for extra car parking and removal of the median strip but not a segregated cycle facility. This is at odds with falling car use/ownership in the borough and their stated aim of increasing cycle modal share.