Dunstans Road resurfacing

[James Barber]

Hi Whoosh,

I'm not aware of any changes to the pre existing traffic calming measures. and ot change them would require a public consultation, traffic order, etc.

With so many 20mph zones it seems majority of collissions confined to main roads many of which are controlled by trasnport for London. Collissions don't seem to be occurring on roads with 3 speed cushions across them.

Have a look at attached.

[Whoosh]

Hi James, thank for that.

Very interesting attachment. It has to be pointed out though the stats don't necessarily prove that the cushions actually reduce the accidents in themselves though. Not that you were necessarily saying that, but there are obviously many other factors.

As I said earlier, all the near-misses I've ever had in the area, on bike or in a car, have been at the point of some kind of traffic calming measure, and nearly always directly because they were there.

[themaninblack]

Here's a(nother) thought-

The pavements took over 3 months and have been left in a not ideal state. The road itself takes two weeks and judging by what has been done so far is a dream to drive on.

So why not just do the pavements with tarmac instead? It would save on hassle, inconvenience, time and one would think money.

[Huguenot]

It would be ugly though wouldn't it?

[James Barber]

Hi themaninblack,

It would be all those but also less attractive. Paving slabs do allow some drainage whereas tarmac doesn't. So flooding risk would increase.

Perhaps residents should be asked what they want - paving slabs 3 months looks nice costs more vs. cheaper quick and cheerful?

[brum]

JBARBER Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Whoosh,

> I'm not aware of any changes to the pre existing

> traffic calming measures. and ot change them would

> require a public consultation, traffic order,

> etc.

> With so many 20mph zones it seems majority of

> collissions confined to main roads many of which

> are controlled by trasnport for London.

> Collissions don't seem to be occurring on roads

> with 3 speed cushions across them.

> Have a look at attached.

Hi James, so the existing road cushions (that are useless) will be removed as part of the re-surfacing, only to be replaced with new ones? What a waste of an opportunity. Vehicles will continue whizzing down at speeds well in excess of the limit of 20mph, in a road already heavily congested with parked cars and a primary school with hundreds of local kids. A recipe for disaster. Speed bumps that continue across the full width of the road (similar to those in Court Lane) should be used. This will make motorists slow down to a safer speed - which is surely the main purpose of the humps in the first place.

[kittenheels]

The Underhill Road bumps are ridiculously high - I wince every time my poor Mini scrapes the top of them! Please don't let the new bumps on Dunstans Road be as bad.

[James Barber]

Hi Brum,

I think it unlikely but I have asked whether this could be considered when another residents asked earlier this week.

[brum]

Well, thanks for that, although, sadly, it looks as if nothing will be done until the statistics show there's been accidents on the road due to speeding. Of course, this will be too late for the poor victims who will be injured (or worse) to populate the stats in the first place.

Incidentally, I live on the road and I regularly see cars, vans, lorries, etc who use the road as a short-cut speeding down towards the school. They simply drive down the middle of the road where the speed cushions have no effect whatsoever.

[jimmy two times]

Road cushions really give me the hump.

[Amysdad]

Has anyone reported the water leak underneath shiny and new Dunstans Road opposite no.1? I kid you not.

[ruffers]

kittenheels Wrote:

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> The Underhill Road bumps are ridiculously high - I

> wince every time my poor Mini scrapes the top of

> them! Please don't let the new bumps on Dunstans

> Road be as bad.

Agreed. There are guidelines on how high they should be. I might check them out.

[James Barber]

100mm

[ruffers]

Thanks. Can you refer me to the documentation on this (if not I'm sure I can find it) as I'd also be interested to see if there's anything about the profile of the bump. The ones on Underhill, thinking as you approach Melford going downhill, have very aggressive profiles.

While we're at it James do you know who's responsible for the painting on the road of the mini roundabouts on Wood Vale and the bumps as well, while appreciating I think that's outside your ward? Main reason is it's the border between Southwark and Lewisham and they need refreshing as increasingly get ignored.

Thanks in advance.

[James Barber]

Hi ruffers,

My memory has failed me on speed cushion heights. Sorry. The maximum recommended appear to be 80mm and Southwark works to 75mm to allow for a mm or two either way.

The Department of Transport recommendations can be found here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/trafficmanagement/speedcushions?page=2

Wood Vale forms the boundary between Southwark and Lewisham.

The SW quarter is in College ward and the NW quarter is in Peckham Rye ward.

The Lewisham side is in Forest Hill ward.

Electoral maps website: http://www.election-maps.co.uk/index.jsp appears to show the border being on the western side of the road which would imply Lewisham are accountable for the maintenance. To be honest it will take as much time to pin down who's accountable as reporting the issue. So I've reported the issue with junction of Wood Vale and Langton Rise.

Is that ok?

[louisiana]

Ah yes, election-maps. A truly dire website. The sooner OS get forced into opening up the licensing on map data the better, for local authorities and for all of us.

[bil]

I have a SMART car (Low emissions, economical, easy to park) but it really is exhausting and uncomfortable driving over the hard high bumps..red post hill, dunstans road/lordship lane..i think the smart has to go ..

[Whoosh]

It's sad but the condition of the roads generally (hopefully improving mind you) and the speed humps everywhere do affect your choice of car nowadays. My currrent car is just too uncomfortable over all the speed humps so will have to be sold soon, sadly.

The only real solution is a large 4x4... something I detest but would actually now consider to make town driving more palatable. Which seems like forcing to take a step backwards.

I walked down Dunstans Road last night and it was so different with the new surface and (currently) no speed bumps. Cars were wafting along in 2nd or 3rd car in near silence as opposed to the usual 1st gear accelerating and braking and clattering over the bumps. The new surface helped too of course but the difference in noise levels overall was quite significant. I only wish it could stay like that.

[cate]

Amysdad Wrote:

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> Has anyone reported the water leak underneath

> shiny and new Dunstans Road opposite no.1? I kid

> you not.

Why didn't you report it? There isn't a secret sensor hotline to Thames every time a pipe leaks. Or do you think TW has lots of employees wandering around looking for leaking water????

[cate]

Whoosh, I completely agree with you. I decided to change my car to one with a higher suspension almost 3 years ago after finding it excruciating driving over the myriad of speed bumps/cushions/whatever. But you don't need a large 4x4. There are smaller ones that do the job.

[brum]

I've just driven up the new section of road and Lo! Road humps that go across the entire width of the road and are not harsh on the suspension. Good news all round I think.

[SCSB79]

> Or do you think TW has lots of employees wandering

> around looking for leaking water????

They do have these sorts of employees actually - my mate used to be one!! They get Leak of the Week awards for finding the biggest leaks.

[ruffers]

Whoosh Wrote:

------------------------------------------------------

> The only real solution is a large 4x4... something

> I detest but would actually now consider to make

> town driving more palatable. Which seems like

> forcing to take a step backwards.

>

So you get a 4x4 so you can go faster, the council makes the bumps bigger and we have an arms race.

There is another solution, maybe you could slow down? Rather than accelerating between bumps just keep a steady slow speed.

[Whoosh]

Exactly my point. But you've missed mine. Slow down to what? I do 20 anyway between them and about 2mph over them. Should I stay at 2mph then? Would you enjoy that if stuck behind me? :)

[bil]

on court lane i have to slow down to 7mph to get over the bumps and we (my car and myself) still feel traumatised. the bumps ascend quite sharply. However, the new ones on dunstans are much softer and much better.