Are our streets disabled friendly?

[MarkT]

Pugwash, above, includes in the list of hazards, dropped kerbs with "lips".

While many of the hazards are due to deterioration, neglect or lack of consideration by other pavement occupiers, the "lips" on the ends of dropped kerbs stands out as total premeditated idiocy.

This seems to be a recent design feature in new dropped kerbs and refurbished pavements, using special rounded stones, specified and manufactured at great expense. The whole principle of a dropped kerb is a smooth transition between different levels, usually created by skilled paviors using standard rectangular units.

So what idiots in Southwark Council have now decided to create this new tripping hazard?

[seenbeen]

singalto Wrote:

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> I agree that there are many obstacles in the way

> of disabled people being one myself. There are so

> many things that could?ve tackled before we get

> rid of trees. Shops pile bags of rubbish on the

> pavement, the pavements are a danger in places,

> cyclists on the pavement, people staring at their

> phones as they walk, drivers blocking the disabled

> access dropped curbs. The trees are necessary but

> the pavements around them need to be well

> maintained.

Overhanging hedges and people dumping rubbish on the pavement- in Sylvester Road the pavement is completely blocked outside one house. Dog mess is on the increase and add to that the inconsiderate joggers.

[singalto]

The amount of dog mess has become horrendous.. Why are people ot picking up after their dogs these days?

[KidKruger]

because they don't care about other people and they can't be arsed to take their dog to a park.

remember the post I did a few months ago when I saw a woman letting her dog shit outside the card shop on LL ?

I posted her photo on here and oh dear, denials, accused of harassment, people thinking it's unfair to post that, so when you out an offender people are more concerned about YOUR behaviour than the owner's behaviour.

Good luck !!

[Sally Eva]

I think the Healthy Streets option would be to widen the pavements so that elderly and disabled people can go round the other side of the trees/bins/dog mess etc.

This would be compatible with traffic, speed and pollution reduction as well as saving both the trees and elderly people's time and patience

Pugwash Wrote:

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> Whilst I appreciate that having trees is essential

> to our environment and that Southwark does not

> like cutting down trees but in some cases trees

> are detrimental to some members of society.

>

> Today I had to push a disabled male relative in a

> wheelchair to enable him to get to his barbers.

> Tree roots at the top of Barry Road by the Plough

> car park had raised the camber of the pavement to

> such extent that I could not get the chair over

> this section and was forced to go back a few yards

> to find a dropped kerb and pushed the wheelchair

> in the road facing the incoming traffic. Crossing

> at the lights over Lordship lane was a nightmare

> and the chair nearly toppled over when a friend

> came to my rescue and also a young man on a moped

> stopped to assist. On the return journey, I had to

> pull the chair backwards across the crossing and

> again walk in the road until I found a dropped

> kerb.

>

> The paving stones near this tree are being

> uprooted and are dangerous for those with limited

> vision and reduced mobility. I have informed

> Southwark Highways of this area.

>

> Looking at Lordship Lane in general, I have

> noticed that with cafes using their forecourts

> (and beyond) for table as and chairs, there is

> limited space on the pavements for wheelchairs. I

> watched as several women with buggies, were

> standing talking near Farmers and disregarded

> elderly folk using their 3 wheeler walkers trying

> to pass them. I was too far away on the other side

> of the road to suggest to them that they were

> obstructing the pavement.

>

> I have a number of disabled friends, one with

> impaired vision, the others with varying degrees

> of mobility issues who admit that sometimes just

> going to the shops can be a major hurdle - bus

> drivers can be impatient if you take too long to

> get on and off the bus, street furniture, poorly

> maintained forecourts, lack of accessible WCs in

> some of the eateries on LL, and sometimes general

> lack of consideration by other shoppers/visitors

> to the area.

>

> Southwark wants us to have 'healthy streets' we

> need to look beyond having strategically placed

> benches, 'green walls' and see how we can make

> life easier, safer and better for those who have

> various forms of disability and mobility.

[Nigello]

Hedges that grow out onto pavements are hard for less abled people or those with children. Can the council cut them back?

[Sally Eva]

The Healthy Streets option is to widen the pavements -- this gives space to pedestrians to move freely, slows traffic and reduces pollution and road danger.

One solution to people parking across drop-kerbs is to contact Apcoa on 0207 708 8587 and describe the problem. I have done this with good results

A longer term solution is build-outs with drop-kerbs. Cars cannot park across them without blocking the road. Currently Southwark is installing either build outs or islands wide enough to protect a wheelchair and assistant.

[seenbeen]

Nigello Wrote:

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> Hedges that grow out onto pavements are hard for

> less abled people or those with children. Can the

> council cut them back?

You can complain to the council about obstructions on the pavement in general- whether they will do anything about it is another matter

[seenbeen]

Whilst out on my daily exercise I went down Pellatt Road past the Old Sorting Office and there was a house where a third of the pavement was covered in its bush and theer on its doorstep was a Fortnum and Mason box....says it all really- several houses along that stretch have badly overgrown hedges

[Nigello]

Now is a perfect time to cut them back - fresh air and free time, or an enterprising clipper could take a walk around and post flyers to the owners of houses with hefty hedges!

[bagpuss]

As a disabled resident I find the pavements really tricky

It appears that council money has gone into fancy road endings instead

I?ve had 2 falls over the last year due to pavements and tree roots

One was quite bad as grazed and bruised both knees

It would be lovely if they could give the pavements a good seeing to whilst they are empty

Although I don?t expect anybody to work on anything that?s dangerous in the current climate

Let?s hope the council has a look at the paving on l l

[first mate]

Bagpuss, it is such a shame the Healthy Streets campaign could not prioritise work on paving so it can be brought up to standard throughout ED. Many of the pavements are in a terrible and even dhangerous state and this is not acceptable for anyone with a disability or mobility issues.

Work of this nature is not as politically ?sexy? as some of the other campaigns but would make a huge difference to people like you. In terms of equality and the rights of disabled people to access and use pavements you wonder how the council has managed to get away with such poor upkeep and management of vital infrastructure for so long?

Why not lobby your councillor? Ex Councillor Robin (rch on here) would help you.

[Pugwash]

I complained to our Dulwich Hill ward councillor as well as reporting to Southwark on line, a dangerous spot where a wheelchair almost tippled over. With thanks to Cllr Maggie Browning- for getting this work done quickly.

[Sally Eva]

The Healthy Streets approach is to widen the pavements so that pedestrians have more room and wheelchairs can pass safely. This can be combined with build-outs which stop cars from parking on the built out kerb so that people can cross.

first mate Wrote:

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> Bagpuss, it is such a shame the Healthy Streets

> campaign could not prioritise work on paving so it

> can be brought up to standard throughout ED. Many

> of the pavements are in a terrible and even

> dhangerous state and this is not acceptable for

> anyone with a disability or mobility issues.

>

> Work of this nature is not as politically ?sexy?

> as some of the other campaigns but would make a

> huge difference to people like you. In terms of

> equality and the rights of disabled people to

> access and use pavements you wonder how the

> council has managed to get away with such poor

> upkeep and management of vital infrastructure for

> so long?

>

> Why not lobby your councillor? Ex Councillor Robin

> (rch on here) would help you.

[first mate]

That agenda may be actioned in time but for now simply mending broken and uneven paving would be extremely helpful and perhaps not as expensive and disruptive as a mass pavement widening option. Again, one really wonders why such basic maintenance has been overlooked and money spent elsewhere.