Rye lane walk & cycle only from 6/7

[Siduhe]

I'm not sure I now really understand the purpose of the Rye Lane closure with the changes that have been put in place from last week - not sure if this is formal or informal but every morning, someone from Conway removes the barrier at the top end of the Lane to allow delivery trucks and vans down for a few hours during peak times, and every evening (after about 7.30/8pm) one of the barriers is removed again allowing car and small vans access.

I can see why this is needed for shop deliveries, but the only vehicles that aren't allowed down at some point are buses, which definitely is stopping people from travelling to the area to shop just based on the numbers you see on the street.

Generally it's working well as a shared space for pedestrians and cyclists but both groups need to be prepared to jump out the way when a van comes barrelling towards you at speed on a supposedly vehicle-free space. I was cycling home about 9pm last night when a delivery van clipped a young guy on one of those electric scooters - the van didn't see him and the scooter wasn't expecting a van to be in the road. Luckily both were fine and no damage done but it's going to happen if the space isn't really vehicle free as intended.

[JohnL]

They were doing this for the Scaffolders originally (someone has scaffolding up in the closed area)

It seems to have expanded a bit - maybe the delivery drivers picked up on it. A certain pool bar owner was interviewed in Southwark News too about deliveries and taxis.

https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/do-they-want-to-kill-the-business-peckham-nightclub-owner-hits-out-at-rye-lane-closures/

[malumbu]

Not sure why this is hidden in the Covid section - closing roads was happening in any case and I almost missed on this thread aka "we hate cyclists".

I've never been fond of the pedestrians walking across the cycle path, buses driving on it and taking down the curb, the poor sequencing of the lights and the way that many motorists ignored that Rye Lane was supposed to be bus only and would compound matters by parking in the double yellows. Well we have one of those out of the way.

Really enjoying the road closures and look forward to the time when public transport returns to some sort of normality and we have less cars on the road. Well done Southwark, and some of the other inner boroughs.

[Clutterqueen]

Public transport was already normal and the roads that have been in the area for many years were normal? Not sure about your point Malaumbu and your American spelling of a kerb in the UK?

[malumbu]

Oh my word, I've been using the wrong spelling of kerb. I must curb my enthusiasm.

Perhaps you might not have noticed that there has been a big decline of the use of public transport since March. In the early days it was great when the roads were empty, not so great now with cars back on the road. So you have got a difficult dynamic of closing roads when car use is rising and capacity/use of public transport has fallen.

I'm confused about your general point on normality. I shouldn't have used the term, which is relative rather than absolute. But I do look forward to a new normality when there is less use of, and dependence on, cars. I hope my syntax is correct this time but by all means do correct me again.

[JohnL]

It was open all night last night and for a while this morning.

Post is back in now.

[malumbu]

Was it you who tried to mow me down on an electric scooter Clutter Queen? I'm gently cycling down Rye Lane, getting a good feeling about how the pedestrianisation is going, noting the need to turn the traffic light crossings lights off, when I almost get taken out by a speeding scooter. Now there is a topic for a new thread. I'd clocked a couple of coppers on bikes who were totally unaware of the scooter. No fear there for speeding and illegal scooter riders.

[Clutterqueen]

No, I'm not a teenager/young person so that must have been somebody else!

Sounds good that you were able to gently cycle down the lane before you were nearly mown down.

I spent exactly an hour travelling from the Tesco Express on Copeland Road to the exit on the other side trying to get to Morrisons car park. Buses and company vans all held up. Horrendous traffic jam caused by the closure of Rye Lane.

[JohnL]

I saw someone powering up on a scooter yesterday and they'd customised the scooter by widening the platform. Didn't go close to anyone though.

[pinkladybird]

It's so much more pleasant to walk down now - I do hope they keep it like this. I've actually stopped avoiding it.

[covidavoid]

Thanks, was wondering why it is closed off. Is there a definite end date or will this continue for good?

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/news/2020/jul/rye-lane-temporary-closure

It's indefinite.

I was down there yesterday. I think the pedestrian lanes could be better marked e.g. with the symbol for pedestrians...

However, it'll be a while before I go there again. Seems like none of the shopkeepers and few of the shoppers are bothering to wear masks or limit capacity. Rye Lane is grubbier than the Walworth Rd these days. It definitely needs a rocket up its bum to stop becoming grubbier or (just as bad) becoming a strip of chain stores.