Bad traffic jams

[claresy]

I haven't seen a single child playing on closed off Melbourne Grove despite the tasteful bits of bunting and tubs of chalk. They're probably inside on their Play Stations! What I have seen is it's now impossible to get a bus from East Dulwich to Denmark Hill station in under half an hour, so was obliged to drive to work the other day! How is that good for the environment? I won't even mention the impact on local shops and emergency vehicles.

[Nigello]

The GG roundabout repairs really clogged things up, to be fair, but I agree that Melbourne Grove and Court Lane are lacking in life. Walking is a good option - it's about twenty-five minutes from The Plough to DH station and you can even make use of the empty wastes of Melbourne Grove!

[alice]

Reroute the 176 and 185 down Melbourne grove. Enough space for bike and bus lanes. Would cut 10 mins easy off journey time

[tiddles]

It wasn?t that long ago buses actually went down Melbourne grove...

[first mate]

MG is a street where nearly all the houses have large gardens, why would it be necessary for children to play in the street? As you say, most will be inside doing something.

claresy Wrote:

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

> I haven't seen a single child playing on closed

> off Melbourne Grove despite the tasteful bits of

> bunting and tubs of chalk. They're probably inside

> on their Play Stations! What I have seen is it's

> now impossible to get a bus from East Dulwich to

> Denmark Hill station in under half an hour, so was

> obliged to drive to work the other day! How is

> that good for the environment? I won't even

> mention the impact on local shops and emergency

> vehicles.

[heartblock]

I see more children walking on LL, Croxted and EDG... Calton, Melbourne, Elsie and all those LTNs are just car parks for the rich.

[EDguy89]

I'm not a homeowner, I don't have a garden, I don't own a car, and I don't cycle.

I live on Melbourne Grove, and the rhetoric regarding people who live on these streets on the forum is utterly insane.

"just car parks for the rich" - You do know there is a council housing estate right on Melbourne Grove, right?

"I haven't seen a single child playing on closed off Melbourne Grove" - And why would you? Bikes, motor bikes, and cars still make use of the road. I've got a child, and despite not owning a garden, I wouldn't let them go and play on the road. However, you would be happy to know that a local group of kids use the corner of Melbourne and Chesterfield frequently for skateboarding.

I get that LTNs are such a massively charged subject, and a lot of people get very passionate about it. At least with Melbourne Grove (I can't speak for other roads), I'd like to see less assumptions being made about the sort of people living on these streets. You must remember that the majority of people are just living their lives and aren't as rich as imagined.

[ab29]

So I'm sure you understand the frustration of residents living on the already busy roads like Lordship Lane that have to now deal with much higher volumes of traffic (= more noise and air pollution) and you wouldn't oppose reopening Melbourne Grove - would you?

EDguy89 Wrote:

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

> I'm not a homeowner, I don't have a garden, I

> don't own a car, and I don't cycle.

>

> I live on Melbourne Grove, and the rhetoric

> regarding people who live on these streets on the

> forum is utterly insane.

>

> "just car parks for the rich" - You do know there

> is a council housing estate right on Melbourne

> Grove, right?

>

> "I haven't seen a single child playing on closed

> off Melbourne Grove" - And why would you? Bikes,

> motor bikes, and cars still make use of the road.

> I've got a child, and despite not owning a garden,

> I wouldn't let them go and play on the road.

> However, you would be happy to know that a local

> group of kids use the corner of Melbourne and

> Chesterfield frequently for skateboarding.

>

> I get that LTNs are such a massively charged

> subject, and a lot of people get very passionate

> about it. At least with Melbourne Grove (I can't

> speak for other roads), I'd like to see less

> assumptions being made about the sort of people

> living on these streets. You must remember that

> the majority of people are just living their lives

> and aren't as rich as imagined.

[claresy]

I'm very confused now! I thought the idea was to make the streets safe to play and assumed that meant you couldn't drive a car or motorbike through them - hence the traffic jams and the chalk provided for children. If they're not safe for children to play and they're clogging up other roads and causing problems for local businesses and emergency vehicles, what is meant to be the point of them?! Have I misunderstood something? I do know the estate on Melbourne Grove used to have a little playground for the children living there, although that may have gone now.

[Administrator]

Locking this as the original question has been answered.