The poor bollard on the corner of Adys Road and Nutbrook Street

[strae]

I live nearby and always take it really slow as I exit that turn onto Adys. The lack of visibility as you make the turn is another hazard to negotiate.

What I do find amazing is that oncoming traffic on Adys (particularly cars coming from Goose Green end) regularly get belligerent as I pull out, even if it is only to then immediately hug the curb so that priority traffic can proceed.

The issue seems to be that they feel it's their right of way (which it is) and that therefore unless one is able to pull out using some kind of advanced driving manouevre, no gap in traffic is wide enough to accomodate pulling out without somehow inconveniencing them...

kford Wrote:

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> david_carnell Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The thing is, if vehicles are being driven so

> > carelessly I'm rather glad the bollard is there

> > rather than it being a person getting swiped.

>

>

> As I said earlier, pedestrians wouldn't be hit if

> the pavement was left how the Victorians designed

> it. They'd be on the original pavement, rather

> than a build-out and cars would be able to

> negotiate it, like every other corner in the area.

>

>

> It's poor design, pure and simple, and the bollard

> is a problem put there to solve another problem,

> at our expense.

[kford]

It's nothing to do with speed David. This is a junction. I suspect you don't drive.

[Penguin68]

We shouldn't be designing our urban streets with car drivers in mind.

I'm sorry, but that must be one of the silliest things written here (and I've written a few) assuming it isn't meant to be ironic (in which case, apologies) - you cannot imagine or wish away the reality that the roads are full of vehicles, cars, vans, buses, lorries...

You design for what is there, not what you'd like to be there. By designing roads to be difficult and dangerous for road vehicles you aren't making them go away (other than actually blocking the road completely) - rather you are making life more difficult for (let's not forget, today of all days) constituents and voters. By all means cater for those who don't (or don't on occasion) use motorised road vehicles, but to do so at the cost of those who do simply makes no sense.

Poor road and junction design (just like speed and inconsiderate driving) can lead to accidents. The very fact that there have been god knows how many (low speed, not injury causing) accidents here - with the 'planners' (I use that word advisedly) simply exacerbating the problem, frankly, beggars belief. (And no, I haven't, so far, had an accident here).

[david_carnell]

I do drive. I own a car. And I live on Maxted Road so think I have a vested interest in this.

And I absolutely stand by that statement. While we continue to pander to car drivers in our urban design we will continue to blight our cities with their ever increasing presence.

I'm well aware the roads are full of cars. I even own one of them. But in an urban area their use should be discouraged, their speed lowered wherever possible and the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclist prioritised.

Cars kill. They pollute (which kills). They contribute to a sedantry lifestyle. Pedestrianism does none of these and yet car drivers complaints and continual whining is always seen to trump everything else.

It really isn't that hard not to hit a feckin great bollard of whatever shape and size unless you are an utter tool. Why we should redesign our pavements to accomodate such people is beyond me.

[Seabag]

I love that junction, not as a driver though, it's a tight one which I avoid

But as an ongoing 'art installation' it keeps on giving. I regularly make a detour to check out the progress of the piece. So when it morphed from pillar to bell,I was keen to see how this would 'interact' with its audience. I'm glad to hear it's delivering in a new and memorable way

Long live the Pillar/Bollard Installation

[Earl Aelfheah]

Why don't they install a camera to catch those who drive about knocking down the street furniture?

[Earl Aelfheah]

... and in the spirit of 'art installation' the film could be edited to produce a 'greatest hits' compilation to be displayed at the South London Gallery.

[Seabag]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> ... and in the spirit of 'art installation' the

> film could be edited to produce a 'greatest hits'

> compilation to be displayed at the South London

> Gallery.

Indeed. I'd stand in a gloomy lit space and watch that for an hour or so

I'd even buy the DVD after

[Huggers]

Right, I live in Nutbrook street and have done so pre-bollard.

I have questions.

What is the point of the narrowing of the road where the bollard is?

is it to put off large lorries? Too late, they have got this far, via Maxted and Bellenden, led by their sat navs and with no signs to put them off, though the council have been begged to put them up; and now they arrive in Nutbrook Street and can't negotiate the narrow junction.

So massive fail.

Is it to protect pedestrians? it is actually making them more vulnerable with no clear delineation of pavement from road.

Parking on Adys Road right up to the junction with Nutbrook, often edging up to the corner itself, makes traffic on Adys turning right into Nutbrook take a large swing, to take the corner, forcing Nutbrook traffic turning left into Adys to hug the corner.

Somebody here suggested putting up cameras to 'catch' the poor people who are weekly gouging, disembowelling and scratching their cars on this bollard.

Are there really so many bad drivers, or is it the bollard itself that is creating the bad driving?

I will confess that when the first original bollard went up, I immediately scratched the side of my car on it. I am not a corner- cutter, a speeder, or reckless: but I didn't expect the bollard to be there and having not expected it, I didn't see it. Since then I haven't repeated the mistake, because I know it is there.

It is badly placed. The markers on the parallel Amott Road are many and taller. They lead the eye to the narrowing of the junction they are protecting.

The Nutbrook one is just a nasty surprise. -the pavement disappears and to some, could look like road. What about those traffic calming measures where the road is painted red? It isn't painted anything. How about a Road Narrowing sign? how about just not narrowing the road to such a ridiculous degree?

The number of times this bollard comes down points to a problem with the position of the bollard and the functioning of the junction.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I can understand that it may be difficult to negotiate that corner in a van, or lorry, but a car? Come on Huggers, it's not that difficult to see if you're paying attention.

[Huggers]

I've just checked and you cannot see it from drivers side of car when your bonnet nose reaches it and you are parallel with it. and it is differently positioned to its colleagues on Amott and Ondine Roads, in that they present a group of bollards following curve of road at junction.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I noticed that the mounted 'chevron' sign is missing. Makes it less obvious, but still..

[Huggers]

so as you negotiate it, you cannot see it. It is in a blind spot. And this is me in a tiny low car. If you are in a people carrier, van or lorry, maybe the spot at which it becomes blind is much earlier. Yes, you should have seen it before you reached it but you should be able to see it from your car, surely.

[KidKruger]

That pesky bollard stops you cutting the corner when turning South on Adys.

[kford]

Attached is a Google Streetview from 2008. The chevron's there, but it's evident by the new tarmac patches on the corners that this problem has been going on for a long time. What a waste of money.

[Huggers]

the current bollard is much much closer to the actual junction

[Earl Aelfheah]

I'm torn on this. Clearly repeating the same action over and over again (the placement of the bollard) and expecting a different outcome is insane. That said, it is entirely possible to turn that corner without clipping it - you don't need constant visibility of the corner as you turn - vehicles have blind spots, yes, but humans also have spatial awareness.

Personally, I don't think that lorries should be using these streets as a cut through (basically rat running) and the excuse that 'my satnav told me to do it' is lame.

The answer would seem to be some sort of width restriction earlier on, maybe at the junction with Bellenden.

[Earl Aelfheah]

It's interesting that even the car in that 'Streetview' would appear to be turning too early. It does amaze me how many people cut corners as the turn right. Power steering should make it much easier, but I think it's made us quite lazy.

[kford]

The car in the shot is turning on an arc to avoid hitting the Gormley bollard on the right. Perhaps it wouldn't have to cut the corner if the road was at full original width, although I agree, lazy corner-cutting is very common.

[Mrs TP]

The corner is fine for competent drivers of regular cars but not for anything with a longer section between wheels.

Yes coaches and articulated lorries need to be banned but the corner also needs to be safe for medium sz vehicles for those delivering or providing services such as removals, building work and DIY etc.

[Huggers]

I haven't yet checked the bollard's current status, but in the space of two hours today, two huge lorries and one large coach have failed to negotiate the junction with Adys Road and have reversed all the way back up Nutbrook Street to Maxted Road, where residents have had to guide them back on their way after they became getting stuck, without hitting all our cars. Time for a sign to stop them coming down this way, surely.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The problem isn't the corner per se - it's huge vehicles trying to cut through narrow streets. I saw a coach unable to make the turn from Maxted into Nutbrook.... It didn't even make it as far as the infamous Adys Road bollard.

[kford]

The bollard has been disturbed again - the tarmac base has moved.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Has anyone kept count of how many times it's had to be replaced / reset now?

[Huggers]

Rah Rah yes that's what I'm saying too!