TfL's plans to improve Mitcham Lane/Ambleside Junction - What do you think?

Some good news!  Transport for London have finally come forward with specific plans for improving the safety at the Mitcham Lane/ Ambleside Avenue junction.

This is something we have been campaigning for, for several years, following a number of fatalities there, mainly involving cyclists, but also pedestrians.

We launched a petition in 2012, with a demo at the junction involving children from nearby St Leonard's Primary School.   We then had correspondence with TfL and a meeting, organised by Green Party London Assembly members. We were however told that there would need to be another fatality there, before action was taken.

We videoed buses jumping the lights and narrowly missing pedestrians on the crossing.  We also continued to record the frequent collisions.  Eventually TfL agreed to review the junction in 2013. They then came forward with some suggested improvements.  But sadly, there was another fatality in November 2014.

We collected more signatures, and delivered another paper version of the petition to TfL in January to reinforce the urgency, and the need for much more than they were offering.

A few days ago, TfL finally sent around a letter to local residents setting out their plans.  The letter is reproduced in full below.  But in summary this is what they are proposing:

• New trixi mirrors on the signal poles to increase visibility of cyclists
• New pedestrian countdown crossings
• Realigned and widened pedestrian crossings
• New tactile paving
• Modernised traffic signals to reduce pedestrian waiting times
• Modernised streetlighting
• New advanced stop lanes for cyclists
• Narrowed traffic lanes to slow down vehicles approaching the junction
• New textured and patterned imprinted high friction road surface on the junction itself to reduce vehicle speeds, improve stopping distances, and increase driver awareness of the crossing
• New combined red light and speed camera (but this is not in the right place)
• 1.5m cycle lanes on Mitcham Lane

A lot of this looks good.  But we have a number of reservations.  We are not convinced that the proposals will solve one of the major problems with the junction, and that is buses heading south on Mitcham Lane, and turning right into Ambleside Avenue who jump the lights,over the pedestrian crossing which is used by schoolchildren.

You can let TfL know what you think by emailing consultations (at) tfl.gov.uk   Do copy us in to your emails streathamgreenparty (at) gmail.com   You can also post comments on this blog below.

[Update 22/6/15 - TfL have read this blog and kindly sent through better quality Pdfs of their letter an design which we have put below]