Greens deliver on safer crossing for Mitcham Lane/Ambleside Avenue

Green Party councillor, Scott Ainslie,  couldn't resist having his photo taken at the newly modernised junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue - once notorious for collisions and fatalities.

Now, after four years of concerted efforts by Scott supporting the community's calls for TfL to take action, work has been completed and and the much-improved junction is already saving lives.

The junction now boasts: better lighting, advanced stop lines for cyclists, a filter light for right turns, a countdown crossing, a new 1.5m cycle lane, renewed footways with wider crossings for pedestrians and cycle safety mirrors on traffic signals

Campaign success! Fatal Ambleside Avenue/Mitcham Lane junction to be modernised

Some great news!  The junction of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane is finally to get its much needed overhaul!

Since 2012, Streatham Green Party has been campaigning with local people to make the junction of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane safe, after a series of collisions and fatalities.

We initially launched a campaign which included a demo with parents and children from St Leonard's Primary School who use the crossing, after a number of other near misses on the crossing at the junction. It received some press coverage which you can read here.

We have since continued to record and highlight the collisions there and met with Transport for London to press for action and highlight the urgency.

We eventually won a review of the junction in 2013.

However, it then seemed that the Mayor of London was backtracking on his plans to make changes to dangerous junctions, as he scaled down his 'Better Junctions Programme'. So we continued to push TfL until they made some promises to make changes.

We had been told that there would have to be another fatality of serious injury before action was taken, and sadly that happened in late 2014.

850 local people then signed a petition online and on paper.  We collected signatures at Streatham Green market when we ran our Christmas street stall. Local shops also helped out as well as Tenderlinks Day Nursery.  And in January 2015, we presented the petition to City Hall.

A year ago, TfL finally came forward with their plans to make the junction safer.  And these will now be implemented with work starting later this month.

The plans include modernising the street lighting to improve visibility, installing advanced stop lines for cyclists, introducing a new 1.5 metre-wide cycle lane on Ambleside Avenue,  modernising the traffic signals to include pedestrian countdown technology, installing cycle safety mirrors on traffic signals at the junction to increase visibility of cyclists, renewing footways for pedestrians, realigning and widening pedestrian crossings and resurfacing the carriageway at the junction.

The work is planned to begin on 25th July. 

Thanks to everyone who helped with the campaign!

For more on this junction and the history of the campaign see the following:

http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/p/campaign-to-make-junction-at-mitcham.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/kids-demo-at-junction-of-ambleside.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/children-have-near-misses-at-junction.html
http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/9977414.Parents_call_for_junction_to_be_made_safe/?ref=mr
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/another-collision-at-junction-of.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/review-won-at-junction-of-mitcham-lane.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/countdown-crossing-at-ambleside-avenue.html
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/make-the-junction-of-mitcham-lane-and-ambleside-avenue.html

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]

Petition presented to make local junction safer

Greens  and local residents at City hall presenting the petition

We went up to City Hall this morning with Green London Assembly Member Darren Johnson, to present our petition to Transport for London, calling for the junction of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane to be made safe.

This is a long-running campaign, following three fatalities (the latest of which happened before Christmas) and numerous collisions there. 

There is a nursery right there on the junction and St Leonard's Primary School is a hundred yards away.

Thanks to the 850 local people who signed the petition online and on paper.  We collected signatures at Streatham Green market when we ran our Christmas street stall. Local shops also helped out as well as Tenderlinks Day Nursery. 

For more on this junction see the following:

http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/fatality-at-junction-of-mitcham-lane.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/p/campaign-to-make-junction-at-mitcham.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/kids-demo-at-junction-of-ambleside.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/children-have-near-misses-at-junction.html
http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/9977414.Parents_call_for_junction_to_be_made_safe/?ref=mr
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/another-collision-at-junction-of.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/review-won-at-junction-of-mitcham-lane.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/countdown-crossing-at-ambleside-avenue.html
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/make-the-junction-of-mitcham-lane-and-ambleside-avenue.html

Fatality at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue

I spoke with police last night about the tragic collision at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue. This was the scene.

It must be emphasised that the details are still unclear. However it has been reported that a woman died after being hit by a bus, and the driver was arrested.

We have been campaigning alongside local people since 2012 to make this junction safe, and highlighted how buses have been jumping the lights.

We were told that there would have to be another fatality of serious injury before action was taken.

So we launched a campaign which included a demo with parents and children from St Leonard's Primary School who use the crossing, after a number of near misses on the crossing at the junction. It received some press coverage which you can read here.

We have since continued to record and highlight the collisions there and met with Transport for London to press for action and highlight the urgency.

We eventually won a review of the junction in 2013.

However, it then seemed that the Mayor of London was backtracking on his plans to make changes to dangerous junctions, as he scaled down his 'Better Junctions Programme'.

So we continued to push and TfL until they made some promises. Progress has however been delayed by TfL and the Mayor. We have asked for another urgent update and meeting.

Please do show that you want the junction made safer by signing the petition here.


For more on this junction see the following:

http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/p/campaign-to-make-junction-at-mitcham.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/kids-demo-at-junction-of-ambleside.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/children-have-near-misses-at-junction.html
http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/9977414.Parents_call_for_junction_to_be_made_safe/?ref=mr
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/another-collision-at-junction-of.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/review-won-at-junction-of-mitcham-lane.html
http://streathamnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/countdown-crossing-at-ambleside-avenue.html
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/make-the-junction-of-mitcham-lane-and-ambleside-avenue.html

Cycling improvements and countdown crossing at Ambleside Avenue/ Mitcham Lane Junction

We have continued to ask Transport for London to address the ongoing safety issues following repeated collisions (and fatalities) at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue.  This included a campaign which began in 2012.

This resulted in a review of the junction and proposals for changes and we have now received the following email from TfL (via Green London Assembly Member Darren Johnson's office):

Our proposals for this junction are currently at the preliminary design stage. The anticipated completion date for this early design work is  November 2014. The principal objectives of the scheme include the provision of:

·      Cycling improvements on all arms of the junction, including the installation of Advanced Stop Lines

·        Installation of Pedestrian Countdown

Furthermore, we are investigating light levels at the junction to ascertain whether any upgrade in this area is required, and we are also looking at the possible provision of a red light camera.

We will be consulting on our proposals with our stakeholders, and expect delivery of the scheme to take place July – September 2015.

A small epidemic of raised kerb stones

There appears to have been a small outbreak of raised kerb stones locally, so we've been reporting them (both to Lambeth council and Transport for London depending on where they are located) to get them fixed.

These do cause a major problem, particularly for some older residents, those who are partially sighted and younger children.

Getting them fixed is part of our drive to make local pavements safe and enjoyable for everyone (for more on why this is really important see Living Streets)

In particular we have reported a number around the junction of Ambleside Avenue, Garrad's Road, Tooting Bec Gardens, by Tooting Common, so they can be sorted out.

If you see any locally, let us know and we will get them sorted out.

Another collision at junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue

There was another collision at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue in the early hours of Monday morning (thanks to a resident on Mitcham Lane who sent this picture).

This is the junction that Transport for London have agreed to review and make changes to, following a local campaign.

We will pass these pictures onto TfL, and urge them to push ahead with the review as a priority.

Children have near misses at junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue

Several children heading to St Leonard's Primary School this morning had near misses with traffic at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue.

The reason is that the "green man" on the four pedestrian crossings there is not coming on. Children are therefore having to guess when it is safe to cross, as the "red man" shows constantly. This means that children are having to cross the road at one point effectively blind to whether traffic is about to come around the corner, on their way to and from St Leonard's Primary School. Some of the older children are often unaccompanied by adults.

We have contacted Transport for London to sort it out urgently and asked the local Safer Neighbourhood Team if they can do anything to help while we wait for Transport for London to take action.

This is a junction where there have been two deaths over the years, and which we have been campaigning to make safer. Buses frequently jump the lights. Children and parents from the school held a demonstration there last year. Transport for London have agreed to review the junction this summer and make changes.

There's a video of the junction here (when the 'Green Man' was working normally on the crossings):



[Update 3.00pm The problem has now been fixed]

Review won at junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue

Last year children and parents from St Leonard’s School took part in a demonstration at the corner of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue. We called on Transport for London (TfL) to look at ways to make the junction safer. This is part of an ongoing campaign at this junction.

There was some press coverage which helped to show TfL the strength of feeling and that local people wanted something done.

We are pleased to report that TfL were in touch with us over Easter. They have now scheduled a full review of the junction. TfL have told us they will be working with cycling, road user and safety organisations to improve the junction as part of its Better Junctions programme.

The review has been scheduled for the summer. TfL will then produce a number of potential options for improvements, which will be considered by a Design Review Group. The ideas will then be developed in more detail for public consultation.

TfL have told us that they “will be looking to improve provision for cyclists and other vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, and pedestrian countdown signals will be considered as part of the process.”

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this happen. We will provide an update when proposals are brought forward for public consultation. In the meantime, if you would like to see more about TfL’s Better Junction’s Programme you can see more here.

Repair to water main at Mitcham Lane/ Ambleside Avenue and possible temporary loss of water

There has been leak from a water main at the corner of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane with gallons of water running down the road for over two weeks now.

We contacted Thames Water on the 26th February and asked them to fix it. Since then it has got progressively worse and we have continued to push for its repair. A number of local people have experienced a drop in water pressure.

We are pleased to report that we spoke to Thames Water today and they have finally commissioned a contractor to repair the leak over the next few days. This may mean a period when people's water supply in the area is turned off.

We also discovered that Thames Water is about to launch a new service whereby people can be notified by text message about potential interruptions to the water supply. If you have a Thames Water online account you can register your mobile number there. Alternatively you can call them on 0800 714 614 and ask to be added to the service.

There have been a number of leaks at the corner of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane and we have asked Thames Water to find a more permanent solution to prevent this happening again.

[Update 20/3/13 This has now been fixed. We spoke to the contractors and while they were fixing one leak, another leak began, so they replaced a large section of the water main ]

Pole update

Time for a quick update on our programme to declutter our streets.

We mentioned a few months ago that we had asked TfL to remove some old, redundant metal poles from the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue.

We are pleased to say that has now been done.  You can see the difference that it makes to the space on the pavement in these pictures:

Before...

After....

Kids demo at junction of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane

The Streatham Guardian has covered the demonstration we organised on Monday at the junction of Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham Lane. I think we had about 60 parents and children there, which shows the strength of local feeling on the issue.

The junction has been a concern for many years, as we discovered as we talked to local people, parents and teachers at St Leonard's School which is just 100 yards away. Local people tell us that two people have died there at the junction in recent years.

There are two big problems. The first is that there isn't enough time for southbound traffic to turn right from Mitcham Lane into Ambleside Avenue. The second problem is that the crossing times are too short. Transport for London have responsibility for the junction as the two roads are red routes.

Assembly Member Val Shawcross is quoted in the article as saying she would be happy to take the issue up with Transport for London. But we have had correspondence with her about this since 2009, so that doesn't seem very promising.

I have been working instead with London Assembly member Darren Johnson. The bus companies have been made aware of the problem, and we have been reporting buses that have been jumping the lights. We have also asked if TfL will install a camera there, but TfL say that there has to be another serious incident before they will consider that. The reason the crossing times is so short is that London Mayor Boris Johnson has shortened crossing times across London, in order to increase traffic speeds. Several parents have asked TfL to look at the crossing time, and they have said that it is within their agreed timings. That is no comfort for an older person, someone who walks with an impairment, uses a wheelchair, or is a small child.

The battle continues. Let's hope there isn't another casualty before it is won.

You can find out more about our campaign, and watch the video of the junction here.

Going for a pole hat-trick

Following the success in getting the old rusty pole removed from Tooting Bec Gardens, an unholy trinity of obsolete poles was brought to our attention at the junction of Mitcham Lane and Ambleside Avenue. This seems to be quite a widespread issue where road signs have been removed or replaced, and no one has finished the job.

The particular poles in question are on three corners of the junction, causing both unnecessary hazards and obstruction, taking away space from pedestrians not to mention wheelchair users and people pushing buggies. It becomes a particular issue at school time, as the junction is right by St Leonard's School, and so dozens of children pass by regularly and a lot of pavement space is required. The children also use this route to get to St Leonard's church.

The junction is on a red route, so whilst the polls may have been the responsibility of Lambeth Council in the past, they are now come under Transport for London (TFL). So we are going for a pole hat-trick, and seeing if we can get TFL to remove them to provide more pavement space.

[Update: 6 September 2012 We were chatting to some people at the timber yard/ carpenters on Mitcham Lane by the junction with Ambleside Ave. Turns out they have been trying to get the pole outside their entrance moved for ages with no luck. It causes an obstruction to their vans as well as pedestrians.

[Update: 15th November 2012 We have been told today by TfL that the poles on Mitcham lane will be removed by the end of the month. We'll keep a look out!]

[Update: 4th December 2012 One of the three poles has been removed (outside the timber yard/ carpenters). However, TfL seemed to forget about the other two. We chased them again, and they apologised, and said the other two would be removed by the end of January.]

[Update: 15th February 2013 The last two poles have been removed. More here.]