Sharp rise in serious collisions on A23 in Streatham

UPDATE: public consultation delayed by general election will now start 6th Jan.

London Assembly Member Caroline Russell has won assurance from Transport for London that a consultation on plans to redesign the A23 at Streatham Hill will go ahead the second week of November. The news comes as latest statistics from TfL reveal that the number traffic collisions resulting in serious injuries on Streatham Hill and Streatham High Road have risen sharply in a year. 

 

Provisional stats for 2018 show there were 212 collisions on the A23 between its junction with the South Circular and the border with the borough of Croydon, including 19 resulting in life-changing injuries, up from 133 collisions, 13 of which were serious, the previous year.

Safer 'school streets' piloted in Streatham

Cllr Nicole Griffiths and Cllr Bartley: safer streets

Streatham's Immanuel and St Andrew Primary School is the first in Lambeth to trial 'school streets' aimed at making children's journey's to school safer - and the air around their school less dangerous to breathe.

Northanger Road is closed at drop-off and pick-up times in a pilot being looked at closely by other local schools. Staffed gates allow resident access, while children enjoy being able to walk, scoot and cycle to school.

A second trial is being run this term at Jessop Primary School in Herne Hill.

Air pollution contributes to 9,000 deaths each year in London with, on average, three adults and one child being hospitalised every day from breathing difficulties caused by pollution.

Planned £8.6m improvements to A23 Streatham Hill come a step nearer

Streatham Hill collision in April 2019

Plans to spend £8.6 million on a re-design of the A23 through Streatham Hill will go to public consultation in September this year, Transport for London (TfL) told Streatham Action's transport group this week.

TfL has now completed computer modelling of its proposed scheme, which is aimed at reducing speeds, improving safety and creating a more 'town centre' feel to what is currently more like an urban motorway.

Applications open for street parties, Play Streets and Car-Free Day

Thinking of holding a street party, regular Play Street day or a Car Free Day in your neighbourhood this year?  Applications for temporary road closures for 2019 are now open.

Green Party councillors will be urging Lambeth Council to give its full support to temporary road closures as part of its response to declaring a Climate Emergency in the borough - encouraging us all to enjoy the difference when we reclaim our public spaces for children, clean air and enjoyment for all.

Plans to 'green' Streatham Hill receive positive response from residents

Plans to calm traffic, improve pedestrian and cycle safety and add more greenery to residential streets in Streatham Hill have received a generally warm response from residents.

More than 500 people responded to a public consultation carried out between 21st Sept and 4 November - with a significant majority supporting the proposals. Members of Streatham Green Party team have contributed ideas for the plans, which include:

One collision every three days on the A23 in Streatham - and 14 serious injuries in one year

Cllr Nicole Griffiths takes part in Community Roadwatch

Provisional statistics from Transport for London show there was at least one collision every three days on the A23 in Streatham in 2017 - and, on average, every month one collision or more resulted in life-changing injuries.

In total, on Streatham Hill and Streatham High Road between the South Circular and the boundary with Croydon, there were 133 collisions in the 12 months to December 2017; 14 of these were seious - resulting in life-changing injuries. Thankfully, for the second year running, there were no fatalities.

All change for A23 in Streatham Hill

Straight-across crossings, not staggered

News from Transport for London that they are considering two options for changes to the A23 to improve safety between the south circular and Streatham Hill station:

OPTION 1
* one bus lane and one general traffic lane in each direction
* removal of central reservation
* 20mph speed limit
* segregated bi-directional cycle way on western side
* 6 straight-across crossings with countdown signals and raised tables
* floating bus stops for north-bound buses only
* Telford Ave/Arriva bus garage exit converted to signalised junction

Streatham Hill A23 plans - see work in progress

Transport for London are to share their latest ideas for improving the road lay-out of the A23 at Streatham Hill at an evening event in Streatham Library.

When: September 11th
Time: 7pm -9pm
Where: Streatham Library

Scott wins action on HGVs entering residential roads

HGV getting stuck in the side roads

Streatham Green Party team has won agreement from Lambeth Council to take steps to prevent heavy goods vehicles from entering residential roads to thte West of Streatham High Road.

Residents raised concerns last year about large articulated lorries using smaller streets as a cut through. This has resulted in lorries getting stuck and residential streets becoming congested and unsafe.

New plans for Streatham Hill - as collisions rise again

Nicole Griffiths: Safer A23

Transport for London is to share its plans to improve safety on the A23 in Streatham Hill at an informal evening workshop on Tuesday 13th March.

The workshop comes as latest figures show collisions on the A23 through Streatham continue to increase. In 2016 there were 113 collisions between Streatham Hill, junction with the South Circular, and Streatham High Road's border with Croydon, including 10 crashes resulting in life-changing injuries. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.

The underlying trend, however, appears to be for increasing danger on the road. The five-year figure for collisions rose from 471 to 489, with serious injuries rising from 41 to 45 and deaths falling from eight to seven.

Latest on Streatham High Road works week commencing 12 Feb

Latest news from TfL - thanks to Streatham Action's transport group - about the road works currently causing major disruption on Streatham High Road at St Leonard's Junction:

"The upshot of the Monday morning site meeting between Thames Water and TfL determined that ...  the building of a raised table at the junction of Gleneldon Road and Streatham High Road, alongside part of the work to the triangulated central reservation immediately in front of that junction ... will be able to take place in tandem with the repair to the leaking water pipe by Thames Water on the corner of Gleneldon Road.

More details of planned roadworks for new safer St Leonard's Junction 12th Feb - 29 March

We have received more information about the work that is about to begin to make St Leonard’s Junction safe.

The improvements at the junction of Streatham High Road, Mitcham Lane, Tooting Bec Gardens and Gleneldon Road come after years of local campaigning to get safety concerns addressed.  It is a major ‘win’ for Streatham.  However there will be disruption while the work takes place and so your Green Party team will be working hard to ensure that this is minimised. 

More road closures next week as work starts 12 Feb on new, safer St Leonard's Junction

TfL have informed us of how they plan to handle traffic disruption during the works to improve the safety of St Leonard's Junction, which are due to begin on Monday 12th Feb and continue until the end of March.

Bus passengers and drivers face nearly another two months of road closures and  diversions - following the unexpected road works caused by a burst sewer under Streatham High Road in January.

The works to improve the junction of Streatham High Road, Mitcham Lane and Tooting Bec Gardens are the result of long campaigns to make the road safer for all its users. It has been the scene of numerous nasty accidents over recent years, including two fatalities.

Promise of 20mph on danger road outside school

Cllr Ainslie, Nicole Griffiths and Jonathan Bartley for 20mph

Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie has won commitments from Lambeth Council and Transport for London for a 20mph speed limit on Mitcham Lane, and changes to the crossing outside St Leonard’s Primary School to reduce the risk of children being hit by traffic.

With the school size due to grow from 270 to 470 in five years, many more children will be spilling out onto the pavement next to the busy road each day.

Head teacher Simon Jackson said, “Scott has been really good at quickly bringing all the relevant parties together to see the problems and discuss what is needed to prevent an accident."

More road works - as new St Leonard's Junction crossing to go ahead

News that the long-awaited improvements to St Leonard's Junction are to go ahead in February has come just as motorists are dealing with the nightmare of emergency sewer repairs closing the southbound A23 between Prentis Road and Shrubbery Road.

Green councillor Scott Ainslie, has been in direct contact with senior Transport for London managers to alert them to the need for traffic to diverted to avoid the gridlock in the centre of Streatham, which may continue for two weeks as Thames Water dig down to repair a sewer 5 metres below the road.

Have your say on plans to change parking bays on Streatham High Road

Earlier this year TfL consultated on proposals to extend northbound bus lanes on Streatham High Road between Becmead Avenue and Drewstead Road. This scheme also included a proposal to inset a loading and disabled parking bay one metre into the footway between Becmead Avenue and Woodbourne Avenue.

Having received 450 responses to the consultation, with 71% in favour of the proposals, they nnow plan to go ahead - but with slightly different treatment of parking bays.

They are asking to hear views on their new proposals for the parking bays by 13th December 2017.

TfL listens to Streatham on St Leonard's Junction

Transport for London wants to hear your views on its latest proposals to improve safety for pedestrians and other road users at St Leonard's Junction.

Its is proposing to remove the pedestrian crossing located between St Leonard's churchyard and the north side of Gleneldon Road, which is not currently heavily used.

Instead a modern, count-down crossing with a 'green man' will be created on the southern arm of the junction - where there is very high demand from pedestrians, but currently no actual pedestrian crossing. 

A new bus lane is also proposed to ease the flow of buses approaching the junction from Tooting Bec Gardens.

Its consultation on these proposals can be viewed here and runs until 29 October.

One in six drivers speeding on Streatham Hill

Green Cllr Scott Ainslie monitoring speeds at another event

One driver in every six on Streatham Hill was breaking the speed limit, during a 24-hour survey by Transport for London.

TfL monitored speeds for both northbound and southbound traffic in early February at three sites: north of the Arriva bus garage, south of the junction with Wavertree Road, and at the junction with Cricklade Avenue.

Collisions increase on A23 in Streatham

Collisions on the A23 through Streatham have increased, according to latest statistics from Transport for London.

In the period November 2013 to October 2016 there were 403 collisions, including 5 fatalities and 31 serious injuries on the A23 between the South Circular in the north and the junction of Streatham High Road and Hermitage Lane in the south. This is an increase of 13% on the previous period (May 2012 - April 2015). Fatalities rose from 4 to 5, and serious injuries rose from 24 to 31.

Six caught speeding in just over an hour on Streatham Hill

Nicole Griffiths out with police in Streatham

A police speed enforcement operation in Streatham last Friday recorded motorists doing over 50mph in what is a 30mph zone - and issued six speeding tickets in just over an hour.

The Green Team's Nicole Griffiths and other members of the Safer A23 Campaign worked with traffic officers to identify stretches of the A23 through Streatham where speeding is a particular problem.

Longer term, campaigners are calling for a re-design of the road through Streatham to deter motorists from driving at dangerous speeds and a reduction in the speed limit.

The risk of death from being hit by a car rises massively with speed of the vehicle.

Catching those who put lives at risk

At 40mph the risk of death is 90%.
At 30pm the risk of death is 50%.
At 20mph the risk of death is 20%.

According to collision figures for 2015[i], Lambeth has the highest number of road casualties on TLRN roads (821) and the most collisions resulting in death or serious injury (56). TLRN roads account for 58.6% of all road casualties in Lambeth and 56.6% of all fatal and serious injuries.

Nicole said: "It's tragic that Lambeth currently has the highest number of casualties on main roads in London.

"We need to change our thinking about how we move traffic through highly-populated areas like Streatham and the top priority must be preserving human life. We shouldn't have to take our lives in our hands every time we need to cross the road."

---

[i] https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety