A popular route in the heart of Peckham could soon become a lot busier if plans to reorganise the road go ahead; at least that’s what some local residents think who are objecting to the plans.
A consultation closed this week on a council proposal to shut off the prong of the road which runs adjacent to the eastern side of Peckham Rye Park to cars, leaving only buses and cyclists allowed through.
While the council’s aim is to reduce traffic, speed up bus times and make the road safer, some residents are sceptical about whether the solution they’ve developed will address these points. For instance, on the safety point, it has been argued that closing Peckham Rye East to cars could actually make the area more dangerous, because all of the traffic will be diverted to the East Dulwich Road and Peckham Rye West junction, which is near a school and a nursery.
Traffic reduction schemes are nearly always controversial – either because they can pit road users against one another, or because local people don’t feel that they’ve been properly consulted.
Last week we saw Southwark Council drop plans to install an LTN in East Dulwich, after a furious backlash from some local residents, culminating in the release of a series of internal emails obtained by a resident via an FOI, which suggested that officers had been instructed to fast-track the scheme without running a consultation beforehand. It seems this was because the council was highly concerned about speed levels on Ryedale and the risk this posed to children; but did they really think that pushing the measures through like this wouldn’t generate a substantial amount of backlash?
Other schemes – like the Lower Road cycle lane – have been controversial because of the mechanics involved; the council took out a lane of traffic to accommodate the cycle lane, which drivers say has made traffic in the area a real headache.
Another criticism which is often made of LTNs and other schemes is that they’re a cash grab for councils. Last year the council made £3.4 million from just one LTN in Dulwich Village alone.
But on the other hand, an argument made in favour of LTNs and similar schemes is that they make areas safer for children and encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of drive.
A single solution on this will never please everybody – LTNs (and similar traffic calming measures) always generate great strength of feeling on both sides because they have a huge impact on people’s everyday lives – which isn’t a reason that the council shouldn’t push ahead with them in some cases, but rather a reminder of why consultations are so important. Hopefully we will see some of these concerns about the Peckham plans incorporated into any final design – it’s important residents feel listened to rather than sidelined.
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