Tagged: transport RSS

• Olympics Parking in Shooters Hill 

  

  Shooters Hill 2012 Olympic Parking Restrictions

  I just caught the LOCOG/Greenwich Council/TfL stand in General Gordon Square about traffic management during the games before the wind and rain blew them in to Woolwich Library. They will be there again tomorrow (weather permitting I guess), and they have published some, but not all, of the displays on the London 2012 web site.

  The proposed road closures weren’t surprising. Roads around the Olympics venues  – Ha-Ha Road, Circular Way and perhaps less expectedly Repository Road – will be closed. There will be a checkpoint for traffic coming along Charlton Road, with all non-games traffic diverted down Stadium Road. Buses will be diverted around the closures.

  The main impact proposed for us Shooters Hill residents will be a large extension of the residents parking zone across the hill, as shown in the extract from the map, above. The additional area is North of Shooters Hill Road, bordered on the East by the Golf Club and Shrewsbury Park, Wrekin Road and Ennis Road down to the Common then down to join the current restricted parking zone round Plumstead Station. Details of how we can get parking permits, including permits for visitors, will be communicated “early in 2012”. The web site does say that we are entitled to visitor permits, but not how many.

  Providing they get all the details right this sounds like a good way to deter Olympic games spectators from filling all the roads around the venues with parked cars, with not-too-much impact on residents. Parking fines are likely to be increased to £200 for the duration of the Games.

  If you want to comment on the proposals, and can’t get along to the drop-in session, the London 2012 web site gives the following methods:

  Have your say

  Email: greenwichparking@london2012.com
  Post: Freepost Traffic and Parking enquiry
  Phone: 08000 111 300

   

  Reply Click here to cancel reply.

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  6:24 pm on January 20, 2012
  Tags: future (13), olympics (7), transport   

• On the Brink 

  …of madness!

  The Newsshopper’s Nina Massey recently published a report on the local opposition to the pavement widening at Brinklow Crescent (which according to the paper is in Eltham, oops, wonder how that mistake happened!). Brinklow is a `true’ crescent, and its semi-circular shape curves round the hillside elegantly to meet Plum Lane at each tip. Both junctions have been modified, although it’s the changes on the west side that seem to be causing the most controversy.

  It’s a curious tale because the work, which was carried out in the name of pedestrian safety, and includes tactile paving, a raised crossing at pavement level, and a wider pavement, has also created a narrower road, which has led to difficulties with cars passing each other…

  Apparently someone from the council is going to meet the residents to talk this through.

  Here’s the report:

  GREENWICH Council has apologised to residents for failing to consult with them over residential roadworks.

  No consultation was carried out before roadworks started on April 4 to narrow the entrances to Brinklow Crescent in Eltham.

  Mother of two, Inderjit Gill, said: “We just don’t know why they’ve done it and what is even worse is that we weren’t consulted.

  “Two cars used to be able to pass at the same time, but now that’s not possible.”

  The 50-year-old added: “I don’t accept the council’s apology. It’s too late now and the damage has been done.”

  Greenwich council has said the works were carried out to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

  Paul Revel, a web editor who has lived on the road for almost 10 years said: “In all the time I’ve been living here, I have not witnessed any issues with pedestrian or cyclist safety.

  “I would have liked to be told what was happening, especially as we ultimately pay for the road works.”

  A spokesman for the council said: “Local residents should have been consulted on these proposals and we apologise that this usual process was not followed on this occasion. “

  “Council officers are investigating how this error occurred so that we can ensure it does not happen again.”

  Here’s some photos of what it used to look like, (taken from streetview pictures which were I believe last done in 2009).

  

  This is the western tip of the Crescent, as can be seen it is quite wide for pedestrians, although apparently it’s historically safe, and there’s no official record of any accidents there going back as far as 1995.

  

  Here’s what it looks like now.

  

  This is the eastern tip of the Crescent, it certainly has a commanding view of casino wharf. Again, according to records, pedestrians here also appear to have been historically good at car avoidance.

  

  Here’s what it looks like now.

  So, altogether this raises two questions: (a) why did these road safety works happen when they did – are they part of a wider plan for the area? (b) why haven’t members of the community been involved – if they had been, would it have been done differently, or at all?

   

  1:08 am on April 23, 2011
  Tags: brinklow crescent, transport   

• Welling and District Model Engineering Society – A Film 

  Last year I uploaded a sound recording of the model railway at falconwood, well now here’s a video to go with it. It was filmed whilst holding on to the driver with one hand and the camera with the other, which looking back on it was probably a bit reckless and could have ended up with me falling into the suspension bridge, but in a way it was worth a bit of a risk. I especially like the bit where we go through the tunnel and you can see the steam droplets on the lens, plus all the friendly bystanders of course. If you click through to the eshootershill vimeo page, you can also see a video of the amazing mirror carp at Eltham Palace, the grounds of which can be visited by greenwich residents (or greenwich card holders anyway) for free.

  Welling and district model engineering society from e-shootershill on Vimeo.

   

  9:53 pm on November 19, 2010
  Tags: days out (6), falconwood (5), model railway (2), steam (3), train (3), transport   

• Spitfire steam train coming through falconwood station 

  Judging by the relatively large amount of visitors this website receives via its post on the falconwood model railway¹, it seems that there is much enthusiasm for steam trains in these parts, and so it gives great pleasure to announce² that this train will most likely be passing through falconwood on it’s way to kent having left london bridge at 0955 on sunday september the 5th and due to arrive at faversham at 1145. The train is expected back at london bridge at 2000, but it’s coming back a different way.

  I say most likely going through falconwood station as the journey is advertised as passing bexleyheath, which is on the same tfl line as our station, whether or or not the same goes for special services I’m not sure. As a provisional guestimate, and pending the actual departure times, I would reckon that the train might come through the falconwood at around 1015-1100.

  

  London, Midland & Scottish Railway "Black Five" No. 44932 (this is not at falconwood by the way)

  1. Welling and district model engineering society ↩
  2. Thanks to 853, ianvisits, and event sponsors sheperd-neame, the journey itself is being run as part of a two day hop festival in faversham this weekend. ↩
   

  9:29 pm on September 1, 2010
  Tags: falconwood (5), railway (2), steam (3), train (3), transport   

• Have you seen toad of toad hall? 

  I just read an interesting bit of news on the neighbourhood watch site, Apparently we hillians are being encouraged to collect data on speeding drivers, and relay this to the met’s traffic police via 999:

  Sergeant Barry Edge confirmed the issues of speeding drivers around Shooters Hill could be tackled by getting the traffic division of the Met Police involved, but this will only happen if more residents call the issues in.

  We need your help in calling any issues of speeding drivers, logging the date, time and registration numbers.

  So, provided any speed freeks don’t whizz by too fast, and the vital statistics can be taken, why not 999 it (noting that callers are sometimes interrogated about themselves as well as the dangers they see).

  According to the latest police report for this ward, local safety is up on the last quarter, so collecting previously unknown information on speeding would support new safety initiatives in the area (such as solar powered smiley/frowny faces), and perhaps even give the police the odd chance of a go in the helicopter.

   

  10:19 pm on August 28, 2010
  Tags: air quality (6), safety (7), SE18 (28), transport