Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Green Lanes Transport Study - Final Report
The Green Lanes Area Transport Study has taken two years, and cost about £200,000, to complete, and was intended to address the longstanding problem of excessive traffic in the area, and consequent issues of safety, pollution and (in the consultant's jargon) "loss of amenity" to residents. The final report was published today without much fanfare.
The above photo from the cover of the report shows motorists, cyclists and buggy-pushing pedestrians apparently co-existing in harmony at the tree-lined junction of Burgoyne Road with Green Lanes, with Stanhope Gardens (one of the side streets on the eastern side of Green Lanes which enjoys protection from rat-running) receding quietly into the distance. I assume the subliminal message here is that everything is already hunky-dory, there is little room for improvement and all we can do is tinker around the edges?
I've attached a copy of the report to this post or you can download it and various other documents from the Council's webpage at http://www.haringey.gov.uk/transport/green-lanes-area-transport-study.
I actually think £200K would be good value if the report recommended measures which would significantly improve the quality of life of local residents - measures to reduce traffic and pollution, measures to make walking more attractive, or make cycling safer so that more people would choose those "active transport modes" and have healthier lives. Unfortunately I can't see many measures that will make much difference.
Tags for Forum Posts: harringay traffic study
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Zena Brabazon on
-
Hi David, Sophia and Everyone
When I came back on the Council the traffic study was in full swing. It was - to put it bluntly - very ambitious in its goals and aspirations so I honestly appreciate the points you make.
Regarding Wightman my understanding form my meeting the other day is that there are more ideas for calming and controlling the traffic on Wightman beyond the pavement parking issue and I did make the point like you, that displacing onto already jam packed Ladder roads was not a very good option.
The points being raised in this discussions show how much people understand about the issues and also the willingness to contribute. These form the foundation for the next round of consultation and discussions on the details in these plans and which I shave suggested should be ward based so we can concetrate on our Harringay issues. And the proposed changes to Warham and potential impact on Seymour will be part of that as this is one of the key coinages proposed.
All the best
ZenaZena Brabazon
Cllr, Harringay ward
-
Permalink Reply by Sophia on
-
Hi Zena,
I'm a resident of Seymour Road and very concerned that the report (WL1-04) is recommending reversing the direction of Warham, which would mean Seymour Road would see increased traffic volumes and the Green Lanes/St Annes road/Salisbury pub junction would become a blockage thus increasing the pollution. Not to mention turning right at the top of Seymour Road is already a little unsafe as turning onto a corner, with increased traffic this will only be more dangerous.
Figure 3.14 of the report records strong opposition and opposition to this change yet the report still recommends proceeding with this.
Can you please confirm ALL residents will be consulted about any further actions on this change as clearly Warham road residents don't want the traffic and nor do we.
This is absolutely devastating news for us as we deliberately moved to a quiet street. We could have lived closer to the train stations or the parks but we selected a quiet street and would be heartbroken to see increased traffic. We have enough noisy traffic and difficulties parking as it is.
Best wishes
-
-
The study basically says "hey if the Ladder is to remain a rat run, the pain should be more evenly distributed." If I recall correctly back to the original publication for GLATS, it said Seymour sees about 15% of the traffic that Warham Road does.
You stated on 31 May the following:
While I would like to see less and slowed traffic, I am not in favour of filtering. I also live on Seymour Road so am very concerned about proposed increases if Warham's direction is changed.
Filtering, however, was the only option that guaranteed only positive impact on your road but you opposed it. You offered no other viable option, only that you wanted the status quo--which wasn't on offer as a response option.
If the council takes up the recommendation of the consultants (whilst at the end of the day what you or I say as individuals probably carries little weight,) you did not exercise your opportunity to try to do something to ensure that your road didn't see (slightly) increased traffic volume. The consultation has been going on for 1.5 years--and now you want to re-open it? How much longer can people endure that, especially when the same questions are being revisited?
-
Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
-
Sophia, the main problem with traffic on Warham is it is used as an east/west shortcut. Traffic comes along Salisbury Road and then is directed by signs to go over Green Lanes and up Warham to all points west, north and south. The proposal is to only allow traffic to turn left out of Salisbury, on to Green Lanes going southbound. In order to get to Seymour it would need to be able to turn right and then left which will be impossible.
I can’t see any impact on Seymour from what is being proposed.
The traffic that currently turns on to Warham from Green Lanes going north is more local. By the time it gets to Warham it has already gone half way up GL through the most congested part. If northbound GL traffic wanted to avoid the GL crush it would either avoid GL altogether by going the length of Wightman or have already turned of onto one of The Ladder Road further south to get to Wightman. The bit of GL between the post office and Ducketts common is always the least congested and fast moving so I can't see traffic wantng to escape by going up Seymour.
PS. I couldn’t find fig 3.14 you mention. Which page is it on.?
-
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
-
But Sophia bought on Seymour PARTICULARLY because it was a quiet road with 15% the amount of traffic on neighbouring Warham. I wonder what extra she had to pay for that?
-
Permalink Reply by JoeW on
-
I agree the reversal of one-way on Warham is very unlikely to affect Seymour. Most of Warham's traffic is through-traffic via Salisbury Road, in future they will either have to turn left out of Salisbury or else stay on St Ann's and round Colina and I can't see them then doubling back through more traffic lights and wait for a right turn up Seymour. Rat-runners don't like waiting.
-
-
They're making Salisbury Road left-turn only so the impact on Seymour will be minimal.
Although, as others have said, not wanting the traffic to increase on your street but also not wanting the only measure that will realistically see traffic decrease overall is a little like wanting to have your cake and eat it.
-
Permalink Reply by DavidJ on
-
Sophia
I also live on Seymour but I cannot think of any good reasons why my peace should be at the expense of Warham Rd. Having been around a bit longer I do know that Seymour used to have terrible traffic when the rung roads were 2 way. Seymour was the obvious road to use for all those going W->E down onto St Anns. The one-way change fixed it for Seymour - but moved the traffic to Hewitt. The no-right from Hewitt then moved the traffic to Beresford . . .
Just like the closure of the gardens (very good news for them) meant more traffic on Green Lanes and ladder roads . . .
The next tinker might well sacrifice Seymour.
So it is entirely clear to me and many others that we need to reduce traffic in the Harringay area.
-
-
And the ONLY way to do that, is filter Wightman Rd.
-
-
Quite selfish to leave out Wightman. Very pleased that nobody ever takes this suggestion seriously.
-
-
-
I have thought since looking at the traffic study data 18 or so months ago that volumes on Seymour were the levels that all of The Ladder Roads should aspire to. The very low volumes would seems to indicate that the only traffic that uses it is heading either for properties on the road itself or for the bit or Wightman at the top. In other words, purely local traffic.
We’re back to the old problem though of a little fiddle here and a little fiddle there, all with consequences because the package isn’t holistic. But if this is all we are going to get I think we all need to look at the detail, see what they have missed out to actually get something worthwhile, and make bloody nuisances of ourselves until we get it.
One thing we need to insist on is that every single intervention needs to be tested. Initially with residents as they are the ones who understand the quirks and foibles of their immediate area, and during the implementation phase. And an absolute commitment to making changes if the interventions either don’t work of have negative consequences.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
