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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Harringay desperately needs a traffic and parking review, we have got to the stage that the amount of traffic coming down the ladder roads really needs to be dealt with. I will be writing to officers and the lead member because we can no longer I believe sustain this inequitable distribution of traffic in the area.

This morning on my way to work I witnessed some amazing community action and spirit from businesses on Green Lanes. An elderly man was hit by a car turning right out of Pemberton Rd. Whilst I didn't see the accident I did see the shop owners come out and one young woman from the jewellers recorded the driver who we initially thought had abandoned his car and fled the scene. The driver did come back as he had gone to get help, however the locals were not taking any chances. I looked like a leg injury and the police assured me he would be ok, however it could have been far worse.

I am receiving emails from residents angry at the level of traffic coming down their roads which is impacting on their houses and quality of lives. I would really be interested to hear more residents views on the issue.

Emine
Harringay Ward Councillor

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Emina. I have to give it to you for being brave enough to raise this. A number of folks have been calling for a holistic (Ladder/area wide) as opposed a piecemeal analysis for some time. Sadly though, shouting into a vacuum will never be heard.

I can whinge about the impact on Pemberton after the Hewitt no right turn ("trial" that was never a trial) was surreptitiously negotiated without any real input from, consultation with, or analysis of the impacts on those that would be affected. If you are in any doubt come onto Pemberton at 3.30 and see how far up the road the traffic trying to get onto Green Lanes goes. I cannot imagine Beresford has fared any better. I do not blame the guys on Hewitt for wanting to improve their lot, I actually believe it was the right thing to do. However, I also believe it was the right thing to do in the context of a wider analysis of what the impact would have been on other roads and though put into how that could be mitigated. As has happened instead is that the problem has just been moved to surrounding roads.

I think the starting point Emina is to have the data the council has collected pre and post the Hewitt no right turn, and the wider area traffic analysis that has been carried out published. I have asked for this several times, but got nowhere. I really do not want to be the pain in the ass resident that has to put in an FOI request and I suspect that you hold a somewhat more privileged position and can help extract and share this information. Without this the discussion is pointless. What ever happens ahs to be of the back of empirical evidence, not opinion.

Following this I think there has to be an analysis by the relevant officers and then an open discussion of this and the options, and not one where one set of residents are able to negotiate in a clandestine manner to the direct detriment to another set.

Sadly, short of removing all odd numbered cars one day and even numbered cars the other as is happening in some major cities to reduce the volume of traffic, if there is to be some equity in any of this everyone will have to share some of the burden. We might have to think about opening up the Garden's again...

The other important issue with this is the HGVs which ignore the rules and use the ladder roads as a cut through rather than using them just for access as they are supposed to.

Burgoyne has a hugh amount of HGVs storming down the roads, and reversing up them, which I think poses a risk to people living on the road and also creates a lot of noise and vibrations.

The Veolia vehicle races down Burgoyne road at 5.30am some Wednesday mornings which makes loads of noise and wakes us up. It is not using the road for access at this time.

Reversing up the road? What ever for?

You have raised a good point actually Sally about both HGVs, and in fact cars/vans speeding down roads. I am constantly amazed by folks accelerating as they leave a speed hump and then braking hard as they reach the next (or not braking as the case may be). We need some more intelligently designed traffic calming. Chicanes are one option, preferably with physical width restrictors that threaten to tear the side off your vehicle if you get it wrong and go too fast- as in on Woodlands Park Road. One side benefit of chicanes would be the ability to create pocket parks (I believe this is the buzz word) and green up the roads considerably.

I completely agree with this! That would be fabulous to have chicanes - it would sort the speeding and possibly HGV problem out a treat!

There is an often unknown further issue to such behaviour (speeding and hard braking)

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/06/harrison-20120611.html 

Interesting. Pemberton is a down hill road, and it constantly amazes me that folks feel the need to accelerate off one hump, into the next and break before nacking up their suspension... I really do not know what they gain in terms of travel time, often only to get to the back of the queue at the junction quicker!

I can support Sally's observations. There are far too many HGVs going down residential streets on the basis of a dodgy interpretation of the "access only" rule. Why a residential area is used for access for lorries is beyond me.

Personally I'd like to see Green Lanes sorted out.

Given the amount of buses on there and the fact that it's actually promoted as a shopping/restaurant area then the amount of parking on there is absurd.

Sadly there's no will to do anything about it. Between the traders and the councillors there seems to be some kind of unfounded view that without car parking all the businesses on Green Lanes will fail.

Andrew some years back there was actually free 2 hour parking on each Ladder road for about 6-8 cars (not sure if you were around then). On Pemberton there was a visitors parking space right outside the Juniors, above the Passage. For some reason it was changed, something I objected to in the consultation Frankly there is plenty of resident parking during the day already. If this were to be reinstated, not only would it be invaluable for the folks living on that street when they have visitors but the space can be used for folks parking and wishing to shop on GL. Heck, make it pay and display if you want. This would allow you to remove parking on GL itself while still allowing for parking space to be made available.

Also, if you did this, it may allow you to put a red route northbound too, to get the busses moving and commuters on their way home as opposed to snarled up...?

1. Someone is vandalising the 7.5t access only signs.

2. Lorry drivers I have spoken to know that a slightly wonky sign is unenforceable.

3. I would estimate that a skip truck driver using the ladder as a shortcut to get across the railway would often make an extra run a day because of the time it saves them, especially if they start at 5:30 in the morning. They are paid extra according to how many runs they get in.

4. Sell up and move, nobody cares.

I live on Warham and we get the lions share (of the Ladder Roads that is) of the traffic exiting from Salisbury Road. I'm in my kitchen at 6:20am writing this and already the traffic is constant heading up to the junction with Wightman. When I leave the house at 7 to walk to Harringay station I'll probably have to walk along Wightman to the pedestrian crossing at Burgoyne to stand a chance of crossing the road. By 8am the queue of traffic waiting to exit from Warham will have spread well down the road and drivers will be amusing themselves by revving their engines and honking. This is a typical weekday.
Traffic must be encouraged to stay on Green Lanes. The Ladder Roads are a way to avoid the rush hour snarl up that happens there every single day. Get GL moving and a lot of the Ladder problems might be at least lessen.
My solution - turn GL I to what it is supposed to be, a dual carriage way road by banning all parking.

7 am - 10 am southbound it already is, with the bus lane, no?  

As for the Warham Rd/Salisbury Rd/Green Lanes junction, would traffic flow in the ladder roads be evened out by blocking entry to Warham Rd from the other two roads  i.e. reversing the traffic flow on Warham.

 And would traffic flow in the area be improved (since the words holistic and study seem to go together)?

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