FORA response to Consulation, Council reply, Consultation results

Consultation report by Council Leader

FORA
Forest Residents Association

27 July 2006

Mr Chris Hardman
Environmental Services
LBWF

Dear Mr Hardman,

Ref Consultation of Implementation Measures
20mph Zone Cavendish Drive to Colworth Road

We are glad you are consulting on this scheme. While it is the policy of our Association to encourage our members to make their own observations to the Council on matters such as this, we feel that the proposed Zone is a matter of general interest and are thus writing to you.

1)The imposition of a 20mph Zone would be generally beneficial to this area.

2)The 20mph road marking logo/red coloured surface as entry treatment would have a clear and strong message. We would suggest a rethinking of this message, perhaps using stone sets or similar materials that are more in line with the leafy character of this area.

We feel the design and placement of the proposed entry signs are not acceptable. We feel they could either be dispensed with altogether, or made smaller and placed closer to the road so they can be more easily seen by drivers and that the sign should indicate 20mph only. There are other, more attractive ways of getting a message across.

3)The method of restraining speed within the area by speed humps or cushions are, we believe, unacceptable:

a)They do not achieve the desired effect.
From observations of traffic using James Lane, Clare Road, Forest Road and Colworth Road, it was clear that any large vehicle or one with modern suspension paid no attention to their presence and continued to drive fast along the road. Those drivers who tried to navigate their way over or around them presented a traffic hazard in themselves.

b)Environmentally, these humps and cushions are extremely ugly and affect the streetscape adversely.

4)It was also noted that where cars were parked along a road, the traffic flow slowed automatically.

We suggest the following measures instead of those proposed.

Generally:
Instead of humps and cushions being installed, the red stripe/20mph or a more attractive alternative is repeated at intervals throughout the area as a visual reminder of the speed zone; also that this be painted in luminous paint to be clearly visible at night.

Create road narrowings, such as chicanes, pinch points, and so on. However, the guiding principle should be that these be properly designed and environmentally friendly, incorporating easy care, hardy bushes or small plants, in order to improve and complement the streetscape.

Paint double yellow lines at all road junctions, including along Poppleton Road and Fladgate Road, as one of the worst traffic offences are vehicles parking too close to road junctions (sometimes even across the corners), thus creating a traffic hazard.
If a more attractive measure could be used, we would prefer that.

Specifically:

Firstly: Junction of Essex Road and James Lane, install pedestrian crossings, as it is almost impossible for pedestrians to cross safely

Secondly: Bulmer Road/Drayton Road/Southwest Road junctions, install a well designed and environmentally friendly round-about, the layout to include widening the footpaths at the Bulmer Road/Drayton Road and at the Bulmer Road/Southwest Road junctions.

Thirdly: There are some roads where it would b helpful to narrow the entrance, as suggested above, Forest Drive East being one. Once Forest Road is made one way, there is going to be increasing use of FDE and this needs to be addressed.

Fourthly: Forest Road, itself, presents a difficulty in that it is so narrow, but this also presents an opportunity to design a traffic calming/environmentally friendly scheme based on the continental models.

Fifthly: When roads that already have humps and cushions are resurfaced, an opportunity presents itself to remove these and replace them with the red strip or other 20mph logo incorporating these roads into the Zone.

Finally, it is noted from the TfL website that should a Council wish to alter a scheme for which a grant has been approved, it can do so providing prior notice is writing is given to TfL.

We do believe that the installation of this Zone provides an opportunity for the Council to provide an environment which is not only safer, but also more environmentally friendly, visually cohesive and flattering to the character and lifestyle of these residential streets within the planned Zone, many of which abut woodland and a Conservation Area. Only in this way will people be encouraged to leave their cars and walk and cycle, thus meeting the objectives of the Mayor?s London Plan.

We ask that you consult further with residents on the specific measures proposed for their street.

Thank you for your time.
I look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely

Mina Patel
Chair, Forest Residents Association
Info.fora@hotmail.com, www.forestresidents.org.uk

Secretary: Carla Reid-Adam,
t 020 8539 6258 e info.fora@hotmail.com. www.forestresidents.org.uk
224 Hainault Road Leytonstone London E11 1EP Back to top

Council reply to FORA letter

Environmental Services
Executive Director: Martin
Esom 7 August 2006

Municipal Offices, 16 The Ridgeway, Chingford E4 OPS

Carla Reid Adam
FORA
224 Hainault Road
Leytonstone
London
E11 1EP

Dear Mina Patel

Cavendish Drive to Colworth Road Area 20 mph Zone

Thank you for your letter dated 27 July 2006 regarding the above scheme.

The dimensions, materials and placement of the 20mph roundel road marking and the Zone entry / exit signs have to accord with the Department for Transport regulations and directions and for this reason we will not be able to use stone setts for the 20mph roundel road marking. However, where an entry treatment is located in a Conservation Area the red surfacing will be omitted.

To keep the visual impact of the scheme on the area to a minimum the Council will keep the number of signs used to a minimum while still meeting the statutory requirements of the Department for Transport. Also where possible any existing 'street clutter' of redundant road signs and other street furniture will be removed as part of the scheme. Any new street furniture has been kept to a minimum with signs grouped together on a single post.

Contrary to your suggestion that speed cushions or humps do not reduce vehicle speeds, the Council has had considerable success in both reducing speeds and accidents. The James Lane scheme you refer to was installed in 2003. Traffic counters were placed on James Lane before and after the 20mph limit was in place to record the number and speed of vehicles using this road. Originally the 85 percentile speed (the speed only 15 per cent of drivers exceed) was 30mph and after traffic calming measures were installed this was reduced to 25mph. As a result of the reduction in speed the number of personal injury accidents has fallen by 81%, from 16 in the 36 months before the 20mph unit, to 3 for the 36 months after.

The design of the speed cushion and road humps also follow strict criteria, even though not attractive they have proved effective in reducing vehicle speeds and personal injury accidents.

You suggest that roads that are lined with parked vehicles slow traffic speeds. Monitoring of vehicle speeds in roads that are heavily parked has shown th at this is not always the case and is no guarantee of a reduction in vehicle speeds.

A traffic calming scheme using road markings instead of speed cushions and humps was installed in Hale End Road. An after study of vehicle speeds has shown that the scheme has proved to be ineffective.

The 'Priority Give Ways' with kerb build outs / road narrows require lengths of double yellow lines to allow vehicles to pull in and let oncoming vehicles pass, reducing the amount of available kerbside parking in an area where parking is at a premium.

All junctions within the 20mph Zone will have no parking at any time restrictions introduced.

I respond to your specific points using your notation below.
1. We will investigate the feasibility of placing a zebra crossing on Essex Road South near its junction with James Lane
2. The provision of a roundabout at the junction of Bulmer Rd / Drayton Road / Southwest Road would require the placement of many illuminated road signs and would increase the amount of clutter at the junction. We are proposing to extend the footway into Drayton Road, with a large grassed area and a tree, and maintain the priority junction.
3. The cost of building out the footway at all junctions is prohibitive. The proposed road humps will deter traffic from using Forest Drive East and many of the other roads
4. The response from the Forest Road residents is overwhelmingly in support of the installation of road humps in Forest Road.
5. Looking at the borough as a whole the Council's policy to introduce traffic calming measures, including 20 mph Zones, Local Safety Schemes and Safer Routes to School schemes, in association with road safety education a d road safety campaigns has helped in bringing about an overall reduction in personal injury accidents. The total number of personal injury accidents occurring has fallen from 1305 in 2000 to 895 in 2004. The number of killed and seriously injured has (alien from 199 to 105 over the same period. Due to.the success in reducing personl injury accidents the Council will not be removing road humps or speed cushions as part of the maintenance programme.

The Council has to apply for funds for traffic calming schemes by submitting a bid to Transport for London. The limited money available is prioritised on an accident reduction basis, schemes that are likely to reduce the most number of accidents are awarded funds first. A bid to TfL for a scheme that is likely to reduce the same number of accidents with a higher construction cost is unlikely to receive funding. No funding was allocated for a general environmental improvement scheme for this area.

The proposed 20mph Zone meets the Mayor's objectives to reduce the number of personal injury accidents and improve safety for all road users, especially pedestrians. Slowing and possibly deterring vehicular traffic and thereby encouraging other modes of transport, especially walking and cycling, offers benefits to the community as a whole but especially to these more vulnerable road users.

Further consultations are not necessary where the majority of residents have responded favourably to the proposed scheme. Further consultation may take place when there is no overall majority.

I hope this is of some assistance. Should you require clarification please do not hesitate to contact me on 020 8496 6373 or my colleague Ben Manku on 020 8496 6136.

Yours sincerely

Chris Hardman
Project Development Back to top

Consultation report by Council Leader

Email report to local residents on 17 September from the leader of the Council, Clyde Loakes:

As you are aware we carried out the consultation for the Cavendish
Drive to Colworth Road Area 20 mph Zone in July. The consultation period
ended on the 28 July 2006, with 67% of those responding indicating their
support for the scheme.

However the results of the consultation raised some further issues and
Esther Road, Kingswood Road, Lytton Road and Southwest Road were re-consulted in
August. The results of this second consultation for some of the roads are as
follows:

Esther Road - Only road markings were originally proposed (no road humps) in
this road. However residents in Wadley Road have asked for road humps.
Drivers avoiding the road humps that are to be placed in Wadley Road would
inevitably use Esther Road if it weren't traffic calmed. Residents of Esther
Road were asked if they wanted road humps in their road. 77% of those
responding said yes and 23% said no. It is recommended that road humps be
installed.

Lytton Road - No clear mandate from original consultation, so they were
asked again. Of those responding 31% said yes and 69% said no. It is
therefore proposed that road humps are not installed.

Poppleton Road - Poppleton Road was originally outside of the 20mph Zone.
The money saved by not installing road humps in Lytton Road and other roads
can now be used in Poppleton Road, from Preston Road to Colworth Road. It is
now recommended that the residents of Poppleton Road (Preston Road to
Colworth Road) be consulted on whether they want road humps.

It is the Council?s intention to re-consult Poppleton Road next week so that
the necessary traffic orders can be made and implemented for this financial
year. Back to top