The Killer Crossing (Continued)

I recently posted about the "Killer Crossing" by the Pond at the junction of Lower Clapton Road and Downs Road. This followed a reader inquiring if it was ever to be improved. I knew there'd been talk of this for some time but no action. Cllr Rathbone brought me up to date. Deep breath...

Ian explained that he, Cllr Kelly and the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group have been trying for two years to get Transport for London to make improvements. To cut a tortured story short, they finally got the bureaucrats' attention last April and duly issued a press release (reproduced below). Not much happened until Ian got our GLA member Jennette Arnold involved and a scheme was drawn up involving better crossing points and preventing traffic turning right out of Downs Road onto Lower Clapton. And then, as Ian puts it:

"They dropped the bombshell that nothing could be done until April 2009 financial year. I pressed them about taking some remedial action now. They said they would resurface the road and tidy up the kerbing and pavement in this financial year ie before next April. I have to ask – will they keep their promise this time?"

Well, work has been going on. The kerbing has been tidied up. But what good has it done? My previous post on this subject contained an approximation of a conversation between my wife Sheila and a workman improving a nearby pavement. They have since conversed some more.

Sheila: "How's it going then?"

Workman: "Total waste of time. We sorted out the kerb, but a bus has been over it already. Squashed it all out of place again."

Sheila: "Well, at least it's keeping you busy. It's sort of Keynesian."

Workman: "We've got another word for it."

Watch this space!

Press statement on the Downs Road/Lower Clapton Road junction.

Councillors in Leabridge and Hackney Downs wards are celebrating the success of a community campaign for bringing safety to a dangerous road junction at Downs Road/Lower Clapton Road. Cllr Ian Rathbone, Leabridge Ward councillor and CPNAG Chair leading the campaign, said:

"It is a victory for a concerted and dogged campaign by councillors, residents including the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action group (CPNAG), and local Police over the last four years to get TfL to take their responsibilities seriously on improving this dangerous and un-pedestrian friendly junction, which belongs to them.

"We have been given brush off after brush off, and promises made have not been kept. They had a good chance to carry out works in the last year whilst building the nearby bus stand at Leabridge Roundabout but ducked it, having previously promised to carry out works.

"Cllr Kelly and I met with senior TfL officers recently and once again underlined the case for urgency. This is dangerous main road into London from Essex. Only last year a young woman was mown down and killed by a hit and run driver near the junction.

"At long last we have heard that there is going to be a public consultation on the design of the Downs Road/Lower Clapton Road junction.

"The junction has been identified for investigation and has been included in the 2007/08 Road Safety Programme as one of the worst junctions and sections of road in London with relation to personal injury collisions. I want everyone locally to respond to the consultation and let TfL be made fully aware we want to feel safe in using this crossing, particularly people with buggies, wheelchairs and the elderly.

"We have pressed them to take measures to improve the crossing facility across Downs Road and across the southern arm of Lower Clapton Road. We will continue to press for a speed up in the timing of this consultation. The sooner the better they get on with this work - before a serious accident or even fatality happens again."

Comments

[felix]

I guess the TfL apparatchiks, who seem to think doing their job well is managing to do avoid doing anything, don't want to slow down bus services at this junction with further traffic light phases. I'd call it Soviet, not Keynsian ,planning.

[Dave Hill]

Very clever Felix. One bit of Ian Rathbone's email I didn't reproduce explained to me that keeping the traffic flowing is indeed a TfL consideration when considering these matters. I suppose that's legitimate but not of much consolation when you're trying to get to the Mermaid chip shop without being flattened.

[Fran]

This issue makes me so furious. I am a mother with two young children and feel like I risk my life several times a day to cross at this crossing. I really think it is an absolute scandal. I was only musing to myself earlier today that if anyone with any influence in tfl lived near this junction it would have been dealt with years ago. We've lived here for 8 years and our neighbours who had young children then were campaigning 8 years ago for a pedestrian crossing and were told then that it was going to be dealt with. I was in touch with tfl several times two years ago about this and was told that it was going to be sorted out at the same time as the roundabout. I am ready to take my children and go and sit in the tfl offices until someone promises to do something about it. Does anyone fancy joining me? We don't need any consultation, we just need a pedestrian crossing at a dangerous junction. Is it really that difficult? Apologies if I'm going on but this situation does just make me fume.

[Caroline]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your sterling work regarding the Killer Crossing. I did try to add a comment to this post on Monday... but Typekey swallowed it (or perhaps I hadn't signed in correctly... what with blogger accounts, myspace and facebook... it gets confusing... I'm sure in the not too faraway future there will be a GCSE or NVQ in creating and managing passwords and logins... However back to the matter in hand).

It's very cheering that Cllr Rathbone is taking this matter seriously and, hopefully, there will be an improved crossing, even a pedestrian one soon. One only hopes that no one else will be injured (or worse) trying to navigate this junction before it is improved.
I will also be emailing Councillor Michael Desmond, of Hackney Downs Ward, (micheal@ desm.new.labour.org.uk), with my concerns.
And Fran if you need anyone to sit in at the Tfl offices, please do not hesitate to let me know.
As for myself, I will continue with my own circuitous and tedious routes across the road in my attempts to avoid being mown down.

Regards, Caroline