Making Addiscombe streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists

The case for Active Travel

“The government expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians”

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, May 2020.

Croydon Council supports the Government new policy of promoting Active Travel across the country. The government stated its aim was to reduce the number of short trips made by people in cars, which could better be done on foot or by bike. Active Travel ensures the roads don’t clog up again, help relieve pressure on buses and trams, and encourages a healthier form of travel that benefits the environment. Croydon’s support for active travel goes back many years, including the recent adoption of 20 mph speed limits on all our residential roads.

Streetspace Improvement Programme

To encourage walking and cycling Croydon Council has already undertaken several road space changes across Croydon, including some in the Addiscombe area. Croydon’s Streetspace Improvement Programme (CSIP) low traffic initiatives include closing the junction of Kemerton Road and Jesmond Road, and the closure of Dalmally Road junction with Blackhorse Lane. Croydon is also widening some pavements to allow increased social distancing on busy shopping parades.

The Council is looking at road space re-allocation proposals, which benefits the wider community. You can make your suggestions directly to the Council using the feedback form on the Croydon’s website. Residents, councillors and Council officers, have suggested the following ideas, and we would like to hear your views on these and if you have any new suggestions. Please note that a do-nothing proposal is not an option, as the government has made it very clear that it expects Councils to take bold action.

Your Comments and  Suggestions

Please email us your views and new suggestions at [email protected]

Heron Road:

To create a playstreet with additional green planting on this short link road between Tunstall Road and Addiscombe Court Road. There are no houses on this road, and under the proposal access to the garages would be maintained. You can see an example of what this could look like at Van Gogh Walk in Lambeth.

A232 Red Route Protected Cycle Lanes:

On Fairfield Road, Chepstow Road, Addiscombe Road, Shirley Road, Wickham Road: the A232 red route is a road controlled by Transport for London and currently has unprotected cycle lanes along its whole length from Shirley to East Croydon. Thousands of residents along the route would benefit from a reasonably flat protected cycle route between West Wickham, Shirley and Croydon. Protected cycle lanes would have a little adverse impact on drivers, as the road is wide for single carriageway, and the protected cycle lanes may actually reduce some of the high speeds this route already endures outside rush hour. Vehicle access to people’s homes would also be maintained.

Closure of junction of Leslie Park Road with Lower Addiscombe Road:

Leslie Park Road is part of the London Cycle Network that provides a low-traffic route between East Croydon to Addiscombe and South Norwood. Cars and Taxis use this road as a shortcut looking to avoid the Leslie Arms Roundabouts, and the closure of the junction would stop this, and make the road safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicles could still access the streets off Leslie Park Road via Cherry Orchard Road.

Bus Gate at Robert Fitzroy School on Davidson Road:

Over the years residents of Davidson Road voiced their concerns about the volume of vehicles using the road, and the high number of speeding cars, especially at night and early morning. Your local councillors have responded to these requests for help by funding two Speed-Visors on Davidson Road from the Community Ward Budget, which both logs the number of cars and their speeds, and flashes warnings to drivers if they are over the speed limit. The speed visors shows that over 6000 vehicles travel in both directions each weekday on this residential road. The bus gate proposal at the school would reduce this volume of traffic as drivers travelling from Lower Addiscombe Road to South Norwood, or vice-versa, would need to use Morland Road.

Residents have told councillors that during the pandemic the issue of speeding cars hasn’t decreased. This proposal would allow the street to remain as two-way on either side of the Bus Gate, without installing new speeds humps. It would ensure that the 410 bus could continue to use this road, and to make social distancing easier the Council could also widen the pavement outside the school. To make sure that residents within the area of the bus gate on Davidson Road can access their homes at all times, the Council would give them special permission to pass through the bus gate at all times.

Morland Road outside new Ark Blake Secondary School:

The suggestion is to install a new Zebra Crossing on Morland Road near the junction with Stretton Road. The Zebra Crossing would provide a safe crossing place for children taking the northbound 197 bus.

Increase the pavement space outside Woodside Primary School on Morland Road.

Woodside School has over 1000 pupils attending it on an ordinary school day, and the pavement outside the school is not very wide. The idea would be to widen the pavement outside the school to allow better social distancing.

“The government expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians” Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, May 2020.

Increase the pavement space outside Ark Oval School on Cherry Orchard Road:

The entrance to Ark Oval is on a busy main road, and the space for parents and children entering or leaving the school is not very wide. The idea would be to widen the pavement outside the school. Again, to increase social distancing.