Promoting Walking in Bermondsey 25th January 2010 1

Town Centres & main roads Encouraging trips on foot to local shops Pleasant places to walk and to spend time

Road casualties in the Bermondsey CC area. All Collisions- Each dot is a collision involving injury Data Source – Southwark Road Safety Plan 2009: Data for the previous 3 years. Key are: TfL run Red Routes. Long Lane, Grange Rd and Southwark Park Rd.

High casualties are a result of the major roads that pass through the places where people live, work and shop. Multiple wide lanes allow fast flowing traffic. Guard railing - produces the canyon effect allowing drivers to feel that it is safe to drive faster. Jamaica Rd Old Kent Rd

Crossing provision for pedestrians is very poor with inconvenient facilities that encourage risk taking. St James’s Rd junction with Jamaica Rd Inconvenient crossing for pedestrians –encourages risky crossing No surface level crossings – no green man

Poor crossing provision throughout the length of Jamaica Rd – deters people from visiting local amenities on foot. Jamaica Rd

On the main roads around our town/shopping centres we need: Lower speeds – people survive collisions at 20mph or they simply do not happen Safe convenient crossings.

Changes can be made and they really make a difference – Walworth Rd. Before After Casualties fallen by 43%* *Data Source – http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/dpp/mpr/schemereports/southwark.pdf

Other issues to tackle - town centres need to be pleasant places to walk and spend time. The Old Kent Road Narrow pavements Poor quality paving Cluttered pavements

Contrast OKR with measures taken to improve area round The Blue and reduce casualties on Southwark Park Rd.

BUT…

People need to be and feel safe as they walk around – good lighting active frontages & living public spaces.

www.southwarklivingstreets.org.uk Lower speeds - Tell TfL we need 20mph in our town centres Safe convenient crossings Wider pavements where people can shop and spend time Remove guardrail Decent lighting Build to a human scale Active and vibrant frontages.