Another update on Plumstead to Woolwich £1.2m road upgrade

I passed by this TfL funded project again, which I covered recently. Here’s a few pics showing progress on the scheme which widens the road to extend the bus lane a few hundred metres as well as introduce a segregated cycle lane.

cycle-lane

Some mentioned that the lane in previous updates appeared narrow. It does, and I thought it could have been to slow down cyclists around the bus stops, but the lane at another bus stop further down appears a bit wider:

bus-stop-island-plumstead

Work has yet to begin further down by the Mosque and row of shops beside Plumstead station. Apologies for the poor quality photo:

plumstead-car-parking

The parking outside the shops was as atrocious as ever at evening rush hour. Cars were parked in such a way as to make the existing cycle lane unusable and buses were obstructed.

If there isn’t a change in parking enforcement then any new lane will likely see cars blocking it, kerb or no kerb. Maybe some ‘wands’ will be installed.

The street furniture has seen a lick of paint. But not all oddly:

painted-guardrail

And much is still a mess but this area should see £3 million spent next spring. However, absolutely no public information has been revealed by Greenwich Council.

It’s in a poor state currently:

cycle-lane-mess

Further along and the High Street was absolutely filthy. Greenwich Council stated they had cleaned it with their jet washers finally brought out of Woolwich. Hard to see much evidence of it:

pavements-unclean

But still, it was good to see some short term improvements around the station and the area around the shops should be better. Something will have to be done about awful parking there if the cycle lane is to attract people.

Next up are the £3 million improvements around the station itself. Surprisingly there has been no consultation or even information from the council about it. If it starts in six months then letting people know what is coming would be nice.

This is what local councillors should be doing. The ones representing Plumstead seem some of the least communicative around. Almost no engagement online – nothing on popular local Facebook groups with thousands of members, nor on Twitter and the idea of a blog or website seem alien to them. Lots will happen – they should be letting people know what and when.

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J Smith

I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

5 thoughts on “Another update on Plumstead to Woolwich £1.2m road upgrade

  • I just wish cyclists would use the lanes safely. We have spent the last 3 months driving daily to Whitechapel where our son is in hospital. Cyclists are well catered for there – but they race each other in the lanes – and we’ve seen the many collisions! Heads down, they go as fast as they can without even thinking of their fellow cyclists. As for going through their own traffic lights! Then there are those who prefer the road and suddenly turn out in front of you without warning… Scary stuff!

    Reply
    • Lesnes, and I would just wish that drivers would drive safely, after all, it is poor driving that causes death on a daily basis (even on our pavements). I see many drivers speeding, using mobile telephones and going through lights (and this Is with a driving test, presumably passed). I just hope that if I ever have the misfortune to be in an accident with such a driver they will have insurance, will have paid their VED and be traceable. Scary stuff indeed when you do not have a metal box surrounding you. As an aside, bicycle lanes are not mandatory, and thank goodness they are not, because as you will see from the photographic evidence above, that would mean me breaking a law by using the highway or presumably having to walk my bike around cars that have parked in the cycle lane.

      Reply
  • Wow, that hit a nerve! We used to cycle; so we know both sides of the coin. I merely reported – accurately – what we see every day in Whitechapel where the cycle lanes extend quite widely (probably because the hire bikes are everywhere). I agree about car, van and lorry drivers too – every day we have to prepare for the unexpected on such a busy travel route. We also see the consequences of all sorts of traffic accidents on the Neurosurgical ward every day – yes, everyone should drive safely and carefully – but many, using all forms of transport, never will.

    Although the air ambulance (which we watch come and go) brings in all sorts of emergency patients every day, many are RTA’s. Perhaps in Plumstead people will cycle/drive more carefully – perhaps!

    Reply
  • Lesnes, not hit a nerve, I wasn’t challenging what you see, or the opinion you have formed on what you see, I am, within my reply, pointing out that the real danger to people being on bicycles, is very rarely themselves or other people on bicycles, but the actions of those around them.
    I wish your son the very best, by the way.

    Reply
  • There are lots of issues on Plumstead High Street. The first think I would tackle are all the Fast Food shops, their Hygiene Ratings and Planning Permission and licences, Barber shops and the general image of many shops in Plumstead. There are only Halal butchers. The general cleanliness of the streets. The betting shops – there are far too many, who has granted the licences for these? Lack of parking spots and the pavements can’t be suitable for the disabled, surely.

    Reply

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