The danger of not investing in better streets: New Greenwich hotel
Last month I covered plans to convert a former Magistrates Court in Greenwich into a hotel. The plan was approved before Christmas.
In an all too familiar story, local streets and public spaces are all but ignored when it came to how to spend money the developer will give Greenwich Council. That’s despite a junction alongside the hotel site lacking even a green signal for pedestrians showing when safe to cross.
I decided to visit the site to see how much of a hazard this’ll present to tourists staying at one of 293 hotel rooms. That’s a lot of people walking with luggage from the nearest station which is Deptford Bridge DLR.
Having visited the site this spot is asking for a collision, particularly for tourists from areas where cars drive on the right hand side who may not be looking the right way for traffic. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve done that many times abroad as by default I look for traffic driving on the left. Even if I feel a plum, it’s hard to shake off decades of instinct.
Anyway visibility at the crossing isn’t great and traffic moves pretty quickly.
It’s not helped by scaffolding holding up a building in severe neglect. TfL state render has been falling onto the ground. It appears to be another building that need notice serving by Greenwich Council on owners.
Despite acknowledgement in planning documents that the crossing is inadequate, the only solution planned from incoming developer income was slightly adjusting the kerb line and new tarmac on the road instead of a signal for pedestrians showing when safe to cross.
This site is at a TfL managed junction on a red route. Both TfL and the local authority need to work together to ensure a green light crossing appears or this site presents an increasing risk of pedestrian injury when the hotel completes.
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This junction is very busywith traffic at all times as this is also a major route in to Central London from Kent. Trying to cross this junction can be a nightmare at the best of times.
I am surprised that Greenwich Council have not already improved the crossing here to give people time to cross the road safely by introducing a signal for pedestrians showing when safe to cross.
I am not sure what roads are maintained by Greenwich Council and which roads are maintained by TFL Highways Department. ? As I believe some are still managed by TFL.
I have to disagree with you and Murky. I am quite often in the area and cross that junction at different points. It could be better, but is not actually hazardous.
As I have mentioned before I think all traffic lights should be set to sequenced signals so all lines of traffic move in turn. Some traffic lights are set to work this way but not that many.
I would like to see squenced signalling rolled out to all traffic lghts in the Greenwich Borough so vehicles do not have to cross each other when turning. I am sure this would help to reduce incidents at traffic lights and will be safer for drivers, cyclist, bikers and pedestrians
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