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Proposed 20 mph Zone / Limit - Pollards Hill area

Update 22 January 2010 - Implementation

Following the formal consultation carried out in July 2009. Representations received from residents regarding the proposals, along with officers’ recommendations were reported to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management on 21 December 2009, who has agreed to proceed with the implementation of the proposals as shown on the plan linked below.

The Cabinet Member’s decisions are as follow:

To proceed with the introduction of the 20mph zone in South Lodge Avenue, Chestnut Grove and Hazel Close.
Proceed with the introduction of the 20mph speed limit in the Pollards Hill Area.
To proceed with the making of the Traffic Management Orders (TMO) for the implementation of the proposed measures above.

Update 24 July 2009 - Formal Consultation

The council has a commitment to manage excessive or inappropriate speeds in residential roads through a programme of 20mph speed limits / zones. This programme is known as the ‘20 Plenty’ work programme. As part of this programme, the council has secured funding from Transport for London for the 2009/10 financial year to introduce a 20mph speed restriction in the Pollards Hill area, bounded by South Lodge Avenue, Chestnut Grove, Commonside East and Galpins Road.

As part of the traffic data collection exercise for the introduction of 20mph speed restriction, traffic volume and speed surveys was carried out from 13 May 2009 to 19 May 2009, to determine the actual speed of vehicles on some of the roads within the proposed area. Please refer to the newsletter for more details.

In the 5-year period up to 30 June 2008, there were 18 recorded personal injury accidents (PIAs), of which eight occurred on South Lodge Avenue. Most of these accidents involved drivers turning right colliding with drivers travelling ahead. Of the eight accidents on South Lodge Avenue, three involved pedestrians crossing the road within the vicinity of the library into the path of oncoming vehicles. The main contributing factors to the causes of these accidents are speeds and obscured sightlines.

Proposals

20mph zone

Convert South Lodge Avenue and Chestnut Grove into a 20mph zone. Current regulations state that a 20mph zone must be self-enforcing, hence the traffic calming measures are required to meet the legal requirements and ensure traffic speeds are within 20mph or less. Chestnut Grove would not require any additional traffic calming measures, however these will be required on South Lodge Avenue. The proposed traffic calming measures are as follows (also see plan linked below - in yellow):

Raised junctions on South Lodge Avenue at its junctions with Yorkshire Road, Tavistock Crescent and Chestnut Avenue.
Speed cushions on approach to the existing traffic islands on South Lodge Avenue, within the vicinities of Carisbrooke Road and Montgomery Close. These existing traffic islands will be converted into uncontrolled pedestrian refuge islands to assist pedestrians cross the road safely.
Pedestrian refuge on South Lodge Avenue within the vicinity of Galpins Road to assist pedestrians cross this section of the road safely.

20mph speed limit

Convert all the roads bounded by Galpins Road (inclusive), Commonside East (inclusive), South Lodge Avenue (excluded) and Chestnut Grove (excluded) into a 20mph speed limit. A 20mph speed limit is appropriate in areas where traffic speeds are already low and further traffic calming measures are not required. As most of the roads within this area have existing traffic calming features, no additional features are required, except at the junction of Tavistock Crescent and Berkshire Way, where a raised junction will be introduced. Please also see plan linked below.

As the proposals include both a zone and speed limit, traffic signs would need to be erected at both exit/entry points to the two areas to indicate the change, as shown on plan.

Advantages of a 20mph zone/speed limit

Lower speeds reduce the number of collisions, as nine out of 10 pedestrians and cyclists fatalities occur in residential areas; hence a lower speed will reduce the number and severity of PIAs.
At lower speeds, collisions are far less likely to be fatal.
Lower traffic speeds will encourage more people to walk and cycle.
Lower traffic speeds allow easier cycle turning manoeuvres. For example, turning right can be difficult when you have to cross a lane of fast moving traffic. If the traffic speed is reduced to 20mph it becomes much easier.
Enforcement will not be required for a zone as the measures will be self-enforcing.

Disadvantages of a 20mph zone/speed limit

Expensive to construct the physical measures and zones impact on emergency services response time.
Vertical traffic calming measures are intrusive to the local environment and causes discomfort to drivers.
Smaller repeater signs will be required on all the roads within the 20mph speed limit area to inform drivers they are within a speed restriction area.
Absence of traffic calming features in a speed limit area may encourage some drivers not to observe the speed limit.

Advantages of raised junctions

Effective at reducing vehicle speeds, slows down all approaching traffic, hence improved road safety for all road users.
Can be used in isolation – they do not have to form part of a series of road humps.
More acceptable to emergency services and bus operators than standard humps.
Allows pedestrians, especially vulnerable road users such as the elderly, those with disabilities and parents with children to cross the road safely.

Disadvantages of raised junctions

Expensive to construct.
Construction may cause temporary traffic disruption including temporary road closure.

Advantages of speed cushions

Effective at reducing traffic speeds and inexpensive to construct.
Accepted by emergency services and bus operators.
No loss of on-street parking and cyclists can pass between them.

What happens next?

The council welcomes you views on the above proposals. A Notice of the council’s intentions to introduce the above measures will be published in the local newspaper and posted on lamp columns in the vicinity as part of the statutory consultation process. Representations for and against must be done in writing to the Head of Street Scene and Waste Management Division, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX by no later than 4 September 2009, quoting reference ES/SGE/POLLARDSHILL20MPH.

Officers’ comments and recommendations will be reported to either the Street Management Advisory Committee on 3 November 2009 or, if appropriate to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management for a decision.

Please note that responses to any representation received will not be made until a final decision is made by the Cabinet Member for Planning and Traffic Management. The council is required to give weight to the nature and content of your representations and not necessarily the quantity. Your reasons are, therefore, important to us.

A plan identifying the area affected by the proposal can be inspected at Pollards Hill Library and at Merton Link, Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey during the council’s working hours, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

Contact us

Traffic & Highways
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX

Telephone: 020 8545 2171
Fax: 020 8545 4865

Email: trafficandhighways@merton.gov.uk

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