A Crossing for Lower Clapton Road/Downs Road

Clapton

Locals have been campaigning for a crossing at this dangerous junction for 7 years. You can help move things along by signing the petition here:http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/claptoncrossing

35 Comments

  1. hmm… in my experience hackney drivers ignore zebra crossings anyway. just sayin’

  2. @monkchips The campaign has always been for a pelican crossing – the zebra’s aren’t quite right

  3. I saw the video about the artists who made the zebras and signed the petition. That crossing was always a bad one when I had to contend with it when coming home on the 56.

  4. This reminded me of what they call \mental speed bumps”. Where images are painted on the road that cause the drivers to slow down. Maybe zebra painter could do some of these… http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/06/philadelphia-officials-slow-down.html or http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-st-louis/kids-as-speed-bumps-canada-tries-optical-illusion-to-slow-drivers“

  5. I forgot to mention, work has actually started on the crossing. The first part was changing the Powerscroft Rd / Lower Clapton Road junction, which has been done and next up is supposed to be the crossing that we are all concerned about at Downes Rd / Lower Clapton Road. Although I’m wondering why that hasn’t started just yet.

  6. Looks like the crossing is fully underway – I wish they’d hurry up, you can’t cross the road at all at the moment!

  7. I was told this crossing is no longer going ahead. If true, this would be a great shame as there are so few safe places to cross the Lower Clapton Road.

  8. @cherkoff it looks like they are still working on it at the moment, where did you hear that it wasn’t happening?

  9. From the guys in Palm 2. Who, as you know, tend to be quite clued up on local matters. If true, it’s not good. You quite often see people wondering out into the traffic by the bus stop. I often wonder if it’s because that crossing is so unhelpful.

  10. @cherkoff I’ll ask the other members of the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood action group committee and ask if they know anything more.

  11. Yes, I have been wondering the same thing. They changed the paving on the curb at the big crossing and made them all higher than they normally are for a crossing (where they recess into the ground). WTF?

  12. This is the schedule of works, so they aren’t late yet:Phase One – Powerscroft Road (25 November 2010 – 23 December 2010) – Monday – Saturday 08.00hrs to 17.00hrs (Powerscroft Road)– Monday – Sunday 08.00hrs to 17.00hrs and from 21.00hrs – 05.00hrs (Lower Clapton Road)Powerscroft Road will be closed between Monday 29 November and Saturday 4 of December.Affected bus services will be diverted through Brooksby’s Walk via Homerton High Street and signage will be in place for other diversions on site.Phase Two: Downs Road (4 January 2011 – 24 March 2011)- Monday – Sunday 08.00 hrs to 17.00hrsThere are no planned road closures for the Downs Road works, the works at this junction will be carried out in sections to minimise disruption.- Monday – Sunday 08.00 hrs to 17.00hrs

  13. @ewebber: you’re so efficient!! I’ll be standing there at the end of Downs Road making sure those workers don’t clock off to early! I reckon we should have a street party when all is this is finished, it’s been such a long way coming…

  14. @ewebber Well today is the 24 March and no more progress. I really don’t trust TfL. I didn’t think they could have made that junction more dangerous, but they’ve managed to do precisely that.

  15. They appear to have removed the ramps making it almost impossible to cross with a pram.

  16. @benjamin – I don’t have any other news, it’s worth asking the local councillors if they know anything

  17. I just got a reply from TfL regarding the roadworks at Downs Rd/Lower Clapton Rd:“I can confirm that the works are in progress on site, however there was a delay due to Thames Water works. These works are now planned to be completed mid April.”

  18. @benjamin do you have the details of who you contacted, it would be great if we could all bombard them, maybe it will help get it finally finished.

  19. @ewebber I’ve been communicating with a Sara Reynaga. londonstreets@tfl.gov.uk
    What worries me is that they’ve completed most of the paving around the Downs Rd crossing but I can’t see any posts or cabling for a pedestrian pelican crossing. I hope they haven’t scrapped this element at the last minute. I know they were always worried whether it would slow traffic flow too much.

  20. @benjamin thanks I will email her, can everyone else do the same? I’ll also pass it on to others around Clapton too.

  21. i realise its a massive pain in the bum, but as a small point of reassurance – the exact same thing happened when they \upgraded” the Powerscroft Road entrance and crossing. Removal of the old crossing with a seemingly *very* odd decision to have the kerb at a completely different level from the road with no ramp for wheelchairs buggies or whatever. it stayed like that for quite a while- but when they completed the work they sorted it all out with ramps and stuff.

    on the other hand- last week we had to cross at Downs Road – what a bloody nightmare with two kids!”

  22. Well, for what it’s worth, here’s an update I’ve received from TfL;
    \Please be advised that the scheme has been scheduled to be completed in June 2011. This is due to the delay of the Thames Water emergency work in the area. However the new crossing at this junction will be available once the new signals have been installed. These works are now programmed to be carried out on 23rd of May lasting two weeks.””

  23. Thanks for the update, I got zero response from my email. They have removed a lot of the hoardings now at least so it’s getting somewhere.

  24. My response from TfL below:

    Our ref: 1008749746/di
    Date: 19.05.2011

    Dear Ms Webber,
    Thank you for your email to Transport for London (TfL) dated 28.04.2011 regarding the road works at the junction of the A107 Lower Clapton Road and Downs Road.

    This scheme aims to improve safety and pedestrian crossings, as well as minimise adverse impacts on buses and general traffic at this location. These works include the installation of a new staggered crossing (built without a guardrail) on the southern arm of the A107 Lower Clapton Road junction with Downs Road. We are also going to install a straight across crossing on the Downs Road arm of junction and footway paving at the junction .

    The works were planned to be completed in April 2011. However they were suspended due to Thames Water emergency works at this location. The works will resume on 23th May 2011 and are planned to be completed on 31st June 2011. The crossing will be open as soon as the work is completed.

    I appreciate you taking the time to contact us. Please feel free to contact me again if you need any help in the future.

    Yours sincerely,

    Daria Ilinskaia
    Customer Service Advisor
    Customer Service Centre

  25. Lower Clapton Road crossing

    The lights are going in!”

  26. i hope it all makes this crossing a lot less treacherous. i always feel like i’m taking my life in my hands there

  27. Yeah I’m normally very confident crossing the road in London, but this is one road I always feel on edge. So glad it’s a pelican and not a zebra crossing.

  28. This weekend I actually had to stand in the road and stop the traffic so @doginabag could cross with our toddler. The lights weren’t working at all and it was sooooo dangerous. Luckily I was feeling bolshy enough to step in front of moving vehicles!

  29. Not fun at all, but we are getting close, it feels like we’ll need a crossing party when it finally is done!

  30. Well, there was drama there last night. About ten fire-engines, police, ambulance and a Scientific Response Unit blocked Downs Rd. Something to do with a possible asbestos release.

  31. Peeps, this is a big announcement: the work on the crossings at Downs Road and Lower Clapton Rd is finished! The traffic lights are working, and there is proper time for pedestrians to cross. Unfortunately the new scheme didn’t stretch to allow for people to cross directly from outside New Era to the Pond, so you have to detour via Downs Rd, but who am I to complain? 2 out of 3 crossings ain’t bad…). Now, should we organise a flash mob crossing the road to celebrate?

  32. Great news!

  33. Hooray! It’s complete!

  34. Loving this new crossing, not loving the way they have left the road – there is a big hole that I hit on my scooter ride home, I’ll be attempting to get them to come and finish that bit off

    pot hole“

  35. This pothole is still an issue, I am reporting again over here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/reportastreetfault/ – useful resource for reporting issues on TfL managed streets”

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