Key information
Petition presented by: Roger Evans
Date petition submitted: Wednesday 5 March 2014
Petition presented at: London Assembly Plenary
Summary of petition
“We the undersigned request Transport for London, as the responsible Highway Authority, to implement further measures to control vehicle speeds along Clapham Common Westside from the junction with The Avenue to Battersea Rise; in particular the installation of 30mph flashing lights close to the Bowood Road junction and surface treatment of the carriageway to alert motorists”
Response information
Name of person responding: The Mayor
Response date: Monday 7 April 2014
“Dear Roger
Re: Petitions received at the London Assembly (Plenary) Meeting on 5 March 2014
Thank you for the petition which you submitted to the London Assembly on 5 March requesting the introduction of further speed control measures along Clapham Common West Side between The Avenue and Battersea Rise.
As you may be aware, Transport for London (TfL) conducted work on Clapham Common West Side last year following reports of infrastructure damage, especially near the two consecutive bends between Grandison Road and Battersea Rise, and safety concerns raised by local residents. As part of this work a speed survey was undertaken which showed that 85 per cent of vehicles observed were travelling at speeds of 29mph or lower.
In order to improve drivers’ awareness of the road layout and deter the minority of motorists speeding through the area, TfL introduced a range of new measures on Clapham Common West Side last December. These included new surface treatment to the carriageway, “SLOW” markings, virtual speed cushions and improved chevron signage. TfL believed that the combination of these measures will be effective in alerting motorists to the road alignment and curb speeding through the area. TfL intends to undertake follow up speed surveys in the near future. Clearly, if this shows continued problems we will need to consider what further measures may be needed.
Turning to the petition’s suggestion to introduce “flashing 30mph signs”, or speed indicator devices as they are known, I can confirm that TfL has not introduced such signs in recent years. This decision was based on evidence collected with indicates that such features have little lasting impact on driver behaviour and, therefore, represent poor value for money.
I can assure you TfL has taken the concerns of local residents seriously and introduced a number of measures to address the issues that have been raised. However, a review of the collision data for the section indicates that over the past three years there were four collisions in total and, following their investigations, the police confirmed that none of these collisions was caused by speeding vehicles.”