Another botched London transport scheme: Streatham deserves better than this mess

This is yet another example of Transport for London spending public money on a piecemeal scheme that pleases nobody.

Liberal Democrats have long supported renovation of the central reservation on Streatham Hill, to match the work we campaigned for and secured in the 2010s further south on Streatham High Road.

The addition of more street trees and reorganisation of the road to stop it feeling like a three-lane motorway is long, long overdue.

However, TfL’s blueprint arbitrarily closes multiple residential streets at their junctions with the A23, for no good reason.

It also involves ‘floating’ bus stops where passengers find themselves getting off buses and almost straight into the path of passing cyclists.

Moreover, the cycling infrastructure proposed is a complete letdown to everyone who wants to see safer cycling. What is needed are proper segregated cycle lanes on each side of Streatham Hill, running all the way to Brixton.

Instead, these proposals see a bidirectional cycle lane alternate on different sides of the road over a section less than one mile in length.

In consequence, cyclists going south from Holmewood Road to Streatham Hill Station will be asked to cross over the A23 twice in that short distance to keep within the cycle lanes provided. That is palpably absurd.

It should not be beyond the wit of City Hall to come up with a scheme which meets the objective of making the A23 safer and greener for all without this major upheaval.

Meanwhile, a five-year-old consultation cannot be relied on as the basis for going forward with works when resident turnover in our area is so high and traffic flow has since been fundamentally altered by the Streatham Hill low traffic neighbourhood.

It’s time to press pause, listen to residents and come up with a new plan that gives Streatham Hill a town centre feel, helps cyclists and improves the natural environment - without causing chaos into the bargain.

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Donna Harris is Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Lambeth Council

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