If ever there were a case of trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot, this stretch of Putney Hill is it. There has to be a short stretch of dual carriageway, as it were, there to prevent the much worse accidents that used to occur in the past when drivers tried to cross the road from either section of St John’s Avenue. The most common accident is now caused by northbound vehicles trying to go two abreast through the narrows – just about feasible if you do it at two miles per hour, watching door mirrors carefully, but invariably not, otherwise. Vehicles pulled into St John’s Avenue to swap insurance company details are all too common a sight. Yes, there is a warning sign telling of road narrows ahead, for those unfamiliar with the layout, but there is so much street furniture around, it can get overlooked; and may well be hidden if there is a bus in the bus lane. Significantly, what is missing is a big white arrow in the middle lane, warning drivers to pull towards the nearside. This could be of help. From the pedestrian’s perspective, Matt’s suggestions make a lot of sense. The pavement is seriously narrow, and when it is raining, two large umbrellas can’t pass without a fair amount of juggling – or walking on to the roadway. Likewise, it’s difficult when meeting two people insistent on walking two abreast. I have tried pushing a bike across the crossing to which James Milnes refers. If you loiter in the centre, front and rear wheels protrude either side of the curbing, into the two carriageways – unless you position the bike at 45 degrees. With your buggy, James, you must experience the same nightmare. It’s a far from straightforward crossing. Motorbikes in particular quite frequently go the wrong side of the central barrier [ouch!]; last month I saw a car do the same going south, i.e. up the hill, so that it could take a short cut into St John’s Avenue; and if too many people try to cross at once, in both directions, you run the risk of inadequate space upon which to stand in the centre.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Crossing Putney Hill	06/10/09 15:10:00	James Milnes
Re:Crossing Putney Hill	06/10/09 16:51:00	Suzanne Taylor
Re:Crossing Putney Hill	06/10/09 16:51:00	John Horrocks
Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	06/10/09 17:12:00	James Milnes
Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	06/10/09 17:55:00	Suzanne Taylor
Re:Crossing Putney Hill	10/02/10 13:14:00	James Milnes
Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	10/02/10 13:19:00	Jean Gilmore
Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	10/02/10 21:21:00	Leslie McDonnell
Re:Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	11/02/10 12:53:00	Richard Jennings
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	11/02/10 13:07:00	James Milnes
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	11/02/10 16:00:00	Alan Sherman
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	12/02/10 15:48:00	M Blissett
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Crossing Putney Hill	12/02/10 22:46:00	James Dixon

Forum Home