Petition against implementation of a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) in Westcombe Park and Maze Hill

In short, we do not want Greenwich council to block all the access roads that run North/South between Woolwich Road and the A2/Blackheath.  

I like many of you have just received a letter through the post informing me of proposed changes to road layouts in the Westcombe Park/Vanburgh hill area. The letter does not include a map of the propsed changes which in itself is misleading, it then directs you to a website where you can find the map, some assumptions and disinformation and participate in a perfunctory, tickbox survey. The nature of which is so shamefully leading, to the point of being manipulative, that I actually find it offensive.

There have been a number of changes to the traffic system over the years around Greenwich, all of which have been to the detriment of the motorist. The council says that 40% of residents don't have access to a car, which means that they are deliberately ignoring the the 60% of motorists whose life has been made significantly more miserable by policies targeted at a minority. 

If the council were concerned about traffic in the local area, more efforts would have been made to finalise and construct another river crossing point for example. They would also not have allowed the building of a huge Ikea which has significantly increased the traffic in the local area, particularly at weekends.

The council say they are punishing the people who use rat runs, but what about those of us who want to drive down our own streets, why are we being punished? We are the people that drive down these streets more than anyone else and by cutting them off, we will be forced to take make much longer journeys, and the traffic on the main roads as a result will be unbearable. The council don't seem to understand that you cannot keep forcing ever more traffic into an ever narrowing bottleneck without alternative solutions. The answer to which cannot be, "well just give up your cars".

The proposed changes will add significant time to all my local car journeys and cut me off from local areas that I will not otherwise be able to get to without going significantly out of my way, therefore spending more time in the car sitting in traffic, thereby causing more pollution, something you are apparently trying to reduce. It is impractial for some and inconvenient for others.

It is a well proven fact that more traffic jams with cars idling, causes more pollution than cars that are moving. The council have already made our lives miserable and made traffic in Greenwich so much worse by imposing this LTN in West Greenwich and by constructing outrageously oversized cycle lanes. This is yet another poorly conceived road layout change, by a overtly woke and detached council who do not think through the practicalities of momentous decisions as long as they can tick their green and socially responsible box. 

Anyone who lives on the North side of the railway line is effectively being cut off from Blackheath, the shops at the Blackheath standard, the parks in Charlton, etc. unless they can walk or cycle. Driving will become an impractical nightmare, that is more hassle than it's worth. 

In my opinion, this will make make traffic and air pollution in Greenwich worse and life living in Greenwich worse as a consequence.

Please sign this petition to stop the barriers!

Daniel Jack    Contact the author of the petition