tfl trees > cyclists lol(?)

Had a couple of emails ages ago about some crap to do with buses(once tfl get your email they send you huge amounts of irrelevant crap). So I respond to each and every one. Anyway I dislike the road by streatham common so banged that into a reply a few weeks back.

Subject: Re: Bikes on buses

So why email me this(copy paste at end of email)? What use is knowing where a bus stop is if I can't get on and have a perfectly good bike lol

Also can you fix the road alongside streatham common, the wall/4ft curb blocks escape in much the same way as roadside railings and poor road surface along with dual carriageway traffic can cause cyclists to weave instead of ride in a constant secondary position, is a disaster waiting to happen. You could fix the road, fix the wall/curb or even make a cycle path that goes onto the common and make the path shared but I would guess it's too much effort.

Thanks for your reply.
Chris

Quoted email.

Dear Mr xxxxx,

I am writing to let you know we have introduced new features to our website, including the following for cyclists:

A more intuitive Journey Planner, which saves recent searches and provides a recommended cycling route with the journey time clearly displayed

A new ‘Nearby’ feature, which gives you a map of all our services in your vicinity, such as bus stops, Tube stations and river piers as well as live information on departure times

A new road status board, which gives you live traffic information on major roads.

So then today I got this reply...

Dear Mr xxxxx

Thank you for your reply and for your continued patience while I liaised with our various teams responsible for the condition of the road surface, the implementation of a cycle lane or the removal of the wall on Streatham High Road. I am very sorry for the time it has taken to provide you with this response.

I can confirm that, having thoroughly investigated your request for the removal of the high kerb / wall, our Capital Development team have found that this would have a detrimental effect on the stability of the mature trees at this location.

Our Capital Development team have a study to identify road safety improvements at this location, planned for the end of this year. Please be assured that if there are collisions involving cyclists we would be happy to investigate a route through the Common, however this may not mean that a cycle path along the road is implemented. It may also be found that including a paved path at higher level may fall foul of a safety audit and may still harm the trees. Unfortunately, until our study has been carried out, I am unable to comment any further on proposed action.

Finally, with regards to your comments on the condition of the road surface, our Highways Maintenance team have instructed their inspectors to visit the site for inspection and issue maintenance orders where required; I trust you will notice the improvement in due course.

I hope that this formation has addressed your concerns, however if you need any further assistance please feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely

xxxxx

Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

Removed names but am I reading that right that even if someone has an accident your life/safety isn't as important as the trees?

It might well be the case that there are some sort of binding planning laws in place around messing with mature trees that even TFL cant bypass? Sure somebody more knowledgable/bored will be along jn a minute to explain.

"Please be assured that if there are collisions involving cyclists we would be happy to investigate a route through the Common,"

==

"we'll do fuck all unless there's a KSI, lol"

I was tempted to add a little brass plate to the bench reading fuck the trees but decided it was a bit much.

I'm going to leave instructions with my loved ones that a tree is cut down to build my coffin and a 2nd one is cut down to make the lid. I would also like a 3rd cut down to make space to dig the hole and if possible a 4th cut down and made into a bench. Hopefully this added risk to the worlds trees will spur tfl into action to make the roads safer for me and sadly less safe for the trees.

Thanks for your response.
Chris

Really tho it's just a matter of adding a green bike light to the traffic light and drawing in a cycle lane across the junction and then signs to say the existing path is now shared. I'm actually tempted to draw up some sort of plan with pictures and shit to send them.

It might well be the case that there are some sort of binding planning laws in place around messing with mature trees that even TFL cant bypass? Sure somebody more knowledgable/bored will be along jn a minute to explain.

Tree preservation order, also what bits are TfL and what bits are Lambeth.

It might well be the case that there are some sort of binding planning laws in place around messing with mature trees that even TFL cant bypass? Sure somebody more knowledgable/bored will be along jn a minute to explain.

yeah ill explain,
you cant touch trees for shit, ever, even if youre brenda, whos got the swans covered

i would be very surprised if they dont make your request a priority and do something. now...

It's revenge of the trees... So many roadside trees were culled because drivers kept crashing into them. Look at motorways... Tree free zones

Street trees often fall outside the confines of the TPO, except for individual trees which have been identified as significant or those within blanket area TPOs. Being outside these constraints allow remdial works to be carried out quickly if a limb breaks out or it's damaged by being hit by a vehicle. I don't miss working on street trees in town. Major hassle...
Surely more roadside trees should help people to slow down a bit if they're worried about crashing into them?

Oh and fuck cutting down a tree to put a cycle lane in.

Surely more roadside trees should help people to slow down a bit if they're worried about crashing into them?

Such enlightened thinking
Old school road safety people preferred to cut them down so drivers can fuck up and still not crash into a tree. You have come up with a road danger reduction (UTFS) solution

#lightbulb.jpg

More trees = more work.
#selfishgit

But yeah basically if they took away that "tree" lets for arguments sake call it a railing or fence then allowed people to cycle along the path it would save cycling along by the weird wall with trucks flying past to make the next set of lights(I didn't understand why everyone would speed up so much until I noticed the first 2 cars off the line can make the next lights(mid common).

No major construction or demolition, might take moving the traffic light right a bit and dropping a bit of curb and then a couple of cycle/people signs and a line along the path. The other end of the common it's easier as they haven't got that "tree" I mean railing/fence.

leave the trees alone and the common.

it is the drivers that should be giving way for improved safety. 20 mph please !

They're likely under a tree protection order, meaning no works to be carried out that could interfere with root structure or risk killing the tree. Every tree species has an average root radius calculated. That number, if I remember rightly, is the minimum distance any works may be done, from said tree.

The chances are, the road was there long before the regulations came in to effect, and since then the wall has had to be built to prevent a maturing line of trees from leaning/falling across/near the road.

The wall may be within the tree's root radius already, works can't be don't to alter the wall, therefore the wall won't be going anywhere fast.

I might be wrong, but I think that's the gist of it. Health and safety for everyone probably trumps a few cyclists in this case, and trees falling on roads isn't good for anyone

"Please be assured that if there are collisions involving cyclists we would be happy to investigate a route through the Common,"

==

"we'll do fuck all unless there's a KSI, lol"

Is no one else perturbed that a tfl customer service representative wrote this?

That is extremely concerning.