Improvements

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Please join us on Saturday 29 September at 10:00 am in front of No 60 to discuss this proposal and decide the next steps

Garden Walk sounds like a promise of flowers and leisurely walking. But the reality of our street is often very different. Here are some suggestions to get the “walk” and the “garden” back into our street. We want it to be a shared space for all, not a rat-run for drivers to save a few seconds. Many pedestrians and cyclists use our street to get to the center or access their homes in the North: together we deserve a street that serves all of us better. We have a vision of our road where pedestrians, bikes and cars co-exist in a safe environment, where drivers respect the residential nature of our street. We’d like our children to be able to play on the street.

Following the successful Jubilee Street Party, a group of  residents (20, 33, 35, 41, 49, 63, 77, 99) walked up and down Garden Walk, listing some issues we would like to see addressed. Together we have come up with a few suggestions for improvements. Please let us know what you think. We need your feedback, suggestions and corrections so that we can ask for a meeting with city planners and discuss implementation.

The facts: Garden Walk is not a one-way street. It is a two way street with a “No Entry” sign at Victoria Road, and a “Access Only” sign at Bateson Rd. / Stretten Ave. At Victoria Road, a short bike lane has been marked on the pavement which allows bikes to by-pass the “No Entry” sign. Hence: Bikes are welcome in both directions. Cars can drive in both directions, but only for “Access” (not for driving through). The street auditors felt that much would be gained if these facts were better understood.
We want cars to slow down. 20 MPH and “Access Only” signs will help to reduce speeds and lead to less aggressive encounters between cars and bicycles. Again and again drivers fail to see the “Access Only” sign and believe the oncoming cyclist is in breach of the law - this is a perfect recipe for conflict and agression.

Reduction in vehicle speeds are already achieved through a “natural” chicane around # 30 where car parking changes sides. This helps to slow down traffic. Additional “chicanes” or bottlenecks would be useful. Options could be:

1. Change the side of parking a second time towards the middle of the road. 
2. Signage highlighting the presence of bikes and pedestrians: “Cars yield to oncoming bikes and to pedestrians” with a bi-directional bike marking on the street. (Challenging conditions of the pavement, especially for push-chairs and wheel chair users, sunken curbs with very steep angles which are hard to navigate). 
3. Bike Parking: The street offers parking for 55 cars, perhaps one of those spaces could be converted into a on street bike parking structure (especially if parking by non-residents can be reduced). If big enough, it could help to reduce car speeds and add convenience for those who use bikes with trailers and find it difficult to naviate them onto their own property. 

Pavements generally are not wide enough and in a very poor state. On the Eastern side, between Nos 16 - 34, no curb exists. The pavement is marked visually only. Help drivers to yield to pedestrians by increasing the width and distinctiveness of the optical “pavement area.”
Along Peter Maitland Ct, the pavement is wide and comfortable. Wooden poles on the pavement in the past prevented vehicles from parking in front of the building. They should be re-instated.

Suggested Actions:  Signage:

• Double Yellow Lines at Victoria Road junction are degraded and need re-painting
• Victoria Road “No Entry” sign, add “Except Bicycles” (“Bikes Welcome”) sign
• “Access Only” signage at Bateson Rd is only visible from one direction. Improve visibility, add signage to make restricted status of street clear to turning vehicles (add two times “Access Only”)
• Extend traffic lane divider line at Northern end to No 86, re-paint stop line, perhaps add bollard.
• Add signage to warn downhill cyclists turning from Bateson Rd into Garden Walk of counterflow traffic
• Other Improvements: Road cleaning, curbs in a bad state, road markings worn out, sewers blocked, telephone pole in front of No 68 is badly placed and blocks sidewalk

Other Issues: Parking by non-residents.

Please comment below if you want to raise additional issues and join us on Saturday 29 September at 10:00 am in front of No 60 to discuss this proposal and decide the next steps. We need a few volunteers to meet with city planners.