Elmbourne Road traffic calming - frequently asked questions
We have put together answers to some common questions to help residents understand more about the Elmbourne Road traffic calming measures.
Why now?
Previous improvements were carried out in 2019 and 2020 where raised tables and narrower crossing points were installed. We then needed traffic patterns to stabilise following Covid changes in travel behaviour and other interventions by us, TfL and utility companies.
Delay in the removal of the banned left turn into Ritherdon Road and planned major gas works in the area have prevented us from progressing with trialling changes to tackle poor driving behaviours.
Will this affect my deliveries?
No, an exception will be made in the suspension for loading so if loading is clearly taking place then no ticket will be issued. There will be an observation time of 5 minutes by any enforcement officer prior to issuing a ticket
Will this stop me getting dropped off or picked up by taxi?
No, passenger pick up or drop off can take place on the parking suspension, with 5 minutes of observation time for any enforcement officer prior to issuing a ticket
Do the parking suspensions mean parking is not allowed 24/7?
No, the parking suspension will be enforceable 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, parking would be permitted.
How many parking spaces will be lost during the hours 7am to 7pm?
- Tooting Bec Road - Louisville Road – 3 spaces
- Louisville Road – Drakefield Road – 10 spaces
- Drakefield Road – Streathbourne Road – 11 spaces
- Streathbourne Road – Huron Road – 8 spaces
- Huron Road – Manville Road – 7 spaces
- Bushnell Road – Bedford Hill – 4 spaces
Can fewer spaces be suspended to relieve congestion issues?
Based on the volume of traffic on Elmbourne Road the current level of parking suspensions were considered necessary to alleviate the congestion issues. Smaller passing places e.g. 10-15m are unlikely to be adequate and still result in congestion because it is common for more than 2 or 3 vehicles to be travelling together. The previous trial indicated that one or two vehicles ignoring the parking suspensions was enough to create issues on occasions. Reduced congestion and aggressive driving behaviour should lead to a more pleasant road to walk and cycle in.
What will the impact be on air quality?
Current air quality monitoring on Elmbourne Road indicates levels of NO2 are significantly below guideline thresholds and the scheme will have a negligible impact on air quality. The current diffusion tube will remain in place to provide ongoing air quality monitoring. The air quality annual progress report includes a diffusion tube on Elmbourne Road (site W30).
Why no ANPR or LTN?
The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) budget was approved by the last administration and deployment was dependent on results from the West Hill ANPR traffic management pilot. Whilst the pilot has been successful in allowing West Hill ward residents and businesses access, managing the exemption lists has required a large amount of back office time and costs.
In the Heaver Estate area, the access through the area for residents immediately to the south of Tooting Bec Road has previously been a concern given there is currently a 7am to 7pm right turn ban from A214 Tooting Bec Road onto A24 Balham High Road. Transport for London has also ruled out removal of this restriction.
What is the process from here?
An indicative timeline is shown below:
- Week commencing 2 September – Commence parking suspensions
- 12 September to 3 October – Traffic Management Order (TMO) statutory consultation advertised in local paper
- 17 September 4 to 7pm and 28 September 1 to 4pm – Drop in sessions at The Tooting Bec Lido Pavilion
- Week commencing 4 November – Installation of permanent lining and signing
I think traffic has diverted to my/another road now, what will happen about it?
There were no significant changes in traffic patterns in the initial trial. The future removal of the TfL left turn restriction into Ritherdon Road is expected to benefit side roads such as Streathbourne Road.
Has traffic modelling been undertaken to model the impacts on traffic in the area?
No, this is usually done for more substantive traffic schemes given the costs involved and the initial trial has shown no significant detrimental changes in traffic patterns.
Has a road safety audit been undertaken?
This will be done prior to implementation of permanent features such as the raised zebra crossing however it is not usually required for single yellow lines.
How will you assess if parking has been unduly restricted?
Parking occupancy surveys were carried out in the trial and showed that although there was moderate parking occupancy prior to the trial there was still good availability of spaces during the trial. The proposed parking restrictions will not affect loading or parking at off peak times i.e. outside of the hours 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday.
Will existing safety features be removed?
The carriageway parking will not be reverted back to footway parking. The existing crossing points and raised tables will not be removed with the exception of the junction with Louisville Road where the footway buildout will be removed to make room for a raised zebra crossing which would offer greater safety and prioritise pedestrians.
Will the school street be affected?
No – there will be no effect on the current school street. As part of the discussions with councillors regarding this scheme it was highlighted that better compliance would be achieved if an additional camera were installed at the Balham High Road end of Louisville Road. This has now been arranged.
Will speeds increase?
Only a small increase in mean speeds of 0.6mph was observed in the trial to 17.1mph. This small increase can be managed by the existing traffic calming and on balance is preferrable to the current aggressive behaviour and congestion.
When will the banned turn from Balham High Road into Ritherdon Road be removed?
We have been lobbying TfL to remove the banned turn and whilst they announced they would remove it last September it has technical challenges. You can read TfL’s latest update on the banned turn.
TfL have recently updated local residents and advised that 'the reopening of the left turn at Ritherdon Road, along with associated traffic signal changes, kerb amendments, and drainage will happen in Spring 2025.'
They will write again to local residents once more details are available.
Can the banned right turn from Tooting Bec Road into the A24 Balham High Road be removed?
No, extensive work has been carried out to remodel the junction of Tooting Bec Road with Trinity Road and Balham High Road. The current right turn restriction (7am to 7pm Monday to Friday) is in place for safety reasons. The removal of the banned turn at anything other than off peak times does not meet the safety requirements of TfL, who operate the traffic signals and all the roads at this junction.
It was found that there is insufficient space to facilitate right turn movements from both Tooting Bec Road and Trinity Road. The only option to allow the right turn from Tooting Bec Road would be to prevent the existing right turn movement from Trinity Road. This would have knock on effects on other residential areas.
Why are the No Motor Vehicle Restrictions being removed from the Heaver Estate?
There have been numerous enquiries regarding the historic No Motor Vehicles Except for Access restrictions between the hours of midnight to 2am and 9pm to midnight across the Heaver Estate. These were introduced over twenty years ago to enable us to address kerb crawling activities at the time. A small number of residents have raised the issue that taxi drivers have refused to pick up/drop off in the area over concern that the restriction is being enforced.
The activities are no longer an issue and the restrictions are not actively enforced therefore the proposal is to remove the restriction to eliminate any confusion and to reduce clutter.
How much will this cost and where is it funded from?
The cost of a new raised zebra crossing and associated buildout works is estimated to be £75,000 and will be funded from the Council capital budget.
So were previous measures a waste of money?
No, the previous measures have freed the footways of parked vehicles, providing improved access for pedestrians, especially those with buggies or in wheel chairs. The roads are easier to cross with raised tables, buildouts and crossing points along Elmbourne Road, Hillbury Road and Dr Johnson Avenue. The traffic volume on Elmbourne Road has also decreased over the years. Our data shows that from 2016 to 2023 – there was a 27% reduction on the section north of Bushnell Road and a reduction of between 19 and 30% on the southern section near Tooting Bec Road.
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 227 | 161 | 388 |
| PM peak hour | 221 | 233 | 454 |
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 155 | 140 | 295 |
| PM peak hour | 137 | 213 | 350 |
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 167 | 125 | 283 |
| PM peak hour | 166 | 184 | 330 |
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 329 | 165 | 494 |
| PM peak hour | 242 | 243 | 485 |
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 242 | 108 | 350 |
| PM peak hour | 172 | 182 | 354 |
| Time | NE bound | SW bound | Combined |
| AM peak hour | 234 | 130 | 343 |
| PM peak hour | 201 | 196 | 389 |
The latest traffic volumes are still over 300 vehicles per hour, why are you not restricting traffic further?
Our Traffic Management Policy does set 300vph as a threshold for investigation of further traffic management measures. As traffic volumes have reduced significantly the 300vph is not necessarily a target for further reduction. Due to the constraints in the local area, easing the pressure points causing conflicts, maintaining the previous traffic calming and low speeds (17-18mph) and pedestrian improvements is considered the best way forward.