South London Street: Locals Fear Pedestrian Death From Rat Run Traffic

People in South London are worried about speeding drivers. They live on a street used as a shortcut and residents fear someone will get hurt. The speed limit there is 20 mph and residents say traffic increased a lot in 2024 after TfL closed a nearby road to cars.

This road closure banned right turns, affecting drivers going to Central London, who could no longer turn onto Klea Avenue. Klea Avenue helped drivers avoid traffic, especially since the A205 meets the A24 near there. TfL said Lambeth Council asked for this change after residents complained about speeding cars on Klea Avenue for years.

Now, Elms Road residents have a new problem; TfL’s changes moved the traffic to their street. Joel Roach, who lives on Elms Road, thinks a pedestrian could be killed soon because cars drive too fast on his street all of the time. He believes an accident will happen and someone could be hit by a car, and he is surprised the council waits for this and wants action taken right away to help.

Roach has two kids, ages nine and eleven, and he worries about them crossing Elms Road. He almost got hit several times; cars are speeding down the street. Elms Road always had speeding issues, but the amount of traffic doubled, which increased the number of speeding drivers.

Linda Carling also lives there and states that people respond rudely when asked to slow down. A school is located on Elms Road. Sat navs used to direct cars down Klea Avenue, where drivers used side streets to get to the A24.

Now, sat navs tell drivers to use Rodenhurst Road, then Hambalt Road and Elms Crescent, and finally drive down Elms Road, after the changes in 2024. Roach wants slower traffic on Elms Road, believing that this will help more than banning turns, as slower speeds would make Elms Road less appealing, and sat navs would then suggest other routes.

Klea Avenue residents had many accidents before and Lynette Avenue residents also saw speeding problems. These streets were used as shortcuts far too often. Councillor Alison Inglis-Jones takes the issue seriously, as traffic increased by seventy three percent and she will push for a solution, hoping officials will act quickly.

Councillor Rezina Chowdhury is in charge of streets and she is committed to dealing with traffic. The council will monitor traffic this spring and assess the effects of recent road changes. The council will find solutions for the community and plans to reduce road dangers.

A TfL spokesperson said the council requested the changes, wanting to restrict traffic on two streets. TfL continues to support the council and together, they want to lessen the impact of traffic.