Brixton Hill councillors are continuing to work with residents of Kildoran, Glenelg and Strathleven roads to address rat running and dangerous driving. Since the issue was first raised by councillors, there have been two serious crashes in these roads, one into a front garden, and residents are understandably concerned by the threat, noise and pollution.
Prior to the accidents, a petition had already been started by Cllr Martin Tiedemann and this was handed in to the Council by Cllr Adrian Garden earlier this year. This has ensured that the cabinet member responsible takes the issue seriously. Residents have continued to write in their concerns and attended our surgery to lobby over the issue this week.
The Council has now confirmed that it will be improving signage to remind drivers this is a 20mph area and to deter rat running. There will also be a proposal to deter through traffic cutting through from Kings Avenue to Brixton by banning right turns into Acre Lane from Strathleven Road.
Brixton Hill Labour councillors have also written to the Council to ask that the new road markings on Strathleven Road be reviewed. Cycle markings are, we believe, currently too close to parked cars, encouraging cyclists to cycle in an unsafe position and cars to overtake when not safe to do so.
We will continue to push the Council to move the issue along and will ask them to consider other solutions with the permission of residents if these do not have the desired effect, such as changing access to roads or chicanes.
Local residents have formed a Facebook Group to keep each other informed and engaged – get in contact for more details.
We Love Brixton Hill & Acre Lane 
I cycle every day into the centre from Brixton Hill and these little back roads around BHill and Acre Lane are where I routinely experience the most aggressive, illegal and dangerous driving on a 6 mile route. One of the most regular offenders is the driver of a council service bus who drives straight at me at 30mph when I have right of way between parked cars. More signs will have no effect at all – the people who drive like this are anti social and believe it’s their right to drive fast – they aren’t doing it cos they didn’t see a sign! What a hilariously ineffectual offering. I’d like to see lots of chicanes and bumps to actually slow drivers down. I’d like to see decent bike lines designed by someone who understands how bicycles use the road including contra flows. I’d like to see all the local schools actively promoting walking and cycling and actively discouraging driving. Id like to see these residential streets closed to traffic once a month for play out days after school or at weekends. I’d like to see all those giant bins that currently block the pavements cleared and replaced by regular waste stations that are situated on the road. Until people have presence on our streets they will keep on belonging to cars.
Totally agree with your concerns, I have experienced them too as a resident, cyclist, pedestrian and driver. But I would encourage you that the Councillors seem to genuinely get it and want to make our streets liveable and enjoyable for locals – they organised a road safety survey of residents to build the case for action and the extra road signs are just the beginning, no-one thinks they will be enough. The Council is looking at consulting on an option to ban right turns from Strathleven Road to Acre Lane, the vast majority of non-local (speeding) traffic is using these roads as a cut-through from Kings Avenue to Brixton town centre. Local residents have a Facebook group, F.R.O.G. (Friends and Residents Of Glenelg) – you’d be welcome to join to stay in touch with developments and add your voice.
Blocking right turns is inconvenient for residents too. Much better to have some sort of barriers part way along Kildoran, Mandrell, etc, like at the top of Strathleven, so that rat-runners can’t get through, but residents can come and go.