Shardeloes Road is a residential street where many families live.  It's also an important walking route for children going to and from school.  But a recent seven-month traffic survey of more than 1.6 million vehicles confirms what residents see every day: the road is not safe.

Between April and December 2025, the survey showed that the 20 mph speed limit is not working.  The road layout does not naturally slow drivers down.  Almost a quarter of cars travelled at 25 mph or more, and nearly 16,000 cars were recorded at speeds above 43 mph - more than twice the legal limit.  According to TfL, a pedestrian hit at that speed is very unlikely to survive.

Heavy vehicles such as lorries, buses and vans make up more than 27% of the traffic on Shardeloes Road.  This makes the road feel intimidating and unsafe for pedestrians, children, older people and those with mobility issues.

Right now, the road is designed for cars rather than for pedestrians and local residents.  There are many design problems, including:

• Having only one 20 mph sign for southbound drivers, and none for traffic travelling in the opposite direction.
• Speed bumps that are ineffective and, in some places, push traffic closer to pedestrians.
• Between Vesta Road and St Donatts Road, pavements are often blocked by parked cars and wheelie bins, forcing parents with buggies and wheelchair users into the road.
• Along the same stretch, the road narrows without warning, leading to frequent accidents, including head-on collisions, and confrontations between drivers.
• The roundabout with Vesta Road doesn't make cars slow down and pedestrians have no protection - pavements are narrow, kerbs are dropped and there are no barriers to stop vehicles mounting the pavement.

By signing this petition, we ask that Lewisham Council take urgent emergency action to address the dangerous speeds and many road design problems on Shardeloes Road.  We also ask the Council to include Shardeloes Road in the upcoming Brockley Cross to Brockley Rise Road Safety Scheme.

--

See a summary of the road traffic survey and the raw data.

See a summary of the road design failures.

A personal thank you to Edward Parker Humphreys who has offered encouragement and support to this campaign.  Edward is running for election in the May local elections.