Call for parking changes around Abbey Wood station after Elizabeth line surge
Calls are being made to extend parking controls around Abbey Wood station following a surge in vehicles since the Elizabeth line opened.
A petition is calling for a number of alterations to existing parking including longer restrictions as well as improved enforcement. Currently parking zones operate for just two hours a day and not on weekends allowing people to park for extended periods of time.
It states: “The lack of effective enforcement has led to increasingly unsafe parking behaviour, particularly at weekends:
- Vehicles parked on bends and at junction corners.
- Cars obstructing double and single yellow lines.
- Vehicles blocking pavements.
“This creates real safety concerns: Parents with prams, residents with buggies, and wheelchair users are often unable to cross safely. Sight lines at junctions are reduced, and pedestrian access is compromised.”
Previous extension
Controlled Parking Zones were extended on the Greenwich side of the borough boundary, though this only happened a substantial period of time after the new rail line had begun and parking problems became endemic.
However, even after extension it covers a limited area and crucially avoids some areas which now attract far more cars. One such spot is Eynsham Drive which is the main road through the estate.
This has blocked buses on a number of occasions.
Bexley borough
On the Bexley side of the boundary poor parking is also often seen, including on New Road.
Meanwhile an area within Greenwich borough on Felixstowe Road – but where an agreement means Bexley are supposed to manage – still sees many vehicles parking on pedestrianised space daily.
The paving is trashed. Both authorities pass the buck. A typical story in Abbey Wood where the borough boundary runs through the town.
While the area of parking is on private land it’s accessible via the road but neither council does anything to prevent car existing the road to drive across. Parking in the Greenwich-controlled part further along is often overlooked ensuring blind spots with the road dangerous to cross.
In the near future a vets is to open in a unit there. Without any sort of changes it looks like that area could become even more liable for parking issues causing difficulties to passing traffic and pedestrians.
The petition concludes:
“We therefore call on the Royal Borough of Greenwich to:
1- Extend CPZ enforcement to include Saturdays and Sundays.
2- Extend weekday enforcement beyond the current 11:00–13:00 window to prevent deliberate circumvention.
3- Increase visible parking enforcement to address unsafe and illegal parking.”
Wot abahrt them lime bikes dumped everywhere rahnd ere. You never do reports on them on ere. They block pavements n stop people walkin gettin by.
I know it sounds silly and stupid but since Abbey Wood station was rebuilt and redeveloped as part of Crossrail (which is now called Elizabeth Line).
Would there be a multi-storey car park built next to the railway station to accommodate lots of cars for commuters to park their vehicles when travelling on the Elizabeth Line and National Rail (GTR Thameslink and Southeastern).
And to keep the local community happy without seeing vehicles parked up on their streets. My suggestion would be for a large multi-storey car park to be built next door to the railway station at Abbey Wood.
It was short sighted for the councils to not provision for passenger pick up and drop off areas. Not everyone feels safe in public transport (Just this week Plumstead was grid lock with a assault on a bus), and the increased use of taxis has caused substantial issues, and locals do struggle to park due to this. However weekends would primarily be locals parking for hours not taxis.
It would be ideal for a larger area for pick up and dropping passengers , perhaps the old area that was the original car park which seems to have disappeared.
This would free the road and help with congestion causing delays in busses .
But I guess it would not make money which would be the primary goal again..
Where would a pick up point be in Abbey Wood that has sufficient capacity? People can drop off at Felixstowe Road at quieter times and Sainsburys car park is two minutes away but any closer/larger spots would be overwhelmed in peak periods. Putting one in the car park under the bridge would cause even worse tailbacks on approaches which are gridlocked now. It’d also slow buses leaving from beneath the bridge and those are key routes taking thousands each day from fast growing areas. Make buses like the 244 and Superloops worse and even more people would drive. Perhaps if car parking were removed along Wilton Road to free up space for approaches to a drop-off beneath the flyover and helping not to block buses but then people would complain about that and I’m not sure there’s space. There’s no way you’d get two lines of parked traffic, cars heading for a new drop-off and frequent buses down Wilton Road without gridlock.
Ultimately it’s a problem that cannot be solved by a drop-off being bigger as more homes are built and numbers driving and taking a bus will only go up. Best option is better rail connections into Abbey Wood from areas with drop off space. In addition in Abbey Wood the Sainsburys car park is not far at all and should suffice for most. A two-three minute walk (or a minute jogging)
Wouldn’t make any difference if the DLR Thamesmead extension was to extend to Abbey Wood that would cause more problems for locals living in the area. And seeing more cars parked up on residential streets close to the station. And adding more frustration to the community.
I’ve been to Abbey Wood station and I have seen some cars parked up on residential streets close to the station. But I think it’s just normal including for those who commute into Central London using the Elizabeth Line or using Southeastern or Thameslink trains from Abbey Wood. And can’t find somewhere to park.