To ask if commuting by car from south to north London daily is madness? *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[oldbuthappygothgirl]

I live in Lewisham, and have been offered a job near Alexander Palace. I'm disabled so public transport is not a realistic option.
Am I crazy considering this commute 5 days a week? I think if there are no traffic issues it'll be ok. But in all likelihood there are going to be, aren't there?!

Title should say London,dammit!

I suppose it depends what times you will be driving?

Driving anywhere in London is a nightmare, and lewisham to Ally Pally is likely going to take you straight through central London. Not sure of the nature of your disability but are trains not an option for you at all? Off peak as a reasonable adjustment?

Actually if it’s Alexandra Palace itself, it’s also at the top of an extremely steep hill and not particularly close to the station.

I've just googled and it's an hour so that will be minimum 1.5 hrs I would think realistically.

The job is 9-5 so peak commuting time sadly. It's not at Ally Pally the building, but ally pally the area!

Op, we've now edited your thread title, as requested.

It will be a hell of a lot of time sitting in traffic. During school hols not too bad; any other time it would be too much I fear

I used to do that commute-ish by train and it was bad enough then. I currently have to drive from Croydon to Southwark area and in the mornings when it’s not school traffic it takes an hour, when the schools are back it’s easily 1hr45. You’d be either going out and in (via Dartford toll) or Blackwall tunnel which is a notorious morning black spot. I wouldn’t do it unless I could seriously adjust the hours to travel at a more reasonable time.

Could you drive and commute part of the way?

God no, will be knackering and take at least 1.5 hours. It would be an hour at the weekend.

Google maps suggests through the blackwall tunnel, A13 out to A406 and then round to Ally Pally. A clear run at this time of night is 45m. You’re probably looking at closer to double that during peak rush hour.

A similar route is blackwall tunnel, A12 and join A406 at Redbridge roundabout. I would definitely check routes before setting off daily.

I guess it depends on what your current position is. If you’re not working perhaps give it a go and leave if it gets too much.

If you want the job, could you plan to commute for now and move closer in the long run

Don't do it. It'll take you two hours easily in the rush hour.

Unless you can find a way of taking public transport (I don't know the nature of your disability so can't comment further), then you either need a job closer to home, or to move if this is the only suitable job.

There is also a tfl grant that has been given to make the area local to Ally Pally hostile to through traffic, which will make it even worse.

No way in a million years. Dartford crossing is s nightmare, shuts for wind, train, lorry breakdowns, the whole area gridlocks for hours. Blackwall tunnel, North circular is no better and that part of the A12 is like a car park on a regular basis. I know the area well and used to drive around it a lot for a job and wouldn't touch or to get to work those hours and on a daily basis.

Could you request 8-4?

@Medicmog what's the grant and what will it do?

@CrapSouzette I can ask, it may be an option. Would that make a huge difference though? It's not looking positive for me!

I live near Ally Pally and sometimes drive to visit friends in Bromley. The last time it took me 2 hours to get from home to just through the blackwall tunnel. It was over 3 hours coming back (the blackwall tunnel was closed!). I work in East London very close to entrance of the Blackwall tunnel and that takes just over an hour and I start work at 8am. I wouldn’t do it. Realistically you are looking at, at least 2 hours in the morning and afternoon. The north circular is also a bit of a nightmare

Just checked the step free public transport route and that's 1hr40mins station to station, so not including the journeys at either side of that. So I'm going to have to turn it down I think 🙁

I can ask, it may be an option. Would that make a huge difference though? It's not looking positive for me!
Actually - just checked and not much difference if you shift an hour, sorry. I’m sure you’ve googlemapped it also and you’ll have the accurate postcodes.

OP I drive a lot in central London in the early morning and it’s very quiet but you’d be at work at 7!!

But even for me that is a true beast of a drive. No chance you could pass probation and move closer if you love it?

It would have been hell on earth 30 years ago when I lived just beyond Coulsdon in Surrey. That's why we decided to move to north Herts.

Apart from the fact that the house we bought cost us a third of the value of our house in Surrey, it was also quicker to get from Buntingford in North Hertfordshire to Park Royal in North London than it was to get to Park Royal from the South London/Surrey borders.

Honestly, unless you are in a position to move north of the river fairly soon, just don't do it.

OP - I used to live in Sydenham and travelled to Alexandra Palace to see relations fairly often.

Lewisham is further away than Sydenham in any case.

It took me almost two hours by public transport.

Driving in peak times (and don't forget the Congestion Charge) will take you at least two hours.

So that's four hours (at least) driving very slowly through London five days a week.

Turn the job down. I assure you that it's too far. Sorry.

And if you're thinking of public transport:

Lewisham to London Bridge. (British Rail)

London Bridge to Finsbury Park (Tube. Change Once.)

W3 bus to Ally Pally (after a very long walk up the tube exit to the bus station) packed bus which takes 20 mins to get to A.P.

Walk at other end.

DO A DAY'S WORK

Whole journey in reverse, plus walking home from station at the other end.

A bazillion times worse if you're disabled.

Forget it. Sorry again.