Forum Topic

New Road Layout Uxbridge Road - Hanwell to Southall

I'm told that the council are planning new road layouts on the Uxbridge Road including cycle lanes with wands and removing of lay bys for buses so they stop in the main traffic lane. I was unable to find any details about them so I'd be grateful if someone could confirm this is what is planned and point me in the direction of where I could find the plans. Also, if there is anyone who thinks this is a good idea could they explain to me how this is consistent with the concept of LTNs. I thought that the policy was to redirect traffic onto 'distributor roads' of which the Uxbridge Road is clearly one. If you restrict traffic flow on distributor roads aren't you just going to get wash back into LTNs which will be worse as the increased traffic will have to circle around barriers? 

Gordon Southwell ● 1879d9 Comments

The situation on the Acton Vale stretch of the Uxbridge Road is a concern and I think you are right, it does all boil down to money. The Council's financial position is dire and the cash collected from fines will plug some of the gaps. Remember however that the idea of implementing these schemes through Experimental Traffic Orders is one that comes from central government. The Department of Transport have not called for the scrapping of a single scheme implemented by a local authority anywhere in the country that they have funded in this way.The only reasonable conclusion is that the government have given council's carte blanche to use these traffic measures for revenue generation purposes rather than to encourage sustainable transport in the belief that this will reduce the amount of financial support the Treasury has to give to local authorities.

Mark Evans ● 1872d

I posted a piece on Acton Forum last month about the poor traffic management of Acton Vale the continuation of Uxbridge Road towards Shepherds Bush and the lack of white lines down the center of the road. Large vehicles, buses forcing other road users into the 24hr bus line as they drive down the middle of the road because of the oversized bicycle lane. Ealing Council are mad if they think they are improving the lives of us residents it is doing the total opposite. This evening London Tonight shared a piece on Ealing's LTN's and the harm it is causing locals.. and the amount of money they have collected in 1 month from fines £500,000.00p Why should they stop this madness when they are getting all this money...

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 1878d

Those bus stops also have the cycle lane behind them.Also the reducing the lanes on Windmill Road will hinder the lorries going to Noon Foods too.This goes past Virendra Sharma MP's Iron Bridge imaginary boundary, so might make him want to oppose it.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/downloads/download/5906/southall_to_hanwell_uxbridge_road_proposed_cycle_route_drawings

Leslie Bailey ● 1878d

You won’t get any sense from Paul. He wants all cars banned, even electric ones. More planes from Heathrow are ok though, apparently.But it’s a very good point. The LTNs were supposed to discourage using ‘residential roads’ and redirect traffic to main roads, hence the claim that you can still get to your house but it might take longer by a different route. A very halfwitted plan, especially if you make those main roads so congested the traffic doesn’t move.

Simon Hayes ● 1878d

Paul, any chance you could explain why I have it wrong. The rationale for LTNs is taken pretty much verbatim from the explanation given by Ealing Council.

Gordon Southwell ● 1878d

Look at Chiswick High Rd, a car park.You  are right they are anti car & as you say not in touch with the real world.How the hell do goods of any kind get from A to B, farcical

Peter Yale ● 1878d

" I thought that the policy was to redirect traffic onto 'distributor roads' of which the Uxbridge Road is clearly one."You have this wrong.

Paul James ● 1878d

What they really want is an end to any private vehicle ownership and use in Ealing. If you close all the roads or make them so slow to negotiate people will stop driving. That’s the theory.Of course, like most such theories, it ignores the realities of everyday life. It’s bad enough along that stretch as it is.

Simon Hayes ● 1878d

Thank God the Tram was never built. This shows that they want to make the Uxbridge road the most polluted road in London in order to justify more daft schemes. This would cause massive Bus queues especially for the 607 which would no longer be an express bus. Buses overtake others at stops all the time.

Peter Chadburn ● 1879d