Forum Topic

Obstruction on the Uxbridge Road

This week I attended a GP appointment near Ealing Common and a visit to Ealing Hospital. Both were accessed using the excellent and numerous bus routes along the Uxbridge Road but these trips were severely hampered by "Road Works". Clearly a misnoma. I couldn't see anyone working! Who can sort this out? I know humans can be fallable but to plonk self-controlled temporary traffic lights just east of the Lido junction and then walk away while the traffic backs up is not right. More abusive is the fact that there are just about and only just about 4 lanes in this section of the Uxbridge Road. Surely you can close 2 lanes and leave room for traffic in both directions in the two remaining lanes. The cost of these "traffic queues" is easily computed as costs to the economy. Over a week it must run into hundreds of thousands. Frustrated drivers are not safe drivers and the cyclists I saw got through on the pavements. Grannies beware. Readers tell me please, "Who is in charge?"

Arthur Breens ● 20d7 Comments

Yes it seems we all suffer from poor road /lane closure planning. This is not a car v cycle v tram discussion. It is to do with common sense and valuing time and money. As for the tram. It really was a non-starter as all the services run down the Uxbridge Road. Twould have been a 10 year nightmare to reroute them to install the 3mx3m times 2 strips of concrete to support the track.And where is Cllr Sears now?

Arthur Breens ● 19d

This was a thorn in my side on Monday.Thames Water, Cadent, TFL, Ealing council, have all collaborated & closed Argyle Rd, from Sutherland.3way lights, congestion & pollution . A diversion sign , YES 1 , causing a Waitrose artic to drive in school zone. Basically he is trapped as Manor Rd is closed & surrounding roads too small for a  vehicle that size.ALL the groups mentioned, don’t give a damn about motorists. The cause of a lot of  problems  & unreachable, untouchable..Khan, Ealing Council hate cars & don’t give a damn 😡😡

Peter Yale ● 19d

I am sure that it was cathartic for you Paul to rehash, or attempt to rehash, we argument in favour of a tram. Even the most hardened velophile would admit that there were so many pinch points along the proposed route as to make it totally unworkable due to the conflicting demands on a very limited Road space. Something that this council seems not to have learned the lesson of given their blundering about cycle lanes and appalling designs to deliver supposedly improved infrastructure

N V Brooks ● 19d

Heat seems to have fried what’s left of your brain Paul.The tram was unworkable. Most of the mess now is down to the demands of cycling nut jobs like you making ever increasing demands for road space for what is a minority activity. You seem to have a blind spot on that. I wonder why?

Simon Hayes ● 19d

Ah, the tram would have sorted all this out overnight.Such a shame we didn't get trams back on the uxbridge road. Look at it now, what a mess :(

Paul James ● 19d

Many thanks for this. I am just concerned at the cost of what looks like incompetence in scheduling and design resulting in wasted time for working car users, missed medical appointments and broken delivery schedules. Add to that these road works encourage pavement cyclists and increase stress for drivers and as such they become a major road safety issue. Well this may be bad but think what might have happened if Cllr Sears had pushed on with his tram!

Arthur Breens ● 19d

Lane closures and temporary traffic light timings for road works are inconsistent to put it mildly. For all but the major roads, Ealing Council is the highways authority and responsible for authorising such work.  You can try finding the weekly list of roadworks here (https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201173/transport_and_parking/245/roadworks) but it seems incomplete and doesn’t cover urgent and emergency activities. This website (https://one.network/) is generally better for listing roadworks, identifies the highways authority and provide a reference number for the works. I know some people have emailed the Council at nmtcustomerenquiries@ealing.gov.uk with questions about roadworks, though I don’t know if this has produced anything positive.

Vlod Barchuk ● 19d