Review
Is there funding to reverse these changes?
The council would expect funding to be forthcoming under future rounds of the street space programme to make changes to trial schemes, be that to make them permanent, amend them or remove them. In the event that such funding is not forthcoming, and the council takes the decision to remove the scheme, the funding will be provided from existing council budgets as appropriate.
Will restrictions be re-imposed on Turnham Green Terrace?
The restricted access scheme on Turnham Green Terrace has been suspended following the closure of Acton Lane to facilitate emergency Thames Water works. These works are due to finish 20/11, however given there will still be disruption caused by the ongoing construction work for Cycleway 9, and the fact that the interim review process currently underway is due to complete in the next couple of weeks, the council does not propose to reintroduce this restriction immediately and we instead await the completion of that review process.
How are the schemes being assessed, and when will a decision be made regarding the future of the schemes?
The council has a difficult role in seeking to balance a wide range of aspirations for how our road network performs for a disparate range of users, and against wider policy and legal frameworks. The schemes brought in to date are in line with emergency statutory guidance issued by the DfT, however we have always stated our desire to submit these to a robust process of review, undertaken by an independent consultant. This review will consider a range of criteria as set out in the 20/10 Cabinet report:
- Compliance with wider policy objectives
- Feedback received from residents and businesses, see our feedback page
- Traffic count data against baseline, where available. This includes sharing data with Ealing.
- Assessment of INRIX GPS data (Feb 2020 vs September/ October 2020)
- Changes in walking and cycling observations where available, safety data where available
- Footfall and commercial transaction data from O2/Mastercard where available
- Air quality data.
Feedback from residents and business is an integral part of this process.
Once the review process is complete, we will assess the summary of data provided by the independent consultant and provide officer recommendations on this for consideration by lead member. It is expected that there will be a mix of outcomes based on the evidence. Some schemes will likely be removed, some amended, some made permanent. In some cases, further time may be gathered to gather more data. Residents will be contacted when the reviews are complete.
What is the timetable for the review and consultation on the Streetspace Programme?
There is a partial calendar on our website currently and this is currently being updated.
Do you agree with Cllr Curran, that adding 5 minutes to a car journey time is acceptable? If so would you say adding longer, much longer, is unacceptable?
The council must try and balance a range of outcomes when determining traffic management measures. Impact on car users is certainly a consideration. What is, and is not, acceptable will depend on the balance of outcomes associated with each individual scheme. Officers will do their best to make recommendations with due regard for the wider legal and policy frameworks and these will be further considered by elected members.
How many council staff in favour of these schemes live in Chiswick?
Council staff involved in delivering Streetspace are drawn from a wide geography. Many live near or visit Chiswick regularly.
Was the Queen stuck on CHR two weeks ago? Yes or No?
The council has not received any official communication from the Palace on this claim.
Who is the 'independent traffic consultant'?
Steer.
When is the interim review of the barrier on Staveley Road happening?
In accordance with central government’s guidelines to introduce measures as quickly as possible, the Streetspace measures in south Chiswick were installed incrementally between July and December upon completion of each element’s design. The staggered implementation means that the duration of the experimental period during which we allow traffic patterns to settle down before deciding whether to retain, modify or remove each intervention becomes open to debate. Some consider that each intervention should have its own experimental period, whereas the view of the experts within, and advising, the council is that the effect of the experiment cannot be assessed until the effects of the final element (the “access only” restriction on Strand-on-the-Green & Thames Road) have had time to become established. This means we are not planning to review whether the Staveley Road barrier should stay, be removed or modified before March.
How valid can data be in assessing the effects of the Streetspace measures on the traffic network whilst construction on Chiswick High Road is not complete and emergency waterworks on Acton Lane are ongoing?
The council will look to factor in the impact of extraneous impacts on the network through the review process.
Please can you tell us how the previously dangerous junctions with Fishers Lane and Chiswick Common Rd (a rat run for Uber drivers and residents to access Sainsburys and CHR going West) will be altered to maintain the current level of safety which has long been missing - especially as there is a playground and sheltered housing on both sides.
This will be considered as part of the review process.
What steps will be taken to improve the access/egress to Turnham Green Station?
This will be considered as part of the review process.
Will the council consider making Fisher’s Lane one-way southbound, and Turnham Green Terrace one-way northbound?
The low bridge on Fisher’s Lane means bus routes that use double-deckers need to use Turnham Green Terrace in both directions.
Do you study any of the Government statics on resident population and diversity in relation to planning needs? Please explain how you have done so in Chiswick area.
The council takes into account a wide range of data in coming to decisions about road space management including local demographic data as available and as appropriate.
