Forum Topic

Traffic congestion from CHR along Acton Lane as far as The Orchard

I know this topic has been covered many times over the last few weeks, but I had to post again to keep up awareness of the terrible traffic, and inconvenience the closure of TGT and Fishers Lane is causing Chiswick residents, particularly - I would imagine - those living in the Bedford Park area.Once again I had to make alternative plans having left home to do a family shop this afternoon. What would normally be a simple trip up Fishers Lane to park behind Waitrose turned into what looked like was going to be at least half an hour stuck in traffic all along South Parade onto Acton Lane. Not only was the traffic terrible, but people were understandably getting angry and frustrated, particularly going across the mini roundabout by the garage and the Duke of Sussex.As I turned back I couldn't help noticing one poor motorist, who had turned onto Fishers Lane, being verbally accosted by a solitary cyclist coming the other way, who was wildly gesticulating at the cycle only signs on the road.These roads were built for cars, not just cyclists, and are vital for everyone to get around the place they live and be able to go about their daily business. Once again I would urge everyone who has been affected by these crazy closures to make their grievances heard. Looking at the situation today, I think it will only be a matter of time before someone is serious hurt, not just by the increase in traffic, but by the obvious anger and frustration of those trying to get about.

Mark Edwards ● 2241d22 Comments

Well said. I have to get a cab to the vet in Richmond (towards the top of Kew Road) in the afternoon next week with one of my animals.  I usually allow half an hour.  How much longer will I need to allow now?

Claire Moran ● 2241d

If your journey is now a nightmare, then that’s success for the anti car extremists now running our councils. They just want to make driving as much of a pain as possible to reduce car use.

Russell Pearson ● 2241d

When I tried to flag some of the congestion these schemes are causing I was accused of lying by the pro cycling zealots. In their view the answer to this is... to close lots more roads. For the rest of us, its a nightmare. Wait until CS9 reduces the High Rd to one lane in each direction, with that one lane blocked by buses at every bus stop. The only solution is to reduce the huge flow of traffic into London every day, extend the congestion charge. But TFL continues with its road and lane closures.

Paul Green ● 2241d

I took my first trip into our office on my motorbike which use to take me 25-30 minutes but this morning 55 minutes. Apart from road works around Knightsbridge,the 20mph limit most of the way and the amount of road changes like TGT,I was having to concentrate more on where I was allowed to drive then the traffic. If we are all expected to go back to the work place our new roads system into central London will not be able to cope when you consider that only 10% of people are back into their offices.

James Smith-Jones ● 2241d

Mark I hear you, we had to do a big shop so went to Waitrose,  normally we go under the bridge fishers lane, park back side of Waitrose, then back under the bridge a 5 minutes car journey. Instead due to the absolute lunacy of closing THT & fishers lane it took us 15 minutes via Acton lane and 25 minutes back due to traffic, the worse bit is we would never normally use CHR. The councils have demonstrated zero regard for local residents, but who are we nobodies!

Jayne Thorburn ● 2241d

Hounslow streetspace feedback: https://haveyoursay.hounslow.gov.uk/traffic-and-transport/streetspace-feedback/Hounslow consultation on the future of Chiswick town centre: https://chiswicktowncentre.commonplace.is Cllr Hanif Khan, Hounslow cabinet member for transport, traffic and parking: hanif.khan@hounslow.gov.ukCllr Guy Lambert, Hounslow cabinet member for highways: guy.lambert@hounslow.gov.ukCllr Katherine Dunne, Hounslow cabinet member for communities and climate emergency: katherine.dunne@hounslow.gov.ukMark Frost, Hounslow transport officer: mark.frost@hounslow.gov.ukTraffic department : traffic@hounslow.gov.uk

Mark Perry ● 2240d

Cyclists and pedestrians can presumably use your old route more easily without you driving.  Perhaps next time you will choose either a different route or different time or just shop differently.  You probably changed what you did several times before you got into your last routine.

Philippa Bond ● 2240d

Thank you for sharing,  I plan to send my thanks to every single one of them. These active changes will ensure that vulnerable road users are protected and our neighbourhoods finally rid of rat runners speeding through.

Matthew Swain ● 2240d

Sorry but we are supposed to live in a democracy, we walk most of the time to do light shopping but do need to use a car. CHR is bad enough all the council have achieved is asking people to take longer journeys, more congestion, more pollution nothing green in that. Given all the tech available and some imagination we could develop schemes for everyone, cycling lanes are empty most of the time a absolutely crazy!

Jayne Thorburn ● 2240d

Cyclists and pedestrians need more and safer space.

Philippa Bond ● 2240d

I agree Philippa, but some don't.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPx92lh4Ur4&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2WzMMQ5qu6oI58FKwm6i0leczYacn5Qumm-84VyjYLqNM3kuVl-jXUei0&ab_channel=TheLife-SizedCity

Hans Lund-Sorensen ● 2240d

"or just shop differently"Indeed, Philippa. Customers have told me they now go to Ealing as its easier for them. They have said they no longer support traders in Grove Park, on TGT, on Devonshire and on CHR. Well done. Thanks for helping kill Chiswick.

David Lesniak ● 2239d

Businesses need more footfall.That also gets delivered to our doors via vehicles large and small.

David Lesniak ● 2239d

Philippa says 'Cyclists and pedestrians need more and safer space.'The partial closure of TGT provides no more space for pedestrians and is not any safer for cyclists. Still lots of buses, taxis, vans, scooters and local traffic. It seems we are encouraged now to park on double yellows to collect stuff, I would never have done that before but it is legal. More hazards for cyclists.The closure of Fishers Lane gives no more space for pedestrians. It is a bit better for cyclists, but with the increase in traffic and queues, as the OP highlights in this thread, South Parade and Acton Lane now much more difficult and hostile for cyclists and less pleasant for pedestrians. Long queues of traffic with the narrow roads make it very hard to cycle. So there is no coherent cycling route here. Paul C's fantasy that South Parade is now a traffic free paradise has been exposed.CS9 will slow the High Road further, with the bus gates used to restrict non-bus traffic. Both these facts will lead to more congestion at either end of the High Road, around Turnham Green and along the Acton Lane/ South Parade route. There is no north south cycling provision in the area and the major and real rat runs are not being addressed. CS9 is not designed to help the local community or shops. The knock on effect of all these measures is very detrimental to legitimate road users, cyclists, pedestrians and residents in the impacted areas. Some of the measures across Chiswick are sensible, several are not. The refusal of the cycling lobby to acknowledge any shortcomings but to insist that every road closure is great shows just how much this is about ideology rather than making life better.

Paul Green ● 2239d

I am a cyclist, but I actually agree that a lot of the road closures don’t make sense.  I don’t understand why the council didn’t consider making TGT and Fishers lane one way instead of closing them, if they wanted to make the roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Allow the E3 north and southbound access to TGT but no other motorised vehicle. Also as a side note I’ve noticed on my daily journeys along TGT that the disabled bays are usually unused, I would be interested to understand the reason for that

Alex McDevitt ● 2239d

These nuisance cyclists who shout verbal excrement need to be reported. I have yet to experience a friendly respectful cyclist and authority is giving these people the freedom of the city.

c james ● 2238d

FYI the traffic is being monitored on Acton Lane near Chiswick Park tube there is a box and a line across the road.

Helen Whitman ● 2238d

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of closing Fishers Lane (I for one think traffic should be permitted to use it in at least one direction) it has given more space to those pedestrians who choose to walk on the road rather than waiting for everyone coming from the other side of the bridge to finish walking on the narrow raised path before you set off in the opposite direction yourself (so as to keep a 1m+ distance from them).Buses and pedestrians sharing the same roadspace aren't a good mix of course, so I wouldn't describe the additional space as 'safe' but given the frequency of the 272 I'm happy to walk on the road there now, when I wouldn't have dreamed of doing so before.If it goes back to carrying traffic then of course I would stop using the roadway, but for the time being ...

Andrew Jones ● 2238d

Traffic tailing back as far as I could see along Acton Land and South Parade for the poor, hot people trying to get onto the High Road, before we turned up by the petrol station and Duke of Sussex just now.  Cab driver said journeys were taking much, much longer.

Claire Moran ● 2237d

Here’s the data, less people travelling to work, but congestion increasing http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=community&link=http://neighbournet.com/server/common/ldrstrans053.htm“ Last Monday (7 September) outer London hold ups spiked to over 150 per cent of 2019 levels.”

Russell Pearson ● 2237d

Useless ...... lost for words at the traffic measures which increase, traffic, pollution, time and money to the economy. I own two bikes as well as a car BTW for all those cycle lovers that will no doubt attack my pro-vehicle comments, and it is electric, both of them!

Jimmy Kim ● 2237d

If they are not going to work then what do you suppose they are all doing?  I thought nearly everybody was doing a lot of their shopping online now.  I thought the era of school runs was now over and it is very difficult to get a face to face apptmt with a doctor.  Even empty office buildings need attention.

Philippa Bond ● 2236d