Sorry but the A4 can’t take more traffic, as someone suggested above. It is a residential road in Chiswick, full of family homes, schools and playgrounds, and the pollution is already way above legal limit. To give you an idea, the NO2 level at St Mary’s School before the 150m green was installed, was 56 (vs 40 legal limit by the WHO). Another diffuser placed off the A4 (on an empty 2 lane street nearby) showed 45 NO2 in 2019, still above legal limits. There is diverted traffic from Hammersmith Bridge on the A4, só that there is tail back from Hogarth Roundabout going well past Black Alison Lane South every day schools are on - heading to Chiswick Bridge as alternative to Hammersmith Bridge. On the Westbound lanes we now have 3 lanes at standstill every single morning including during the month long lockdown, from Sutton Ct Rd well past Chiswick Roundabout. And very heavy beyond Sutton Ct Road. In the evening it’s Westbound chocobloc. Every single day. Several hours a day. It got worse with Southbound a chiswick LTNs, and worse with the various diversions and standstill traffic on Chiswick High Road. To add salt to the injury, our walking way to the high road, buses and tube, is by walking and cycling through the corner of CHR and Goldhawk Road, that is at standstill for a few weeks now, with the odd cycle lane crossing diagonally to the opposite side of the street, exactly at that intersection, causing more mayhem.Add to this the news we got just yesterday:1) an inquest confirmed that a little girl called Ella who lived by a main road on the South Circular, had pollution contribute to her death at 9 years of young age2) the Supreme Court authorised the 3rd runway at Heathrow to move forward. How will people get there: by car/Minicab through the A4, or on public transport? Heathrow had 30 million passengers in 1985, and about 75 million nowadays, approximately. From memory over the last 10 years, the increase was 18%. How much traffic and pollution can the A4 (and its local residents take)?3) government just announced a rail price increase. How is that an incentive for people get off their vehicles? The A4 is in Chiswick, and has to be an integral part of Chiswick’s liveable neighbourhood policies. We pay council taxes in Chiswick, we vote in Chiswick. It’s no dumping ground. To begin with, pollution needs to be measured appropriately. Then, we need to stop shifting traffic and pollution to neighbouring / main roads, just like some people do fly-tipping. And lastly, we need clear alternatives to vehicles. Not just walking and cycling (time constraints and children in tow is a reality for most), but looking at public transport. Just pick up the TfL tube map: no N-S connections from Turnham Green tube or Stamford Brook tube. Yes rail infrastructure is neither quick nor cheap, but there are buses. What is the bus network in Chiswick, where does it take us to (and now without a bus lane)? Most places we go, would involve changing buses twice or walking 20 min each way (for a 5-10min bus journey). Note: I actually signed the petition that I would like less traffic, and safer options for walking and cycling - because I though I had equal rights to it. I had no idea this would then be used, for politicians to say that LTNs are a great idea. They only shift traffic to the A4 and other main roads, ringfencing pollution on specific roads, that politicians seem to deem it’s ok to be polluted. Equal rights to life???
Fabiana Eggers ● 2140d