Forum Topic

Chiswick High Road

Took the bus up to Chiswick High Road today to do some shopping. Couldn’t help but notice the almost grid-locked traffic and not one single cyclist using the incredibly expensive cycle lane. We really must get rid of this incompetent council in May.

Eric Gilchrist ● 1736d26 Comments

Yes-

Helen Bamberger ● 1736d

Most of the Cycleway is currently closed because of the changes being implemented. Perhaps we should wait to see how it works when they are complete?The way the polls are going at the moment it could well be that, far from losing control of Hounslow Council, Labour will win seats in Chiswick.

Mark Evans ● 1736d

Not the section from TGT to HT which had minimal cyclists using tC9

Loraine Pemberton ● 1736d

This forum is a doom loop

Edward Seaton ● 1736d

They are stuck in a denial / anger doom loop. It's a rocky road head.

Paul Campbell ● 1736d

Just as with a road if you close part of it, the rest of it is likely to see less traffic. At the moment the closure of part of it makes it problematic to get to any destinations west of Goldhawk Road but that will change once the central section reopens and links up with the new bi-directional cycleway along King Street. The integration of the Hounslow and H&F sections at the borough boundary should make a significant difference to journey times and encourage greater usage. How big any increase partly depends on things like traffic light phasing. I think we should wait to see how thinks settle down and operate in a period of relative normality before reaching any firm conclusions. The key determinant has to be the impact on bus travel times which is impossible to judge at the moment.If you aren't prepared to wait and see and are hoping for political change to remove the cycleway, it isn't going to be a change of control at Hounslow Council but it could be the removal of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister - a far more likely scenario in the next few months.

Mark Evans ● 1736d

No denial whatsoever, just an observation of fact.Gentlemen, why not join me at the junction of HT and CHR to observe ? I'll even but you Coffee and a Bun. Regards Loraine

Loraine Pemberton ● 1736d

I have notes repeated invitations from Loraine to have a coffee and witness some cycling thuggery but it seems the cycle brigade of four on the Chiswick forum are too frightened to meet up with her. Cowardly or just too scared of witnessing the law breakers!!

Steve Taylor ● 1736d

Eric you are so very right,If I am on my bike,If I am on the bus,If I am a motorist, I just don't see hardly any one using this cycle Lane.And, the sooner we get our Chiswick High Road back the better.They can also take Chiswick LTN's away, so we can all get around our Chiswick freely.

PATRICK MULHALL ● 1735d

"Just as with a road if you close part of it, the rest of it is likely to see less traffic." The cycle counts dropped 20% immediately after the partial closure, though still over 1500 cyclists a day were counted at Goldhawk Road.As for the longer term prospects for the cycle lanes, certainly central government enabled them by providing the funding. But it was not mandatory to install them as that power lies with the Borough, together with the power to remove them, viz. RBKC. Therefore if the government were to change it would not lead to any cycle lanes being removed. That would require a decision from the Borough.

Tom Pike ● 1735d

The point made by others that the current enthusiasm for cycleways in both Hounslow and H&F is, to a significant degree, down to the way Department for Transport money is being allocated, appears to be well founded. Andrew Gilligan has been largely responsible for the policy at both a macro and micro level and he is very much a creature of Johnson so it seems a safe assumption they will both go at the same time.It would be madness to rip up an expensive piece of infrastructure straightaway if Johnson is dumped after a disastrous May election but the DfT will probably be looking much more critically at traffic data and be willing to consider requests for unwinding projects if they are causing problems. The issue may be that, having been at the front of the queue under the previous regime, Hounslow may find it has to wait much longer for funding.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1735d

I expect you'll be building walls too.  Passports will be needed too - what colour? - and entry and exit visas.

Philippa Bond ● 1735d

I made no mention of walls. I think you have been eating to many sprouts.

PATRICK MULHALL ● 1735d

What has walls and passports got to do with the fact that hardly any cyclists are ever seen using the cycle tracks?

Steve Taylor ● 1735d

"Here Here"!

James Dow ● 1734d

Walls?  I preferred Mylos!

Jim Lawes ● 1733d

Was that the old ice cream place backing onto Barley Mow Passage?

Basil Finnis ● 1733d

Next door to the Catholic Church. Now the hairdressers? The mosaic spelling the name is still outside the front door.

Vivienne Cox ● 1733d

Now Specsavers.

Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 1733d

Ah yes. I used to go there when I was at school in Alwyn Avenue many years ago :)

Basil Finnis ● 1733d

Yes..the Mylos mosiac is on the pavement outside Specsavers.Next door...the Headmasters Empire... that was started up by a local family..and has done very well with branches in many places.The old well known Catos store has it's mosiac in Acton Lane..near the bathroom shop.Now what was this thread on about?

Jim Lawes ● 1733d

The usual Christmas gridlock.  The problem is that motorists will look at their satnav or whatever nowadays and see that the A4 shows itself as very bad eg going east towards Hammersmith and decide to go down Chiswick High Road instead.

Philippa Bond ● 1732d

“ and see that the A4 shows itself as very bad eg going east towards Hammersmith and decide to go down Chiswick High Road”So  the Council’s idea to cause traffic chaos and force everyone onto bicycles has gone terribly wrong hasn’t it?

Steve Taylor ● 1732d

Philippa Bond ● 1732d

Just in case you thought that cycling was only being encouraged in London.https://www.activeessex.org/essex-pedal-power/

Philippa Bond ● 1730d

The Only Way is Essex! Why doesn’t Hounslow do the same thing?  I could do with a new bike!

Steve Taylor ● 1729d