Forum Topic

Staveley Road permanent filter design

Designs are now online for the permanent filter at Staveley Road. It is a quite dramatic transformation of the street. While it does not state the species of tree that will be planted on the new build-out, I am sure Chiswick will cheer for more cherry trees to complement the fine avenue on what will be an even more picturesque road. All done by end of March apparently, just in time for OneChiswick's delegation to the so-called #TakeBackOurStreets demo with the ABD and the Communist party.

Paul Campbell ● 1679d38 Comments

Blimey!! I guess the people who got together to plan that were totally pissed.

Brian Green ● 1679d

Crazy the beauty of statelet road was a cherry tree lined road this is ridiculous and a complete waste of money. Now the area is no go unless a resident what’s this all about?

Jayne Thorburn ● 1679d

It's difficult tell from such a low res drawing, but that looks like cyclists still have to cross oncoming traffic to get across.  I've cycled through there lots of times since the temporary barrier went in, and it's dreadful, yet they have done nothing about that with this layout.  As a cyclist I would rather go back to having the road fully open with a normal junction as it used to be.

Al Webber ● 1679d

Totally agree Al road should be put back to original design and local chiswick residents should be given exemption, it’s called community spirited 😂😂😂 Hounslow council don’t seem to get the concept of community

Jayne Thorburn ● 1679d

Now not required - Complete waste of money.

Jonathan Simpson ● 1679d

"oncoming traffic" - there isn't really traffic on these roads any more. The odd car occasionally. Yes people will need to wait to turn into the filter on their bikes if there is a car. And they will need to stop at the markings on the filter if there is a car passing on the road as they exit. You ride on the carriageway of the A4 Al. I'm not surprised you aren't intimidated by a residential road with 5000 cars per day speeding along it. Seems odd with that risk tolerance to be concerned about the safety of this layout on a very quiet road.

Paul Campbell ● 1679d

"Yes people will need to wait to turn into the filter on their bikes if there is a car"Anyone ever witness something like this?

David Lesniak ● 1679d

At least on the carriageway of the A4 the cars are all going in the same direction as I am.  It's probably safer than this misbegotten design.  If there is little traffic, some cyclists won't expect a car to be coming and won't bother to look.  That's not good cycling, but it will happen.  I've come across cars when I've been using the current temporary design.  It gets very awkward.

Al Webber ● 1679d

One other thing.  It's not just the cars coming across, there is a risk of getting left hooked by a car in the same direction when going straight on.

Al Webber ● 1679d

Can you post the link to this drawing?

Iris Hill ● 1679d

Paul - looking at your picture it seems the road narrows as it goes around a corner. I thought by law at any material bend a road had to widen? Can you confirm that? Is Hounslow wasting our money on another botch job that they are going to have to pay to take out again? It really wouldn't surprise me.

Amanda Smith ● 1679d

Sorry Amanda I'm not a traffic engineer and I guess the professionals are working off more detailed drawings than this picture so I can't really comment on whether the road is widening or what the law is on such a matter.For Iris here is the link: https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/downloads/file/2870/staveley_road_and_park_road_plan_map

Paul Campbell ● 1679d

Paul, I know you often post for comedy value but I can assure you there is traffic on these roads. The issue of the existing configuration has already been raised particularly the false impression that the traffic lights give to cyclists that they have rights of way. I can assure you the risk of being taken out by a vehicle travelling south on Park Road is real if you assume that they should be waiting at a red.The new configuration seems to remove this danger so to that extent should be welcomed but Al's criticisms are valid. Traffic appears to have increased recently on the northern section of Park Road which seems to have become a bit of a rat-run and adherence to the speed limit is not universal. The sight lines are not good for a cyclists travelling to this junction along Staveley Road so a stop sign for cyclists in both directions might be advisable.

Francis Rowe ● 1679d

No in this instance I am not trying to be comic or controversial. I am just speaking from my personal experience of cycling on Staveley Road most days, sometimes with my children on their bikes, and I can honestly say that I have not had one close encounter with a car at that junction. My experience is that Staveley Road is far safer than it used to be and I would not have had my kids with me on their bikes on that road before the existing barrier was installed. Interesting that you have a different experience and that you think Park Road is a rat run. Where are the through cars using that road coming from and going to do you think?

Paul Campbell ● 1679d

Admittedly the close encounter was due to a lack of attention and a misunderstanding of the lights but I wouldn't be complacent on this road.The suspicion is that Park Road off the A4 may be used as a way of avoiding the Sutton Court Road junction and also I think it is an unguarded entry point to the ULEZ. There certainly seems to be more traffic than there ever used to be coming south.Out of interest, how did you get your hands on the design? I looked on Hounslow's web site and I couldn't see any traffic order for it or any indication as to where it might be found.

Francis Rowe ● 1679d

I agree and I am certainly not advocating for complacency. Despite not having had any close encounters I still approach the junction with caution. A lifetime of riding on London's roads does not induce complacency in any situation. I have put the URL link to the design in my post at the bottom of this thread.

Paul Campbell ● 1679d

"The suspicion is that Park Road off the A4 may be used as a way of avoiding the Sutton Court Road junction and also I think it is an unguarded entry point to the ULEZ. There certainly seems to be more traffic than there ever used to be coming south."fyi in the September 2019 traffic survey, there was on average about 1100 vehicles on weekdays using Park Rd between the A4 and Chesterfield Rd with the split being about 800 southbound and 300 northbound.In September 2020 (before the barrier was implemented), there was about 700 vehicles per day, about 400 southbound and 300 northbound.In May 2021 (after the barrier was implemented), there was about 550 vehicles per day, with about 250 southbound and still about 300 northbound.If anyone was desperate to know, I could check from the September 2019 survey how much of the northbound and southbound traffic started or finished their journey within the Grove Park area or drove straight through.I am sure there will be more surveys to measure the effectiveness of the current arrangements.

Michael Robinson ● 1679d

Coming back from Richmond today I noticed one of the warning/ information signs has been folded back probably by the wind making it unreadable.I guess it is made of Corex which is cheap and definitely not fit for purpose.Good if you want to fill the coffers though.

Adrian Irving ● 1679d

Over the years..members of the Royal Family have enjoyed detours down Staveley Road to look at the cherry blossom.It seems that Hounslow Council has put a stop on that!

Jim Lawes ● 1679d

> Over the years..members of the Royal Family have enjoyed detours down Staveley Road to look at the cherry blossom.It seems that Hounslow Council has put a stop on that!Indeed. A bell end supports a dead end, and calls it a ‘filter’.

Russell Pearson ● 1679d

The Queen had a bad experience in Chiswick once already, thanks to the cycle lane on the High Road. Our once lovely Chiswick ,and particularly Staveley Toad, is not somewhere she would ever want to come to again. We’ll done Hounslow Council/Hounslow Cycling.

Maggie Dodge ● 1679d

"Out of interest, how did you get your hands on the design?"You'll note Paul did not answer the question. He shared the link but said nothing of how and when it came to his attention.

David Lesniak ● 1679d

No mystery. It's on the Hounslow website under the trial measure under https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/downloads/20053/transport

Iris Hill ● 1678d

I saw Staveley Toad going 'Toot Toot' up Park Road yesterday!Looking at the designs, it certainly seems set to be a visual improvement on the current blight on the landscape and possibly will be a bit safer than the current messy and often disregarded traffic lights.The obvious flaw is that you need to remember, when on foot, to approach the junction on the south side of the road when coming from the west and the north side of the road from the east. If you don't you will end up needing to cross at a bend in the road.The road will be narrowed compared to the current design. I have no idea if this is against the law but it seems likely it would be against good design guidelines. It may actually serve to reduce traffic speeds into the junction.I'm not sure why cycling groups are so keen on this - it has transformed a road from one in which you had right of way along the whole length on your bike to one in which you need to give way to traffic going both ways on Park Road and pedestrians at the crossing. A family group of cyclist would have difficulty waiting in the central section of the barrier and could be vulnerable to traffic coming from behind them. I'd be incline to ride on the pavement at his point if I was cycling with children. Is this being consulted on or is it a done deal?

Paul Corcoran ● 1676d

Paul isn’t everything a done deal on the toads in Chiswick 😂👍

Maggie Dodge ● 1676d

Before any barrier went in drivers would speed along this road, often overtaking on the wrong side at traffic islands in their haste to save 10 seconds in passing a cyclist.However I still have t understood why the speed limits aren’t just properly enforced here with punitive fines,  instead of building barriers. Is it more expensive to install and administer speed cameras than to build changed roads? I’m not trying to antagonise anyone I’m genuinely interested. I would have reduced speed limits to say 15 mph in areas used as rat runs to make them less practical than staying on then normal commute route. Would that work?

Alexandra McDevitt ● 1676d

The overtaking on the wrong side of the traffic islands still happens, although there are fewer cars so it is rare. The solution to this on Hartington road was chicanes and pinchpoints but I suspect residents would object to that because of the extra noise it might generate.One of the problems with this new design is that the same impatient drivers who were overtaking on the wrong side are now going to be approaching a blind turn too fast. Hopefully the volume of traffic will remain too low for accidents to occur.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1676d

The main point is that the barrier is no longer necessary as traffic from outside the local area cannot turn off the A316 at Staveley Road or Burlington Lane so it cannot function as a rat run anymore.

Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 1676d

Yes. The barrier is totally redundant, but the council have to justify the pot of money that has been eagerly seized from central government, so it will go ahead even though everyone knows that it will be a pointless eyesore!

Cliff Sykes ● 1676d

Agreed Susan- a complete waste of money during these turbulent times- completely with no real thought. I would love to hear councilller who lives around here!!!

Helen Bamberger ● 1676d

Would love to have speeding curtailed but it comes down to funding and comes from a completely different pot of money to the pot that's available for the long-term government goals of tackling pollution, climate change, encouraging healthier living etc...speeding enforcement falls under The Met Police while the LTNs, bike lanes, and associated measures are funded by government grants awarded to councils....use it or lose it basically and addressing speeding, while an excellent goal, doesn't fall within the same remit.

Tamara Mehta ● 1676d

So the speeders are all locals ?

Maggie Dodge ● 1676d

Well, now that you mention it...ha ha!!!!!

Tamara Mehta ● 1676d

After looking again at the design I walked past the site at the weekend and now realise my suggestion of a stop sign might not be a good one.If you think in terms of a family group of say one adult and two children, there isn't room for them to all fit in the refuge in the middle of the barrier so the last rider at least would have to remain on the road at a point where motor vehicles will be coming around a blind turn. Even so, assuming the adult is leading and travelling westwards there would be a risk if traffic was coming down Park Road requiring one of the group to remain in the road.As Al Webber has pointed out most collisions involving cyclists occur at junctions and this new barrier introduces a very complex one with potential risk coming from at least five directions when you cross. I agree with the previous poster who said they would stick to the pavement with children at this point.

Francis Rowe ● 1675d

I'm really struggling to see how anyone could contend this configuration makes it better to cycle with children. As you approach the barrier you will have to move to the right of the lane possible with traffic behind you. Then you have to cross the opposite lane with traffic approaching from a blind turning and move onto a narrow refuge. Then you have to check for traffic approaching around another corner.The situation before in which the main problem was cars overtaking at speed was not ideal but not necessarily that risky. What we have now makes things very complicated which is the last thing you want if you are leading children.

Mark Evans ● 1674d

"I agree with the previous poster who said they would stick to the pavement with children at this point."And of course that would be an unfortunate outcome, given that Rule 64 of the new highway codes says that "You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement." And use of the MUST NOT of course conveys that it is legal requirement not advisory and that it is a criminal offence to do otherwise.  So why is LBH designing something that is just going to encourage people to break the law and increase the risk to pedestrians?

Marie Power ● 1674d

£80-£100k is the assessment from an insider.For what? Blocking traffic that doesn't exist any more?

Richard Potts ● 1673d

I just read on the GPG newsletter that this is costing £200

Richard Potts ● 1673d