"...the Hammersmith Bridge closure will mean more proportionately more vehicles are crossing over Chiswick Bridge."We have traffic counts for Chiswick Bridge from 2017 to 2022:2017: 35k2018: 35k2019: 38k2020: 33k2021: 32k2022: 30k2022 counts are down 13% from 2017 and 2018, before the closure. Over the same period, traffic was down 9% in Richmond and 4% in Hounslow. So not only is traffic crossing the bridge down absolutely, but also as a proportion of the traffic in both the boroughs either side of the bridge.The traffic counts can also indicate the effects of the Grove Park LTN. In 2017 there were 25k vehicles counted on the A316 at Edensor Road compared to the 35k crossing the bridge, which means 10k were accessing Grove Park. The other year we have manual counts at both locations, 2002, 42k were crossing the bridge and 32k were counted at Edensor Road, again meaning 10k were accessing Grove Park.In 2021 the counts at Edensor Road had increased to 29k compared to 32k crossing the bridge, meaning only 3k were accessing Grove Park, now only as residents with permits. Comparing 2017, 2002 and 2021, that implies 70% of the traffic entering Grove Park from the A316 was non-residential before the LTN was established.Paul is quite correct to say that such data is not going persuade anyone with a fixed view, but they are a minority: it is interesting to note that attitudes shift once people recognise that traffic changes are in their own self interest, hence why opposition to the LTN within Grove Park is falling away, just as it has with the ULEZ expansion. Sadiq Khan deserves some credit for both sticking to his policy as the right choice, despite heavy pressure to delay it, and having the political acumen to realise that he would benefit electorally, beyond the short term.
Tom Pike ● 290d