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The ex-Councillor for Cycling LBH

Catherine Dunne the ex Councillor for LBH is simply cycling mad. Now we we are going to have two cycling going not just through Chiswick, but extending through the London Road through to Hounslow. This will bring about absolute  bedlam and mayhem for all of the emergency services drivers trying to negotiate their way through the traffic. This act has to repealed immediately for the sake of lives.

Richard Atterwill ● 280d28 Comments

LAS has been using First Responder motorbikes for decades.

N V Brooks ● 276d

https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/calling-us/who-will-treat-you/single-responder/cycle-responder/Paramedics on TWO WHEELS!Don't forget if you are sitting in traffic and complaining about it that YOU ARE a part of that traffic!

Philippa Bond ● 276d

Keith, a larger road would simply attract more traffic and thus still generate queues. see the M25 any day.

Francis Sheehan ● 278d

“ In the afternoon, the queue to turn right on St John’s road (again, no cycling infrastructure there either) is so long that it stretches outside the LFB station, blocking the exit of fire engines.”More catastrophising nonsense from you.  A short blip on the siren from a fire engine wanting to exit the fire station would see cars making space within seconds. Why? Because the road is amply wide enough because it hasn’t been ruined with any unused cycle lanes.

Steve Taylor ● 279d

Francis,has available road space nothing tho do with the throughput rate of vehicles?Surely a wider usable road area would mean fewer delays.

Keith Iddon ● 279d

“What is exactly blocking the ambulance, or fire engine, or police car?It ain’t bikes, trikes, tandems or even electric scooters!”Are you just being deliberately obtuse or are you just plain thick? Of course it isn’t the bikes, trikes or tandems because there aren’t any!!  The cycle lanes are devoid of traffic. What’s blocking the ambulances in Twickenham road is the the unused cycle LANES!  Previously there was plenty of room for cars to move aside (both directions) to allow ambulances to speed past and save lives. With the cycle lanes and the silly cones there is nowhere for cars to move. In Twickenham Road the problem is exacerbated by the radically increased traffic caused by the despotic LTN in Church Street imposed by a few moronic councillors against the will of the VAST majority of residents.

Steve Taylor ● 279d

And weirdly cites with lots of cycle lanes everywhere are really pleasant for drivers. Who can explain this paradox?

Paul Campbell ● 279d

Absolutely.And if you go beyond London, has anyone been in Houston, LA, or any other big American city? You’ll see motorways clogged with traffic. Not a bicycle in sight.

Francis Sheehan ● 279d

Kensington is famous for having no cycle lanes and no traffic congestion ....

Paul Campbell ● 279d

Let’s assume that those who claim that emergency services are slowed down by the presence of cycle lanes are right. Data doesn’t seem to back that up, but who needs facts anyway.What is exactly blocking the ambulance, or fire engine, or police car?It ain’t bikes, trikes, tandems or even electric scooters!It is CARS.The overwhelming majority of the road surfaces are dedicated to cars. Not bikes, not pedestrians, cars. And it’s queue of cars, very often with only one person aboard, causing blockages for emergency vehicles. What do you see in Chiswick High road? Queue of cars.And the argument that if there was no cycle lane there would be no blockages is patently wrong. Yesterday morning I was filtering through a solid two-lane block of traffic on Lower Richmond road. Eastbound there were 400 metres of cars(some vans, but mostly single drivers in cars/SUVs) going towards Putney Bridge and into Chelsea. Westbound we were stuck behind a double decker bus. No cycling infrastructure whatsoever on Lower Richmond Road, Putney Bridge or Fulham high street. Yet traffic was bumper to bumper. A police car was trying to get through and couldn’t, due not to the bikes (me and the other cyclists pulled to the side), but due to cars.Another example ia the fire station in Isleworth. No cycling infrastructure there either, if you exclude a line painted on the tarmac which is then used as an extra parking spot by the same vehicles every day (a light blue Beemer 5 series and a couple of Mercs). In the afternoon, the queue to turn right on St John’s road (again, no cycling infrastructure there either) is so long that it stretches outside the LFB station, blocking the exit of fire engines.I have many more examples, but two shall suffice for now. I’m really intrigued by this cognitive dissonance shown by some when they see an emergency vehicle blocked by cars and automatically decide that the fault for that event lies with what is NOT blocking them. It’s similar to when people complain about traffic without realising that they are part of the problem too!

Francis Sheehan ● 279d

It is Philippa if the ambulance can't get to the bloody hospital in the first place.

N V Brooks ● 280d

Problems for ambulances are more likely to be because of the lack of staff and facilities at hospitals.  They have a lot of equipment on them and need it as ambulances can be queuing outside hospitals unable to leave their patients to attend other emergency calls.Just like other hospital workers paramedics are becoming disillusioned with their working life being so unfulfilling and instead of sticking to their job are leaving the service. It isn't cycle lanes that are the problem.

Philippa Bond ● 280d

“ Plenty of short side roads connecting London Road to Twickenham Road, no need for both.”Absolutely!  No need for a cycle lane in Twickenham Road because it’s not used. Plenty of side roads and LTNs for cyclists to use…as they do. The mind boggles as to which morons decided a cycling lane is necessary.

Steve Taylor ● 280d

"Likewise the 20mph limits only cause more pollution as drivers brake and accelerate and brake again."That's just bad driving Steve.

Mark Frost ● 280d

One can only hope that once CS9 is extended along London Road throught Isleworth to Hounslow that the bloody stupid wand lanes will be ripped out. Plenty of short side roads connecting London Road to Twickenham Road, no need for both.

N V Brooks ● 280d

One fire engine a week is hardly worth talking about when you consider the number of ambulances trying to get to West Mid. But - hey Ho, you can negate these facts when you try desperately to defend the unused cycle tracks in Twickenham Road.

Steve Taylor ● 280d

There were on average an incident a week on Chiswick High Road that required an emergency response from the fire service. That’s plenty to get some reliable statistics on any delay, though obviously insufficient to convince you.

Tom Pike ● 280d

“but the London Fire Service haven't actually seen that on Chiswick High Road”The fire service vehicles are rarely seen. Consider the police emergency services or, more importantly, the Ambulance services getting blocked, delayed, hampered in Twickenham Road while trying to navigate the unused cycle lanes en route to West Middx Hospital.

Steve Taylor ● 280d

"The emergency services struggle and are held up, blocked, delayed etc  Any moron can see that on a day to day basis."Any moron might claim that, but the London Fire Service haven't actually seen that on Chiswick High Road:https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/average-call-out-times-chiswick-high-road-and-after-cw9

Tom Pike ● 280d

PARTS of CS(arebuilt to accommodate emergency vehicles.Ironically, the 'wand separated', rubbish strewn cycle  'lanes' by West Middlesex Hospital prevent vehicles pulling over to allow emegency service vehicles to pass. Poor planning,

N V Brooks ● 280d

No it’s not. The emergency services struggle and are held up, blocked, delayed etc  Any moron can see that on a day to day basis. Try Twickenham Road to West Middx Hospital. Hopefully Dunne won’t have blood on her hands if she already hadn’t. And the sick thing is that these cycling lanes and LTNs do NOTHING to improve climate change. Likewise the 20mph limits only cause more pollution as drivers brake and accelerate and brake again.

Steve Taylor ● 280d

The cycle lane is built to accommodate emergency services. This is well documented.

Mark Frost ● 280d

Blah blah blah. I am not going to help you cope with cycle lanes and go over all the same moral panics. Cycle lanes are here to stay, many more are coming and I imagine the Cabinet lead for Environment, Climate and Transport will be very involved in doing good things. Deal with it.

Paul Campbell ● 280d

Paul,Please read again what I stated about emergency vehicles trying to get through jam packed streets due the cycle lanes  blocking all of the traffic

Richard Atterwill ● 280d

Hopefully being relieved of Deputy Leader duties will release her to be more responsive or will we see further changes?

N V Brooks ● 280d

Richard Atterwill ● 280d

Katherine Dunne continues with her Cabinet portfolio ....It is the Deputy Leader position that is given to Tom Bruce.

Paul Campbell ● 280d

She is still a councillor for at least a couple more years unless she decides to step downInteresting though that her and councillor Lambert who are two of the most prolific cycling campaigners on the Council no longer hold their positions

Paul Fisher ● 280d