Hogarth Roundabout - more congestion in Chiswick - please email opposition to TfL's proposals
Hello everyone. This is my first post on here, as it's not my kind of thing usually, but I am astonished at TfL's proposals for Hogarth Roundabout. Sorry if I’m a little late to the party, but my bone of contention is not Church Road (I'll mention it briefly below), but the "Advance Stop Lines" that TfL is proposing on all entrances to the roundabout - these will slow the flow of traffic through the roundabout and cause more congestion on Chiswick Lane (when you try to leave Chiswick) and on the A316 (when you are trying to get home).What is an "Advance Stop Line"? It's the white box at the front of the traffic lights with a bicycle painted in it that allows cyclists to pull away ahead of cars. I quite like them when I am cycling - in some places they really do improve safety. But they won't on Hogarth Roundabout!Why? Because no cyclists will use them! I cycle this area frequently and every cyclist I have ever seen leaves Chiswick Lane, or the A316, and passes under the roundabout through the underpass (or they use one of the several other underpasses both east and west of the roundabout. So why has TfL put them in its design? For goodness sake, they have even put Advance Stop Lines in their design across 3 and 4 lanes of the A4! The A4 has a combined cyclepath/pavement along each side of it, which I use regularly - I have never - in decades - seen a cyclist on the main carriageway. What on earth are TfL thinking - it's ideology gone mad!Instead, what these Advance Stop Lines will do is reduce the flow of traffic through the roundabout in each light phase as cars, vans, motorbikes will have further to travel before they reach the roundabout. This will cause more congestion on Chiswick Lane and the A316 in particular. Chiswick Lane is already frequently backed up to the High Road; the A316 backs up past Cavendish and Chiswick schools frequently. What TfL proposes will only make getting out of Chiswick even worse, and pour even more pollutants into these school sites. Frankly, I think it's one of the most stupid things I have ever seen a government propose (and after the last lot that takes something!). TfL is actually going to spend money on something that will never be used and overall make things worse!So, please send a short email to TfL (haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk) opposing their plans to put "Advance Stop Lines" on Hogarth Roundabout.Thank you. I hope I don't attract the opprobrium of the cycling lobby who seem to lurk on these pages, but surely even they use the underpass too?!As for Church Street, I can't see why they can't add a fourth lane to the A4 turning left into the A316 and still have a direct access and exit from Church Street. TfL's proposal seems dangerous to me - anyone turning into the new Church Road entrance will stop or slow all traffic on the A316 (which it doesn't presently), which will then back up onto the roundabout - the most dangerous part of Hogarth Roundabout in my view is when traffic queueing to reach the A316 forces eastbound A4 traffic down to 2 lanes on the roundabout - that's quite scary and will potentially be worse with the TfL proposal.And for what it's worth - why are they adding more cycle parking and benches? Are they expecting the roundabout to become a destination?! Put the benches in and the cycle parking near Chiswick House please and stop wasting money!Honestly, I don't know what's going on at TfL - maybe they gave this one to the summer intern to do!
Nigel Williams ● 47d32 Comments ● 35d