Category Archives: Traffic

by | July 19, 2016 · 12:00

Useful fact finding visit to Transport for London

It was a pleasure as ever to hang with Councillors Guy Lambert (Labour, Brentford) and Sam Christie (Labour, Bedfont) the one who brokered a positive meeting at Transport for London in Southwark yesterday morning. On the way I was unaware I nearly squashed a Pokemon, Pidgey, near the Young Vic on The Cut, SE1, hadn’t a clue, sorry.

Councillors Guy Lambert, Tony Louki and Sam Christie on the 10.44 Hounslow Loop from Chiswick to London Waterloo for our TfL meet

Councillors Guy Lambert, Tony Louki and Sam Christie on the 10.44 Hounslow Loop from Chiswick to London Waterloo for our TfL meet

Of mutual interest for the three of us was the continuing saga of house building conglomerate Barratt unable to facilitate uninterrupted service for the 235 at its western terminus, Great West Quarter; crowding on some routes; ability to access West Middlesex University Hospital from all parts of the borough and overall bus reliability in Hounslow.

Positive news is that brand new and latest lowest emission buses will be introduced by when the 235’s bus operations transfer from Abellio to Metroline in January 2017.

Those recalling last year’s consultations on local services may know that TfL still considers the routeing of the H28 and E8 as unfinished business. There was and remains concern that the removal of route H28 from Wood Lane, Isleworth will make access to the West Mid very difficult from as far away as Cranford and Heston. Replacing it with a double decked E8 down Amhurst Gardens would mean the removal of the last of that road’s mature trees. Expect more consultations in early 2017.

Not enough time to cover all the Transport for London issues affecting Osterley & Spring Grove Ward but a number of items were left with our host to consider and respond to, including:

A4 Great West Road junctions

  • improving phase turnings at Wood Lane
  • improving surface crossings at Gillette Corner
  • pedestrian subway safety at Gillette Corner
  • preventing eastbound driving on the southside between Jersey and Gresham Roads
  • future proposals for this TfL owned stretch.

New Ridgeway Road controlled crossing

  • reinstatement of the grass verge
  • marking the cycle lane following completion of the recent works
  • remedying the northside cycle lane pinch point by pedestrian crossing
  • reinstatement of bus stop U Great West Road/Ridgeway Road.

Great West Road at Osterley Library

  • establishing short term parking in the layby east from Thornbury Road.

Great West Road environment

  • protection and maintenance of verges, shrub beds and maximising pavement widths
  • clarifying TfL bollard policy
  • managing curtilage hedge encroachments on footways
  • cycle lane maintenance and safety
  • managing tree growth that impedes cyclists
  • TfL’s tree maintenance and planting programme
  • maintenance schedules.

Councillor Sam Christie’s notes of the meeting can be found here.

Pokemon Pidgey almost a Size 8 gonner on the way to TfL

Pokemon Pidgey almost a cropper from my size 8s on the way to TfL

Always happy to hear from residents about local public transport and the Great West Road.

TL 19.7.2016

Comments Off on Useful fact finding visit to Transport for London

Filed under Brentford, Great West Road, H28 bus, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Public transport, Roads, TfL, Traffic, West Middlesex Hospital

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 5, 2016 · 14:30

Wardabout with Hounslow Highways – Tuesday 5 April 2016 at 11.00 am to 12.15 pm

A productive little mooch around the neighbourhood north of Great West Road between Wood Lane and Syon Lane.

160405 Wardabout

Attending: Satbir and Ali from Hounslow Highways; Joyce from Hounslow Council Contracts Team; Gerry S from Syon Park Gardens; Ian T from Wyke Close; Basil M from Syon Lane; OSG Ward Councillors Tony Louki and Sheila OReilly

Following the Wardabout, Hounslow Highways have undertaken to:

  • Provide a list of actions raised within 3 working days
  • Send an updated list of full actions and outcomes of any investigations within 28 days.

These are what I noted, not all are the responsibility of Hounslow Highways, some are Transport for London which is accountable for Great West Road; matters of flytipping on private land are the locus of Hounslow Council’s Enforcement Service:

Require litter bin near entrance to 120 Wood Lane – heavy footfall to schools and the Osterley Sports Centre and Athletics Track;

Seek solution to westbound vehicle access to Syon Park Gardens from Great West Road;

Deep clean by refuges at junction of Wood Lane and Great West Road;
160405 GWRd Wood Lane detritus

Ask TfL to fix the refuge barriers damaged during recent road traffic incident;

Complete lighting works on Wyke Estate footpath from Wood Lane to opposite 141 Syon Lane;

Advise on responsibility for maintaining play area along this footpath;

Advise on sweeping and litter pick frequency for this footpath;

Unblock gulley outside 143 Syon Lane;

Unblock gulley at 141 Syon Lane/Macfarlane Lane;

Deep clean of laybys from 141 to 211 Syon Lane;

Complete lighting works reinstatement outside 145 Syon Lane;

Address ponding and flooding on to pavement from verges between 141 and 211 Syon Lane;

Upgrade road name sign at Stags Way/Syon Lane to show “leading to Crowntree Close and Wyke Close;

Report Braybourne Drive ditch flytips to LBH Enforcement, serve EPA s81 notice to owners of the ditch (Wates) and diarise regular monitoring;
160405 Braybourne ditch 01

Unblock gullies at eastern end of Braybourne Drive by fire access barrier;

Unblock gulley in courtyard of 8-20 Wyke Close;

Remove corrugated asbestos from footpath to Syon Park Gardens at side of 786 Great WestRoad;

Address pothole by the gulley outside 40 Syon Park Gardens;
160405 Pothole os 40 Syon Pk Gdns

Examine level of crossover infringement and footway parking at various addresses in Syon Park Gardens;

Place litter bin(s) by Syon Park Gardens amenity area to reduce littering;

Advise on frequency of litter picking at this location;

Remove flytip outside 830 Great West Road;
160405 Flytip os 830 GWRd

Contact TfL to encourage maintenance and protection of grass verges on Great West Road – another of Mayor Boris Johnson’s failures.

160405 GWRd verges

Ali and Joyce also made notes so this list is not exhaustive.

A range of other issues e mailed to councillors by residents unable to make the event will be forwarded to the appropriates for follow up.

TL 5.4.2016

Comments Off on Wardabout with Hounslow Highways – Tuesday 5 April 2016 at 11.00 am to 12.15 pm

Filed under Great West Road, Hounslow Highways, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Roads, TfL, Traffic, Wyke Green

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | October 7, 2015 · 08:59

Wood Lane 3: Hounslow Highways share more detail of next week’s resurfacing works

Following some lengthy correspondence with Hounslow Highways, details of how the long awaited resurfacing of Wood Lane will be carried out and managed have now been made available.

150921 Wood Lane Musgrave sign

After a few residents made contact with me about access to their properties (see item from 13.9.2015), Hounslow Highways have agreed that the works will now be carried out nightly, in sections: Parkwood Road to Musgrave Road; Musgrave Road to Borough Road; Borough Road to Great West Road.

Obviously, there will be short term disruption but whilst parking on Wood Lane itself will be suspended, residents should not be prevented from parking on their own drives outside road working hours.

The works start on Monday night, 12.10.2015 and are expected to last until Tuesday morning 20.10.2015 between 9.00 pm and 5.00 am (not Friday to Sunday due to the rugby). During the works there will be no access between Great West Road and Parkwood Road (apart from and to 120 Wood Lane via Great West Road).

Advanced warning signs have already been placed advising road users and residents of the start of the works and markings have appeared on the carriageway and by road humps.

Residents should expect parking suspension signs, no parking cones and all properties and vehicles parked in the area leafleted with another reminder of the works.

After 9.00 pm on road working nights, the H28 bus
 will be diverted to and from Wood Lane (north) via Great West Road, Syon Lane and London Road, see detail here.

Road diversions will also placed between Thornbury Road, Spur Road and further east; maps showing these can be found here, here and here. Finer detail can be read here.

All mobile plant used for the resurfacing will be parked safely at the end of each working shift; signed and protected accordingly.

Ruth Cadbury MP and I have asked for and waited a long time for improvements to this well used and important road and are grateful for Hounslow Highways’ positive response. Yes, there will be disruption to normal routine but the result should be worth it and (like our cars’ suspensions) last for many years.

The contact number for any resident enquiries during the works is 020 8583 2222.

TL 7.10.2015

Comments Off on Wood Lane 3: Hounslow Highways share more detail of next week’s resurfacing works

Filed under College Road, Great West Road, Hounslow Highways, London Road, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Public transport, Road works, Roads, Spring Grove, Thornbury Road, Traffic

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | September 21, 2015 · 09:01

Syon Park Gardens: Five updates

150920 S P Gdns sign

Following an inspection with Hounslow Highways’ Network Manager, earlier this month and pursuit of outstanding matters previously raised with Hounslow Council’s Traffic Team, I am able to offer some updates that may be of interest to residents of Syon Park Gardens and surromnding areas.

Tidied up amenity area on eastern entrance to Syon Park Gardens

Tidied up amenity area on eastern entrance to Syon Park Gardens

Amenity area near the junction with Great West Road –  Late last week, spaces either side of the entrance to Syon Park Gardens were tended to by Hounslow Highways which involved plenty strimming and much mulching.  It is expected that this will help reduce further weed growth and improve the overall aesthetic appearance of the vegetation.

150920 Syon Park Gardens, Isle - Proposed Waiting Restrictions

Proposed double yellow lines at Great West Road junction

Junction with Great West Road – In recent months a number of requests have been made for yellow lines to be marked to improve safety at the turning on to and from the A4. Continue reading →

Comments Off on Syon Park Gardens: Five updates

Filed under CPZ, Great West Road, Hounslow Highways, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, OSG documents, Osterley, Roads, Sky, Traffic

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | September 13, 2015 · 00:37

Wood Lane 2: more details but communications require a revamp

It’s no mean feat fixing Hounslow’s roads, pavements, street lights and signs; an ambitious long term project welcomed and complimented by most citizens. Hounslow Highways is good at engineering but telling people about the forthcoming Wood Lane works may suggest, the way information has been shared and the opportunities to make enquiries, is weak in comparison.

Wood Lane road resurfacing starts here on 12.10.2015, north to the Great West Road

Wood Lane resurfacing,north to the Great West Road, starts here on 12.10.2015

Both Wednesday and Friday last week, residents in the area received inaccurate and incomplete information in two separate letters about the start of planned road resurfacing, see here and here.

With 103 roads in this (the borough’s biggest) ward, it shouldn’t be up to a councillor to seek and share bread and butter stuff but by late Friday, a couple of calls and a few emails have so far yielded the following: Continue reading →

Comments Off on Wood Lane 2: more details but communications require a revamp

Filed under College Road, Great West Road, Hounslow Highways, London Road, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Public transport, Road works, Roads, Traffic

Tagged as , ,