Deadline Nears For Views On The Cycle Superhighway

The CS9 has been a matter of heated debate amongst Chiswick residents

The deadline for the public consultation on the proposed Cycle Superhighway (CS9) for Chiswick High Road is Tuesday 31 October.

Since CS9 was announced, it has led to heated debate in Chiswick amid concerns ranging from cyclists and pedestrian safety, the impact on traffic, on traders, air pollution, the loss of trees, changes to local roads and parking, and the controversy over whether it would end the ability of Our Lady of Grace Church to hold funerals and weddings.

Parish priest Father Michael Dunne has written an item on the church Facebook page which ends with the following comment, "There are clearly many people who feel differently, and there are strongly held views and arguments on all sides. Communities don’t happen by accident; they grow and build over time. Chiswick is evidence of that. Many people in this community feel that these plans will harm that fabric, and we call on TFL and the Mayor to reconsider the current route and to make proposals that will address the specific concerns that we and others have raised. I and many Chiswick residents and parishioners hope to continue to have a constructive dialogue with the authorities and stakeholders concerned."

Some groups got their submissions to TfL in quickly while others are still putting the finishing touches this weekend. The nine Chiswick councillors are also formulating their response.

ChiswickW4.com has received dozens of emails and comments since the start of the consultation- it is impossible to publish them all but here is a flavour of the past week. You can also read more on our forum and watch The Chiswick Calendar debate video.

David Lesniak, the proprietor of Outsider Tart, has put up a series of maps on the window of the restaurant which outline the Cs9 as it goes along the High Road.

He and Mike Moran have pointed out that to create a segregated bike lane as planned, TFL's proposal shows an uninterrupted traffic island from Annandale Road to Linden Gardens. There is no indication of how traffic will flow nor how it will access Devonshire Road or the
car park. Traders held a meeting to discuss how the CS9 will affect their business, which MP Ruth Cadbury attended.

There is considerable concern among residents about changes to Dukes Avenue and Duke Road.

Residents of British Grove continue to work with both Tfl and the Councils ( Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow ) to achieve progress on their concerns about traffic diversions.

The Chiswick High Road Action Group (CHRAG) says that that they support the concept of a cycle lane on the south side of Chiswick High Road, but not the one proposed.

The two headline reasons they don't like it are:

- not ambitious enough: should extend to Chiswick Business Park
- doesn't go far enough to implement the Mayor's 2017 Draft Transport Strategy, which calls for the reduction of cars on the road, and an increase in walking and cycling. CHRAG believes that TfL have swung too far in favour of motor vehicles at the expense of pedestrian walkways which, under these plans, would see an unnecessary reduction in space that will make walking to the shops and spending time outdoors a less attractive premise for local residents and visitors.

You can read their thoughts in full here.

There has been considerable concern expressed about trees being removed from Chiswick High Road. One reader said that after reading the 5 maps produced by TFL and measuring up regarding the new bus stop and bike lane by Outsider Tart this tree (seen below) is going to be chopped down.

Another reader has raised the question of whether the undertakers business will be able to function, if coffins have to be carried in or our of the hearse on the High Road across a cycle lane. Several traders have raised the issue of potential problems for deliveries.

The Middlesex Association for the Blind has welcomed the CS9 as an opportunity for its members to be able to cycle with a special tricycle - this allows a visually impaired person to cycle supported with a sighted companion. See our story elsewhere on the site.

The Hounslow Cycling Group regards the extension of the cycle lane to west London as "brilliant".

There has been much concern about the effectiveness of the way that TfL has gone about the consultation. Many local businesses and key local stakeholders say the first they heard about the plans was when the scheme was reported in the local media and that obvious flaws in the proposal could have been ironed out before detailed plans were drawn up. The location of some of the public information events were changed with no notice given. Despite TfL spending what is believed to be a considerable sum on publicity for the consultation none of this outlay was directed to local media like ChiswickW4.com.

You can read more details about how the cycle highway will operate with maps.

The cycle path is to be located on the southern side of Chiswick High Road because surveys indicated this had a lower footfall and it would have a lower impact on tree removal, according to TfL. The consultation on the cycle highway closes on 31 October.

Further details with maps and images available on the TfL website.

Click here for larger version of this map

The CS9 is part of the Mayor's draft Transport Strategy and Healthy Streets project which aims to encourage walking, cycling and using public transport. TfL say it will provide improvement for all road users and offer a clearer and safer route for people to cycle in West London, make it easier to cross busy roads, and remove traffic on some residential roads.

October 29, 2017