An artist's impression of the junction of Piccadilly and St James's Street
Two-metre traffic lanes and a lack of advance stop lines do not augur well!
Westminster has published further details of its two-way scheme. The £14m project will see the existing one-way working of Pall Mall, St James's Street and Piccadilly being converted to two-way working. It aims to 'smooth traffic flow, creating a more user friendly, clutter-free and accessible environment for all road users'.
An artist's impression of the junction of Piccadilly and St James's Street
Two-metre traffic lanes and a lack of advance stop lines do not augur well!
Construction of the Piccadilly Two-Way Scheme commenced in August 2010 with the works on Pall Mall to introduce the improved street lighting arrangements and new central islands (which will then be ready to allow for the later two-way traffic operation).
The main construction works will move to Piccadilly Circus towards the end of 2010 (work will not take place over Christmas 2010) and then on to the Piccadilly/ St James's Street junction and the Haymarket/ Cockspur Street junction at the beginning of 2011 with the works on Piccadilly to be the final phase.
The works are scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2011 in advance of Christmas and ready for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 Olympic Games.
We welcome the principle of turning these streets back to two-way: the current one-way scheme is a major deterrent to cycling through this part of the West End. But there is the risk that cyclists' needs will not be taken into account, as happened with a similar scheme in the Strand.
Further details at https://www.westminster.gov.uk/workspace/assets/publications/Full-Info-Leaflet-A4-1280488315.pdf (4.5MB)
Westminster intends to make an
experimental traffic order to re-instate two-way traffic flow in Monck Street.
The stated reason for the change is to improve journeys for cyclists in and around the area, following the introduction of the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme; but all types of vehicle will be able to use the street in both directions.
The scheme will be introduced on an experimental basis, so that the effects on the traffic flow in the area can be fully gauged. The council anticipates that an experimental traffic order will come into force in mid-September and will consider any objections of representations after the scheme has been in force for at least six months. The council will then decide whether to retain the measures on a permanent basis.
We hope that this will be a precedent for further conversions back to two-way. One-way streets lengthen journeys and have a tendency to increase traffic speeds and volumes, making cycling more difficult. This particular scheme will open up a new back-street route from Westminster Abbey to the Vincent Square area.
A Cycle Superhighway
Infrastructure Plan has made recommendations for Vauxhall Bridge, Bessborough
Gardens and Vauxhall Bridge Road, including the spot where cyclist Everton Smith
was killed in May. (See
previous report)
The report makes a number of recommendations for the inward-bound journey, including the following:
In the opposite direction, the report recommends mandatory cycle lanes for much of the length of the road, replacing the 'virtual' lanes, which have proved ineffective.
Vauxhall Bridge Road will form part of Barclays Cycle Superhighway 5, running between Victoria and Lewisham. It is scheduled to open in October 2012.
Many Westminster cyclists are reluctant
to leave their bikes on the street overnight, with the possibility of its being
stolen and the certainty that it will deteriorate in the rain. But their flats
may be too small to store a bike.
This resident of Hatherley Grove seems to have found a novel solution. The result is visible from Westbourne Grove Terrace.