| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Is deferring CS9 till after the election a bit of an avoidance? | |
| Posted by: | Michael Robinson | |
| Date/Time: | 21/01/18 02:54:00 |
| The A315 at Chiswick High Rd has over 3 times the volume of cyclists of the A4 so cyclists have already voted for their choice of route. I know the A4 is preferred by some and would support improving cycling on it, but it will never have the same number of cyclists as the A315 because it doesn’t go through any town centres. As has been mentioned, superhighway is a silly name and there is every chance it will be changed. It is a protected cycle lane. A parent and their children cycling to the shops is as deserving as protection as someone cycling to work. The original plan for CS9 dating back to 2009 was on the A315 east of Chiswick roundabout and the A4 to the west. Chris Calvi Freeman the previous head of transport at Hounslow succeeded in getting the route changed to the A315 to the west as well, with the objective of linking the town centres of Hounslow, Brentford, Chiswick and Hammersmith, not bypassing them as the A4 does. Since then there has been some small changes, such as using Wellesley Rd in Chiswick to avoid Chiswick roundabout. I can understand some people want the A4 but they are in a minority. The growth of new cyclists will be people cycling to the town centres, not commuters. TfL have been working on the CS9 route based on the A315 for a number of years now so they simply aren’t going to change this. Campaigning for CS9 on the A4 would be a waste of time and effort so Hounslow Cyclng Campaign are focussing on getting the best version of the route proposed. Unfortunately TfL view the A4 as primarily for high volumes of motor traffic and refuse to do anything that may affect this. Hence when there are changes, such as the recent consultation for the A4 around Boston Manor Rd, there are no real improvements for cycling as it isn’t a priority for TfL on this route. That’s the reality of the situation. |