Save Ealing Streets Update

the views expressed below are of Save Ealings Streets
and not those of actonw3.com

There have been some important and alarming developments on the tram, and this message is to update you and to ask you 'What do you think of TfL's latest proposals?'

After many months of negotiation with Transport for London, we are extremely disappointed about the way they plan to implement the tram scheme.

SUMMARY

TfL are in the final stages of their consultation with the Local Consultation Groups (community and residents' groups). This month, they have at last provided detailed information to groups in Ealing and West Ealing about what they are planning to do in terms of routing traffic and the tram, and released the results of the traffic modelling.

The final meetings with the local consultation for other areas groups take place over the next fortnight, and we will update you on the other areas once we know more.

The key points to emerge for Ealing and West Ealing are:

For the Ealing pinch-point, TfL plan a new road over Haven Green for eastbound traffic and for tram and traffic to share a single lane westbound. Although things have moved a long way since the initial proposals for Uxbridge Road closures, TfL have very recently moved backwards. In January Tim Jones, the project director, told the Ealing Gazette that there would be demolition of some of the ground floor extensions to buildings in the Uxbridge Rd - the row from Barclays to HSBC - to make space for an additional lane of traffic.

They have now changed their mind about this. The new road will spoil Haven Green, and westbound traffic will be heavily restricted so as not to slow the tram and so will lead to increased traffic in streets south of the Uxbridge Road. (See Appendix 1 for traffic modelling and streets where traffic is likely to increase significantly and Appendix 2 for full details on the other options available for Ealing Broadway.)
For the West Ealing pinch-point, TfL have reverted to the original reference case i.e. westbound traffic diverted along Leeland Terrace and eastbound traffic along Singapore Road.

Maps have been produced that show the tram will drive traffic away from the Uxbridge Road and produce huge increases in traffic on many residential streets. TfL have indicated that it is now a deliberate goal of policy to deter traffic from using the Uxbridge Road by making it more difficult for traffic to get through. In the past we had been led to believe that the problem of the pinch-points was a question of physical space constraints, and we were working with TfL to seeking ways to get round that.

Their determination to drive traffic away from the Uxbridge Road appears to be one of the key reasons why TfL are now reluctant to adopt the superior (and more expensive) solutions we had been discussing with them in the local consultation group meetings. Instead of solutions that provide separate lanes for traffic and tram, TfL are now moving towards allowing tram and traffic to share a single lane at the pinch-points, but strictly controlling the amount of traffic that can enter these shared sections. This will inevitably drive traffic onto surrounding streets.
Despite several options being tabled as alternatives to road closures, TfL have decided upon a 'pre- public consultation’ preferred option. This does not reflect the views of the residents groups who have been consulted. This summer, TfL will be consulting the public about the various options for the pinch-points (See Appendix 2), even though they already have a preferred option, so how genuine is the whole consultation process?

The next stage of the consultation process is to discuss measures to mitigate the worst effects shown up by the modelling though traffic calming, blocking off streets and so on. Whilst this is, of course, necessary to protect residents living in those streets, the combined impact of making it difficult for drivers to use either the Uxbridge Road or the surrounding roads is that it will become much harder for traffic to get around the area.

See Appendix 1 for List of affected streets; Appendix 2 for alternative options for Ealing Broadway; Appendix 3 for WLT timetable; Appendix 4 for People to Write to; Appendix 5 for Making Contributions to this campaign.

SES ASSESSMENT
In our view, while it is a laudable objective to discourage car use by providing better public transport, it is wrong to push traffic off ‘A’ roads like the Uxbridge Road though deliberately adopting measures to clog up the roads. Traffic should be encouraged to stick to main roads, not to go elsewhere. Unless the tram is implemented properly and the pinch-points are tackled in a satisfactory way, the tram shouldn’t go ahead. The tram is a scheme that will affect West London for years – either TfL should get it right, or abandon the scheme.

The key results TfL gave out compare traffic flows in 2011 if there is a tram with traffic in 2011 if there is no tram. The modelling is based on traffic sharing the Uxbridge Road with the tram, and is before any mitigation measures. Many residential roads show a ‘major increase’ which is defined as more than a 25% increase. We don’t yet know how much more, but are trying to find out. Residential roads with more than a 25% increase include Culmington Rd, Corfton Rd, Creffield Rd, Creswick Rd, Elers Rd, Gordon Road, Hazelmere Av, Hale Gdns, Kennilworth Rd, Longfield Rd, Mount Av, Midhurst Rd, North Av, Stanway Gdns.

Uxbridge Road traffic shows a ‘major decrease’ between Ealing Common and Hanwell. We are told that it falls by more than 25%, but again don’t know how much more. The modellers were keen to stress that the results for individual roads may not be an accurate reflection of what is likely to happen as the model is not sufficiently sophisticated to do that. The big increases on some local roads will, in practice, be spread over several neighbouring roads.

APPENDIX 2: DETAILS ON THE EALING PINCH-POINT OPTIONS

TfL are planning to take forward 4 options to public consultation, one of which represents their preferred ‘pre-consultation design’. They clearly strongly favour this, and are likely to go for this one unless there is enormous public pressure to the contrary. TfL have omitted two of the best options that we had discussed extensively with them from their list. The options we had been pushing for, and those TfL is consulting on are as follows:

1. SES preferred options

i) Diverting the tram in both directions round the back of the Arcadia centre, on the south side of the railway line, and leaving the traffic on the Uxbridge Road. This would have had the advantage that there could be a tram stop at or close to Ealing Broadway station. TfL have decided not to take this proposal forward to consultation on grounds that it depends on regeneration proposals on the land used which are still uncertain, and also on grounds of cost.

OR both of the following:

ii) Eastbound traffic to be routed up Springbridge Rd and then via a new road built on the south side of the railway line, between the railway and the Arcadia Centre. Traffic would access this via the ramp up to the Arcadia Centre car park. This option is one of the options going forward to consultation but TfL are not enthusiastic on grounds of cost and uncertainty over the development site.

AND

iii) Westbound traffic to have its own lane made possible by demolition of the ground floor extensions which jut out on nos 43-53 Uxbridge Road – Barclays Bank to HSBC. The demolition would provide enough space for the extra lane, and for there to be tram-stops on both sides where the road had been widened. TfL are not putting forward this option for consultation, but they are including a much inferior version.

2. The options TfL is consulting on

At first sight it looks like TfL is consulting on options that we are likely to be happy with, but on closer inspection, theirs are on the whole much inferior. The options TfL is consulting on are as follows:

a) Eastbound traffic via a new road behind the Arcadia centre (Our option ii) above)

This is the only one of the options we have listed above which is going forward to the consultation, and although it is going forward, TfL have made clear they are not keen on this one.

b) TfL’s preferred option

Eastbound traffic goes up Springbridge Rd, over a new road built over Haven Green and back via The Broadway to the Uxbridge Rd. To compensate for the loss of space on Haven Green, the diagonal road across the green would be grassed over and there would be a new lane to take its traffic on the east side of Haven Green.
Westbound traffic shares a single lane with the tram between the junction with The Broadway and the junction with High Street. The flow of westbound traffic would be restricted by traffic lights (we think to 500 vehicles an hour) so as not to slow the tram on the shared section of road. Traffic would also have to sit behind the tram when it stops at the tramstop.
We are unhappy about this option because:

The road on the south side of Haven Green carrying very heavy traffic will ruin one of Ealing’s loveliest green spaces.
TfL are not planning to tackle the westbound problem. The proposal to restrict westbound traffic so that it can share a single lane with the tram will mean much worse traffic jams and attempted rat running.
c) Springbridge car-park variant of TfL’s preferred option

This is the same as TfL’s preferred option except that the road goes over the open-air car park on the south side of the green rather than over Haven Green itself. This is clearly better than building a road over Haven Green, but less good than our option ii) above.

d) the 'economy' version of our option iii) for westbound traffic

This squeezes in a separate lane for eastbound traffic but without demolition of the ground floor extensions. Without the demolition, the limited space means that the eastbound tramstop has to be outside Marks and Spencers. This has 3 disadvantages:

the tramstop means there is no room to allow traffic to turn left up Springbridge Road, this removing one of the key Uxbridge Road crossing points
the tramstop is an unacceptable distance from Ealing Broadway station
the pavements outside M&S would need to be even narrower
APPENDIX 3: WLT TIMETABLE
TfL are steaming ahead, but there is still a big question mark over whether they will get enough money from the government - this will be announced in July 04.

The timetable is now as follows:

March Last of the series of local consultation groups with TfL. TfL's preferred scheme to be presented (possibly still with options in some areas)
March Second phase of telephone opinion poll
April TfL to update TfL board, encourage board to endorse proposals for public consultation and agree that TfL apply for necessary legal powers by end 2004
April Ealing Council begins consultations on detailed traffic management
June Mayoral election
June - Sept Public consultation
early December TfL board approves application to apply for powers
end of December Application of legal powers submitted
July or Sept 2005 Public enquiry

APPENDIX 4: ADDRESSES TO WRITE TO
If you have not written, then please do (especially letters to the Gazette as it starts to raise public awareness again) and keep us updated of letter ssent and received.

Tim Jones, Project Director, West London Tram Project, 3rd Floor South Wing, Parnell House, 25 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LW (emails: westlondontram@tfl.gov.uk)

Councillors John Cudmore (leader) and Stephen Sears (responsible for transport) - both at Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing W5 2BY (emails john.cudmore@ealing.gov.uk and stephen.sears@ealing.gov.uk)

Ealing Gazette: The Editor, The Gazette, 134 Broadway, West Ealing, W13 OTL (email: edit@ealinggazette.co.uk)

APPENDIX 5: FUNDING
We see the next phase of this campaign being one which will require significant funds. If you can offer a contribution towards our costs, it would be greatly appreciated. Please make cheques payable to Save Ealing's Streets Association, c/o SES Treasurer, 53 Gordon Road, Ealing W5 2AL.

Do you agree? Please let us know and help us formulate our strategy for the next phase of the campaign.

Jane Ashley and Tracy Evans
Save Ealing's Streets
020 8997 5414
www.ealingstreets.org