Ealing Green Party welcomes the overdue plans by Ealing Council to upgrade facilities for pedestrians and cyclists on Boston Road, bringing them closer in line to the facilities on Boston Manor Road in Hounslow. We recognise that to meet Ealing’s climate obligations we need to make active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling) and public transport a viable option for as many journeys as possible, enabling people to leave their car at home and that these changes progress those strategic objectives.
We do, however, have some reservations and suggestions for improvements to this particular scheme.
Walking
We have become all too accustomed to how much we have allowed drivers to take priority over the rights of pedestrians over decades. The proposals begin to address these issues with adjustments which will make the neighbourhood more pleasant for those travelling on foot – the highest proportion of whom will be local residents.
The Highway Code was amended more than two years ago to explicitly state that pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross side road junctions have priority over drivers, riders and cyclists turning in or out of a side road. The use of continuous crossings in this scheme across these entrances emphasises to drivers and riders that they need to slow down and give way to crossing pedestrians. At Adelaide Cottages, the pavement is extended to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and slow down traffic turning in and out.
Taken together, these crossing improvements create safer, level conditions for those in wheelchairs or pushing pushchairs.
One area that remains of concern is that there is still no pedestrian phase for people wanting to cross the top end of Boston Road opposite the Clocktower. That there is no provision for pedestrians at this busy footfall area in the centre of Hanwell is quite shocking and should be addressed as soon as possible, being a prime example of the prioritisation of drivers over pedestrians.
Our view is that these treatments are also needed at the busiest junctions as well as the cul-de-sacs with minimal traffic flow that the council are proposing to change.
Parking
The removal of a small amount of roadside parking near St Marks and near Westminster Road will improve sight lines and safety for and of pedestrians on crossings that are very busy with families in the morning rush hour.
The proposal near Boston Manor station, will result in the loss of roadside parking spaces along the western side of that section of road, but most of the homes there have driveways and space for multiple cars and there will still be more than thirty parking bays on the other side of the road next to the parade of shops, along with free parking 22 hours a day on side roads (24 hours at weekends). The CPZ on those residential streets prevents commuters using the neighbourhood as a free car park while enabling people to stop and shop. We recommend that the priority is given to car drivers who need reliable access to parking spaces, and that 2 or 3 bays are reserved for blue badge holders.
The removal of roadside parking saves cyclists from having to weave in and out of traffic which can put off potential cyclists and in the worst case result in conflict and collisions. Also cyclists are advised to leave at least one metre of space when passing parked cars because of the risk of “car dooring” where a car occupant swings a door open without checking for passing cyclists. In practice, this means cyclists riding well into the centre of the main lane.
Cycling
The proposal to create a two way segregated cycle lane will create safer cycling conditions all the way from the Great West Road to Elthorne Park bringing the cycling provision north of Boston Manor Station up to the standard provided in Hounslow five years ago. This will enable more people to cycle who currently feel the conditions are too dangerous. In particular it will be transformational for families wanting to cycle together with children.
We fully support these changes which should be constructed to the standard specified in government Cycle Infrastructure design standards.
For this scheme to have the maximum impact upon increasing active travel, segregated safe space should be provided for both cyclists and pedestrians for the entirety of the proposed scheme.
North of Humes Avenue the road becomes narrower, and the council are proposing turning shared pavements in this scheme. We understand why, due to lack of available space, but shared pavements tend to please neither group sharing the space – many pedestrians would prefer not to have to share space with cyclists and may be scared when overtaken by them on the pavement, and cyclists also don’t want to have to anticipate pedestrian movements on a narrow pavement.
Pushing cyclists onto the main carriageway without any protection for a stretch of the road negates the good work elsewhere in the proposal.
In order to properly serve the needs of walkers and pedestrians, we recommend that protected segregated cycle space be created along the whole length of the Boston Road. This will also reduce conflict and collisions making car drivers experience of the area better as well.
Overall
As ever, Ealing Council needs to be bolder and deliver faster on climate action, and this includes this welcome, but not yet ideal, active transport improvement scheme.
Over to you
We have submitted our comments to the council. You can still have your say by filling in the consultation before Friday 18th October. The council consultation documents are here:
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/boston-road-improvements
