Residents in streets near Chiswick Lane want traffic calming measures

Chiswick Lane area-image google

Locals in streets near Chiswick Lane have presented a petition calling on Hounslow Council to introduce traffic calming measures to prevent accidents from speeding traffic.

A petition of 21 signatures has been sent to Hounslow Council from residents of Eastbury Grove, Chiswick Grove, Dorchester Grove, Balfern Grove, Ashbourne Grove and Chiswick Lane stating; “We, the undersigned, are concerned residents who urge the council to act now to implement traffic calming measures on the above named roads.”

Locals are concerned that cars are travelling above the speed limit along their streets turning off Chiswick Lane and using them as a short cut to the High Road. Eight of the ten accidents reported in the past five years, have taken place on Chiswick Lane, with a cluster around the Ashbourne Grove and Balfern Grove junctions.

Hounslow Council can apply for funding for traffic calming measures to TfL if they believe there is a severity of risk to road safety in a particular area.

According to police data in a report to the Chiswick Area Forum last Tuesday, there were ten reported accidents in the last five years ( (01/04/2011 – 31/03/2016) in which police were called due to collisions which resulted in injury.

1. Chiswick Lane/Balfern Grove in November 2011: A vehicle swerved to avoid collision but hit a
bus stop, causing it to fall on a waiting pedestrian. Resulting in a pedestrian fatality.
2. Chiswick Lane/Cornwall Grove in March 2012: A vehicle collided into the back of a stationary
car after it failed to look properly and could not slow down in time.
3. Chiswick Lane/Ashbourne Grove in April 2012: A motorcyclist was seriously injured when a
vehicle which was turning right into Chiswick Lane through stationary traffic collides with the
motorcycle who was filtering down the offside of traffic.
4. Chiswick Lane/Ashbourne Grove in April 2013: A motorcyclist was seriously injured when
overtaking a car turning right onto Ashbourne Grove.
5. Chiswick Lane/Balfern Grove in May 2013: A vehicle pulled out to turn right onto Chiswick
Lane into the path of a passing vehicle.
6. Dorchester Grove in September 2013: A pedestrian stepped out into the path of a passing
vehicle.
7. Chiswick Lane/Balfern Grove in August 2014: A motorcyclist lost control of motorcycle and fell
off collided with a vehicle which was turning right from Balfern Grove.
8. Chiswick Lane/Balfern Grove in May 2015: A goods Vehicle gave way to a vehicle which was
turning right out of Balfern Grove, but the vehicle collided with a motorcyclist who was
travelling on the inside of the goods vehicle.
9. Dorchester Grove in August 2015: A vehicle and a motorcycle were racing, the vehicle braked
suddenly to avoid a vehicle and the motorcycle swerved unsteadily and clipped him slightly
resulting in minor injuries to the driver of the other racing vehicle.
10. Chiswick Lane in January 2016: A vehicle collided with a pedestrian on a zebra crossing due tothe crossing being masked by stationary/parked cars.

Speed data available for Chiswick Lane showed that the majority of traffic was travelling within the current speed limit, and only one of the recorded collisions was noted to have been caused by excessive speed.

The meeting was told that the Council has committed to implementing a 20mph limit on all residential roads over the next 24 months.

The Council said that its Network Management section had agreed to prioritise the introduction of 20mph limits in this area once the 20mph zones around schools have been completed,
which should be at some point next year.

It is proposed that the petition be noted and kept under review, and that once the 20mph limits are in place for this area, a subsequent follow up speed survey should be commissioned to assess the level of compliance and corresponding effect on road safety.

November 12, 2016