Radical changes to local bus routes proposed

Nearly every house in W4 will be within 300m of a bus stop

Local councillors are to be asked to consider a series of suggested changes to local bus routes at the next Chiswick Area Committee meeting on 10th December.

A report to be presented at the meeting gives a comprehensive overview of currently plans for the development of bus routes around Chiswick.

The report reveals that, despite lobbying from the Council's transport department, there is little chance that the E3 route will revert to using single decker buses.

London Buses have ruled out reversion to single-deckers due to contractual arrangements and the fact that smaller buses would provide inadequate capacity in the Greenford-Acton sector without further increases in service frequency. The Council has no power to force a change of bus type.

The Council also proposed splitting the route at Acton, which would have allowed single deckers to be used on the Acton-Chiswick sector. Reducing the route length in this way would have reduced bunching, which tends to be proportional to route length. London Buses declined this proposal due to the numbers of passengers who would have to transfer at Acton, and due to problems with terminus space at that location.

Because these suggested changes to reduce bunching on the E3 route have been ruled out the Council is now suggesting that the E3 no longer runs up Sutton Lane North. The change in light phasings at the junction with Chiswick High Road since the closure of Chiswick Road has led to unacceptable queues.

Chiswick (Business) Park has been in discussion with Ealing Council and London Buses regarding a proposed extension of route E11 to serve Chiswick Park. Funded by Chiswick Park’s s106 contributions, the extended route would run via Popes Lane, Gunnersbury Lane and Bollo Lane to a new bus only entrance to Chiswick Park that would be developed between the two level crossings. The route would then either terminate at Chiswick Park or could be extended to Chiswick town centre.

On the 94 route the popular routemaster buses are to be phased out next month. The service was enhanced with additional frequencies from 1 February 2003, marking an end to the unpopular former practice wherein some services from Piccadilly short-ran to Shepherd’s Bush.

Proposals are also being made to extend the controversial 272 bus route into Strand on the Green by creating a 'Chiswick Circuit'. The probable route from Grove Park would be via Hartington Road, Grove Park Road, Thames Road and Strand on the Green. The route would then extend onto Chiswick High Road and via Chiswick Roundabout to Chiswick Town Centre. Extension of the route as described above would be dependent on Transport for London signalising the Strand on the Green approach to the Kew Bridge junction. This will probably happen in the 2004/5 financial year.

A new 392 route has been proposed to link the Golden Mile in Brentford with Chiswick Business Park. However the Chiswick Area Committee voted to withhold the use of s106 funds unless the route ran from Brentford via Chiswick Roundabout, Gunnersbury Avenue and Gunnersbury Lane, Acton Town station and Bollo Lane to Chiswick Park.

The changes proposed would mean that nearly every home in the Chiswick area would be less than 300m as the crow flies from the nearest bus stop. The Transport for London target is 400m walking distance.

October 30, 2014