Views to Be Sought on Cycling on the Thames Path

Riverside path users can give suggestions for improvements close to Dukes Meadows

Hounslow Council are to hold a consultation to find out the views of people on the issue of cycling by the river in Chiswick.

They would like to hear from local residents about potential changes to the section of the Thames Path that runs next to Dukes Meadows. The Thames Path is one of fifteen National Trails in the UK.

The section of the path that connects Dukes Meadows to the residential areas immediately to the East is well used by both cyclists and pedestrians, especially at weekends but there are often problems with non-compliance to existing rules with cyclists using the pedestrian-only footpath. Some sections are quite narrow and may be considered inadequate for shared-use.

Of 712 cyclists counted recently a majority (425) used the riverside path while 296 used the prescribed route.

Hounslow Council says that because of the high number of users they want to hear local views on whether it would benefit from any changes or if the current layout works well

Whilst there are no cycling signs at the entrance to the pedestrian-only footpath, signage for the permitted cycle route is poor and the quality of the permitted cycle route deemed to be low. The path that connects to the two roads is of substandard width for a shared-use path and both routes require cyclists to dismount. These factors are believed to contribute to poor compliance with the no cycling restrictions.

"Better signage and improvements to the cycle routes, in conjunction with more effective barriers to the pedestrian only path, could improve compliance and the experience for both pedestrians and cyclists. It may also improve the experience for all if the effective width of the shared-use path is made greater," says Hounslow Council.

You can complete the Thames Path questionnaire here or submit any feedback to Greg Edwards at transportplanning@hounslow.gov.uk.

The closing date for this consultation is 20 November 2016.

October 22, 2016