Traffic Management

The Directorate of Transportation and Highways deals with transport, road safety and traffic management schemes for the borough.

Cycle lanes and routes

Given the demand on road space within the Royal Borough resulting from central London traffic levels and the historic road layout we have inherited, it is not generally possible to allocate road space to specific vehicles such as buses or bicycles.

The same constraints mean that it is also not possible to provide safe shared use on most pavements in the borough or to provide designated bicycle paths.

The Council wishes to encourage cyclists to use any road in the borough that they chose and considers that the most important facility that the Council is able to provide is a good quality road surface free from potholes and other defects and high quality bicycle parking.

The Council provides free cyclist training for anyone who lives, works or studies in in the Royal Borough.

Red Routes

This service is provided by Transport for London.

Roads and highways - speed limits

All of the roads for which the Council is responsible are subject to a 30 mph speed limit or lower. Reducing speed limits is only effective when supported by adequate enforcement.

Therefore the Council will only consider reducing speed limits where there is a history of reported personal injury accidents and where the police agree to undertake regular enforcement.

Road safety - road junctions

The Council undertakes an annual review of the personal injury accident statistics in order to identify any locations on the road network that would benefit from engineering measures.

The success of the Council in taking action at such locations in previous years means that it is now difficult to identify locations where engineering measures would have a positive effect on accident numbers.

Road safety - pedestrian crossings

Most locations where it is possible to install pedestrian crossing facilities and where there is a demonstrable need already have them. The Council recognises that there are junctions on the main road network that would benefit from improved pedestrian facilities and will endeavour to make these improvements wherever possible.

However, traffic levels and the existing road layout often mean that such improvements are not always physically possible.

Implementing any type of crossing facility usually means a reduction in the available parking space and so is often subject to strong objections from local residents.

Road safety - speed checks

As the Royal Borough is within the geographical area of the London Safety Camera Partnership, cameras may only be installed at locations where there is a history of speed related personal injury accidents. This criteria is not within the control of the Council.

At present there are no locations on roads for which the Council is responsible that meet this criteria.

Road safety - traffic schemes

The Council undertakes an annual review of the personal injury accident statistics in order to identify any locations on the road network that would benefit from engineering measures.

The success of the Council in taking action at such locations in previous years means that it is now difficult to identify locations where engineering measures would have a positive effect on accident numbers.

Road signs

The Council already provides road signs as required by the regulations set by central government. In accordance with the Council's award winning Streetscape principals, road signs are kept to a minimum so please note that new signs will only be provided if required by the regulations and that no yellow backing boards will be used.

Speed humps

The Council recognises the growing public resistance to traffic calming measures and will only consider traffic calming measures at locations where there is a demonstrable benefit and that have a high level of support from local residents.

In practice this means only considering such measures at locations where there is clear evidence of unacceptable numbers of speed related reported personal injury accidents already occurring. In instances where there are strong objections from local residents to existing traffic calming measures consideration will be given to reviewing them during programmed road maintenance works.

Yellow lines

The whole of the Royal Borough is covered by a controlled parking zone. This means that all the available kerb-side space is covered by either a parking bay (residents', pay and display, diplomatic or disabled) or waiting restrictions (yellow lines). Because there is a high demand for parking spaces the Council has already maximised the amount of parking spaces that are available.

The Council can not provide parking bays for businesses as priority for parking is given to local residents and visitors.