Traffic grows outside the congestion zone26 September 2003Significant increases in Kensington and Chelsea traffic have been generated by congestion charging, according to a new study published this week. The report, commissioned by the council, also demonstrates that Transport for London's pre-scheme predictions of the effects on traffic flows were wide of the mark in some areas. Amongst the significant unanticipated changes revealed in the report are a marked increase in HGV vehicles on the Earl's Court one-way system, up 18 per cent south bound and nine per cent north bound. On Chelsea Embankment the rise is even more pronounced with HGV journeys up 29 per cent. All ten roads surveyed for the report have experienced large increases in bicycle use since the introduction of congestion charging. Sixty percent more cyclists are travelling the A4, and the number of bikes on the Earl's Court one-way system has risen by nearly a third. Motorbike use is also significantly up; by 36 per cent on the A4, by 30 per cent on the south bound Earl's Court one-way system and 22 per cent on the Chelsea Embankment. As well as increases for two wheelers and trucks, overall traffic has also crept up. For example, north bound traffic on the Earl's Court one-way system during the zone's operating hours is up 11 per cent. Traffic heading in or out of the zone along the A4 is up six per cent and seven per cent respectively. On the plus side, journey times for east bound traffic using the A4 and Holland Park Avenue have decreased by 20 per cent; worth an extra 2 minutes and 20 seconds in real time. And average speeds are up 28 per cent to 12.1 mph. Moreover more people are setting out early to avoid the charge, leaving the roads emptier at peak times. Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation, Cllr Daniel Moylan said: "This study shows that TfL predictions are far from reliable. That is why I would prefer to look at hard evidence rather than at TfL's speculative modelling. "If the Mayor of London is going to extend the zone let him do it when we know it will benefit the whole of London and not just the zone. And let him do it when we are sure it won't kill off some of the businesses on which London and the country at large rely for their prosperity." In light of the study and the emerging picture of a business community increasingly anxious about the impact of the charge, the council has been reviewing its own policy towards the congestion charging scheme. The council argues that:
It also believes that:
There is also concern that the extension of the zone may lead to a dramatic loss of parking income, damaging the council's ability to maintain and enhance the local environment. Notes for Editors: The Mayor of London's Congestion Charging Scheme (CCS) started on 17 February 2003. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's traffic monitoring surveys were carried out immediately before and three months after the congestion charging scheme started. The subsequent report based on the surveys was presented by the Director of Transportation and Highways to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Environmental Services, Environmental Health and Planning Policy meeting on 22 September. For more information contact Media and Communications.
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