Labour council's LTN risks endangering people, engineers warned
The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham controversially banned out-of-town motorists from a popular cut-through, between the A4 and west London, to 'improve road safety'.
But a safety audit report commissioned by the Labour-led local authority shows that independent engineers were concerned that the closure of Rivercourt Road could end with pedestrians 'hit by vehicles' and cars 'colliding with cyclists'.
Last year, the council was criticised for creating a 'cash cow' by closing the 350ft-long road and imposing £130 fines for infractions. It was predicted that 3,200 motorists would be barred from the route each day as a result.
The safety audit – published in October, one month before the LTN turned the one-way road two-way – listed a series of concerns, some because the street was sandwiched between the busy A4 and Hammersmith's King Street and its cycle lane.
It said: 'Drivers on King Street may not see cyclists on the cycle track and [might] collide with them as they turn into the road.'
It warned that cyclists might be 'completely within drivers' blind spots', with motorists having to 'look over their shoulders' to try to spot bikes.
It added: 'Drivers turning through the cycle-track may therefore fail to give way to cyclists resulting in vehicle collisions with cycles.'
The audit claimed new 'quite sharp' angles at Rivercourt Road in the otherwise straight cycle lane might 'result in conflict between cyclists travelling in opposite directions' with bike riders 'coming close to one another'.
The council responded that the 'accentuated deflection and cycle lane narrowing' was intentional because it 'forced cyclists to slow down'.
Analysis of Transport for London (TfL) crash data has previously shown that the creation of the bi-directional cycle lane on King Street, a one-way street for cars, saw a marked increase in serious and slight injuries to cyclists.
The audit warned that making the road two-way could take pedestrians unawares. It said: 'Pedestrians walking along King Street may not realise they need to check for vehicles in both directions as they cross and may be hit by vehicles turning into Rivercourt Road.'
The council responded by claiming familiarity with the change would be 'acquired upon first use', adding that the 'absence of no entry signs' for motorists would help pedestrians realise the road was now two-way. It said that 'intentional friction' would also 'force' motorists to drive more slowly.
The audit also warned that the road would be blighted with a 'cacophony of road signs'.
Last year, Latymer Upper School, the £8,000-a-term private school with a campus on one side of Rivercourt Road, warned the council that the LTN could 'pose risks' to students.
The school – alumni of which include Hugh Grant, the actor – wrote to parents to say it had 'outlined their strong opposition' and had provided 'additional supervision' for pupils, after the street became two-way 'overnight'.
The audit warned that vehicles 'travelling at relatively high speeds and in close proximity' on the A4 were at risk of 'rear end shunts, or loss-of-control collisions' as their drivers swerve around cars turning into Rivercourt Road.
The reports shows that the council 'partially accepted' six and rejected three of the engineers' recommendations to make the design safer.
A council spokesman said: 'Residents in Rivercourt Road were faced with 4,000 cars a day needlessly cutting through and gridlocking their small street.
'They asked us to take action to reduce the congestion and increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
'We are really pleased to report that the neighbourhood improvement scheme has done just that. The street is significantly less congested. Residents tell us it is a quieter, safer and nicer place to live.'
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