Cycleway 9 Fully Open But Set to Close Again Soon
Question marks remain about short and long term future of scheme
A new cyclist phase has been added at Chiswick Lane junction
Cycleway 9 on Chiswick High Road was restored to full operation this Friday (8 July) meaning, that for the first time, a segregated cycle lane was open between Kew Bridge and Hammersmith.
Many local cyclists took the opportunity to travel the full 5km of the route which had been delayed for nearly four months. It marks the end of a frustrating period in which the cycleway was largely completed but remained blocked by barriers. It is understood that issues with sourcing building materials and the phasing of the traffic lights caused the delays.
The changes see new light phases in operation at junctions including by Chiswick Lane, bus islands introduced and a redesign of the junctions with side roads to make the presence of the cycle lane more evident. The cycle lane now has buff surfacing across junctions with Homefield Road, Airedale Road and Netheravon Road to alert turning vehicles to presence of cyclists.
TfL is holding an ongoing survey of views about the cycleway which is being implemented on a trial basis.
The opening of the cycleway marks the completion of phase 3a of the project, but it may be closed again as early as next month for further work at junctions with side roads in phase 3b. It is understood that similar arrangements will be made at Brackley Road, Annandale Road, Turnham Green Terrace, Duke Road, Linden Gardens and Sanderson Lane to the ones carried out at junctions between Chiswick Lane and Goldhawk Road. No date has been confirmed for this work which was originally due to start in June but a provisional date of 22 August has been given. Road closures are likely to be required as the work progresses. The council says it will contact residents and businesses in the vicinity in advance of any works.
Once this work is completed, TfL will begin a six month consultation on the scheme with residents encouraged to give feedback on their experiences. At some point following the consultation period a decision will be made as to whether to make the cycleway permanent.
New junction treatments for side roads off Chiswick High Road
The next section of Cycleway 9 to be added is between Kew Bridge and Waterman’s Park. A cycle lane has already been added through the park and Hounslow Council is planning to start work on linking this section with the rest of the route early in 2023. However, there is currently no funding in place for the continuation of the cycle way further up Kew Bridge Road and Brentford High Street as money has not been allocated to this part of the scheme in TfL’s budget.
New layout near junction with Goldhawk Road
However, the longer-term future of Cycleway 9 may be in doubt following the resignation of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister due to the concerns of his ministers over his honesty and integrity. The project was initiated when he was Mayor of London and he appointed his friend Andrew Gilligan as his transport advisor making him a director of the Transport for London (TfL) board. Mr Gilligan was widely reported to have been furious when Sadiq Khan shelved Cycleway 9 and is believed to have insisted that funding be given for the temporary version of the scheme installed during the pandemic. Money was set aside in the TfL budget for the revised version of the scheme on Chiswick High Road and upgrades on King Street and Hammersmith Gyratory despite a broader squeeze on the organisation’s finances.
One former Hounslow councillor said to us, “When discussing Cycleway 9 with Andrew Gilligan, the first thing that becomes apparent, is that he is not simply broadly in favour of the scheme but has an unbelievable knowledge of the detail of the project. He has a grasp of the challenges at every junction which seem to be firmer than engineers working on the scheme and is utterly determined to see it through. Without him it would never have got this far and once he is gone it will be much more vulnerable to arguments against it.”
Two new bus islands are now operational on Chiswick High Road
Conservative councillors across many London Boroughs have been privately urging that Mr Gilligan be dismissed but the decision is likely to ultimately lie with the new leader of the party.
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July 10, 2022