summer-updates

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WBRA Summer Newsletter

Hello {{ firstname }},

We hope you have been enjoying your summer. This is our first newsletter for a couple of months as we have been awaiting further updates to share with you. While some of these are still pending we wanted to share a few of items with you now.

Stop the Noise Campaign
Works on the bridge progressing
Latest updates on road redesign

Help Tackle Excessive Vehicle Noise on Wandsworth Bridge Road

If you've been woken by roaring motorbikes or speeding cars on Wandsworth Bridge Road, you're certainly not alone. Excessive vehicle noise has become an all too familiar part of life for many local residents, disrupting sleep, affecting wellbeing and making our neighbourhood feel less peaceful.

Over the past year, the WBRA, along with one of our volunteers, has been working with the Metropolitan Police, Hammersmith & Fulham Council, local councillors and our MP, Ben Coleman, to push for practical measures that will help tackle the problem. These include both speed cameras and acoustic cameras, which can identify and fine vehicles that exceed legal noise limits.

What has become increasingly clear is that this isn't just a Wandsworth Bridge Road issue. Communities across the UK are facing exactly the same problem. In fact in 2021 our neighbouring borough, Kensington and Chelsea, were the first authority to install Acoustic Cameras to address excessive noisy vehicles.

That's why Lambeth councillor Ibrahim Dogus has expanded his local Stop the Noise campaign into a national movement, calling for stronger action against excessive vehicle noise and anti-social driving.

The campaign is calling for:

stronger enforcement against illegally modified vehicles
wider use of acoustic cameras
tougher penalties for repeat offenders
and better powers for councils and police to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour.

It also aims to raise awareness of noise pollution as a public health issue that affects the quality of life in communities across the country.

The encouraging news is that this isn't simply something our communities have to endure. Practical solutions already exist, they're being trialled and introduced in the UK and overseas, and with enough public support we can help bring those solutions to Wandsworth Bridge Road and communities across the country.

For Wandsworth Bridge Road, enforcement is only part of the solution. The proposed redesign of the road also aims to reduce the racing that creates so much of the noise. Features such as raised crossings, chicaning and changes in the road layout are designed to discourage high speed acceleration while making the road safer, quieter and more welcoming for everyone.

What you can do

The most affective thing you can do now is to write to your local representatives and officers asking for these measure to be implemented:

Parsons Green Councillors:

[email protected]

Sands End Councillors:

[email protected]

Palace & Hurlingham Councillors:

[email protected]

Our MP Ben Coleman - [email protected]

H&F Director for Climate and Transport John Galsworthy - [email protected]

If you'd like to support the Stop the Noise campaign, please add your voice. The more people who speak up, the stronger the case for meaningful action, both nationally and here on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

Support the Stop the Noise campaign here

Works on Wandsworth Bridge progressing

The works on the bridge are progressing and the pavement on the west side is now open. This includes a wider pedestrian pavement and a stepped segregated cycle lane. While the works continue there is still a shared lane for buses and other vehicles.

Works are now underway on the east side pavement, where a similar layout will be implemented.

Once completed the layout will included:

Stepped segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the bridge
Widened footways on both sides of the bridge
Dedicated northbound bus lane
One northbound and one southbound general traffic lane as per the previous layout.

The safer crossing at Townmead Road / Carnwath Road that we've always wanted

One of the most important issues for local residents is what happens at the junction on our side of the bridge, at Townmead / Carnwath Road.

The temporary traffic lights currently in place have finally allowed pedestrians to cross the junction safely and directly. This is something residents have been calling for for many years, and support for a proper pedestrian crossing has come from across the political spectrum. Thanks to these works we have finally seen how it is possible to have safe pedestrian crossings at this dangerous junction. We believe this safer arrangement must be retained as part of the permanent redesign.

The junction is particularly challenging because it involves three different stakeholders: Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Transport for London and Wandsworth Council. With input shared between multiple bodies, it is important that the safety concerns raised by local residents are not lost between them.

The junction has already been identified by TfL as an example of poor design,

making it even more important that the opportunity presented by the current works is not missed.

The WBRA is continuing to engage with the relevant authorities to push for a redesign that properly protects pedestrians and cyclists and makes crossing this busy junction safer for everyone.

We will keep you updated as the plans develop and continue to press for a safer permanent solution. In the meantime, you can again write to your local representatives above asking for this to be made permanent.

Updates on WBR redesign

The redesign of the road is essential to address the safety concerns raised by numerous residents and businesses for several years.

While we are frustrated by the slow progress and lack of visible action on the road, we have been reassured repeatedly that the council is fully committed, as per their manifesto, to deliver the much needed redesign of the road. So, we are pleased to hear that new consultants have been appointed by the council and that the redesign of Wandsworth Bridge Road is progressing.

We will continue to advocate for the safety improvements and will of course keep you updated as we learn more.

In the meantime, to see the details that were discussed previously and to understand the thinking behind the redesign please see our website here:

See redesign details

Follow us

Wandsworth Bridge Road Association

Wandsworth Bridge Road, London
United Kingdom
www.wbrassociation.org.uk
[email protected]

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