Forum Topic

Acton Main Line consultation

There is a new consultation from Ealing Council about the area directly outside the new Acton Main Line Crossrail station.Responses due by 26th Feb.Quick summary of the proposal ...Remove traffic lightsAdd 2 zebra crossings and a roundaboutWiden pavementsMove bus stops to be on the bridge (nearer to new station entrance)Add a set-down/pick-up areaNo right turn by the vethttps://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201042/current_consultations/2428/acton_main_line_station_-_crossrail_complementary_measures_consultation

Paul Webster ● 3001d34 Comments

Good news on the right turn into Emmanuel Avenue, but the bus stop on the bridge makes no sense; this is guaranteed to back traffic up. The waste transfer plant was closed for a couple of years but began operations again in late 2017 when Quattro took over the premises. Hanson, the cement works, have finally installed proper wheel washing equipment which should stop their vehicles dragging dust onto Horn Lane. The Horn Lane monitoring site has shown that EU limits for dust particles (which were mostly produced by the industries on the rail goods yard) have not been breached for the last couple of years, although in the last year one of the limits for nitrogen dioxide (which is generated by vehicles) has been breached.

Vlod Barchuk ● 2929d

I have no idea how to post links, but you can get a copy of the acceptance document from Piotr Slonina SloninaP@ealing.gov.uk. It's a bit ridiculous that one of the reasons they say this will be an improvement to the area is to stop cars idling at traffic lights to improve pollution.  I would think the council doing something about the waste transfer station might make a difference to pollution, not taking out one set of traffic lights. Use your vote wisely in May!

Tania Bapuji ● 2930d

I assume that location for the bus stop has been chosen because it would allow a bus to reach it when travelling from Friary Road towards Horn Lane.What are they planning to do about any bus travelling from North Acton towards East Acton, in other words the opposite direction? Perhaps a one-way travelator along the side of the railway?I do not think this is a stupid question when compared with their proposal.

Christopher Bell ● 2931d

Does this mean the proposed zebra crossings were accepted?

Ana Strachan ● 2931d

Chris, I think you havent seen the plans. The station entrance will be further down where the waste land is now. The bus stop will be moved to be right on the weak bridge. Moved from there five years ago because it clogged up traffic.

Maire Lowe ● 2931d

Will the new improved station have an entrance in a different position? Will the intended new bus stop location be beside the current station entrance?

Christopher Bell ● 2931d

It's going to be chaos.On the bright side at least that makes up my mind who NOT to vote for in May!

Tania Bapuji ● 2932d

Doesnt make sense.

Maire Lowe ● 2932d

From the council ... a summary of the outcome"There was an overall support for the scheme except for the proposal to ban the right turn from Horn Lane into Emanuel Avenue. Therefore, we are recommending to proceed to the detail design with the current right turn into Emanuel Avenue retained."

Paul Webster ● 2932d

There are people in the borough that have noticed that consultation is away for the council to get their own way on planning, traffic management issues etc, as they know that the response will be low.As for complaining they "Ealing Council" fail to respond to stage3 complaints even the CEO at the council fails to investigate the failure when you write to him directly so what chance have we in voicing an opinion.

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 2980d

I got a consultation and I'm not on the Friary Park estate, elderly or transient. Neither are the people I know locally. People generally don't reply to consultations - they hardly bother to come out to vote in general elections so why bother to cast your say on what you think about a tiny roundabout?  Also, when the council usually does what it wants anyway, it gets boring to keep complaining and not be heard.

Tania Bapuji ● 2980d

The response rate for this area is generally low. It is made up of the Friary Park Estate, elderly neighbours and a transient populus.

Maria Pettit ● 2980d

At the ward forum today there was a report that the paper consultation was issued to 1500 addresses - and that there had been 77 responses (although I did not ask if that included on-line but my guess is that it did).That is a low response rate.I asked for a list of the streets that it went to.Councillor say that he will try to find out - and also that the low response rate means that they will accept late responses (but no timeframe given).So if you still have a chance to respond if you have not done so yet.

Paul Webster ● 2981d

It seens this consultation is still open. If you didnt express your views to the Council there is still time.

Maire Lowe ● 2981d

The Noel Rd roundabout could have been improved by putting rumble strips on the approaches from either side of Horn Lane; narrowing the road was unnecessarily expensive and guaranteed to increase tailbacks.There are some roundabouts that take quite large volumes of traffic (eg. at Gurnell swimming pool), but they have calming measures to slow vehicles down as they approach it. I couldn't see any of this in the proposed design.

Vlod Barchuk ● 2982d

Also, traffic calming won't help cars pulling out of Friary Road.  The Horn Lane traffic has to stop for cars to pull out of Friary Road and this will only happen if somebody goes right or left from Horn Lane into Friary Road.  The only people who do this are a few residents, so people will have to wait or take chances.  It's a horrible junction and for safety I think leaving lights is better than a roundabout.

Tania Bapuji ● 2983d

Small roundabouts only work well when motorists use them correctly and only enter when there exit is clear. Clearly the point is that painting a white circle on the tarmac has not improved the Noel Road junction at peak times and now reducing the width of the road both ways has only lead to more tailbacks during busy times and slowed traffic down along Horn Lane between rush hours. This is the whole point of traffic calming keeping cars stationary and pumping out pollutants which we breath is bad for us All!!!

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 2983d

Consultation still live now. The right turn ban to Emmanuel Avenue makes no sense as it's not an accident hotspot; the Crashmap website shows only one accident in the last 5 years, which is labelled as slight. The roundabout could work if some traffic calming is included; the failure to included this when the Horn Lane/Noel Rd roundabout was first installed should be a good lesson in how not to introduce them.

Vlod Barchuk ● 2983d

Ealing Council introduced a no left turn from Gunnersbury Lane into Uxbrdge Road and all that has done is increase the traffic around that roundabout at the foot of Horn Lane.So they should have an impact survey to see what the affect of that has on traffic flow.

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 2983d

Thanks Christina & everybody commenting here. CANForum will include your thoughts. You can join us at CANForum.Org. No cost.

Maire Lowe ● 2983d

Sorry - I can't be a supporter with the blocked right turn on to Emmanuel Avenue as I think this is dangerous and will lead to more accidents as people will be forced to do u-turns on the new roundabout.

Christina Hill ● 2983d

Agree a roundabout won't work. Ealing seem a bit obsessed with them.  Maybe it's because they don't cost money in electricity like traffic lights?

Tania Bapuji ● 2984d

I just hope that the Highway Engineers don't get their way and introduce another roundabout on Horn Lane. They just have to look at the impact the large roundbout at Horn Lane and Uxbridge Road has caused during rush hour gridlock on most days...The existing traffic lights system works perfectly well in controlling the flow of traffic from all directions, the sequence may need changing to accomodate the station etc but drivers tend to obey the Red lights. Whenever highways interfere things start to go wrong congestion and increase in pollution and drivers becoming more frustrated and angry.

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 2984d

This consultation closes tomorrow. CANF is just completing its response, using comments from residents. We will publish the response on the canforum website. Are you a supporter? You just log in to canforum.org and leave your e mail address. No pressure, no publicity, no costs. If you like, we can simply add you to the supporters list and you will receive a regular newsletter. Just let us know.

Maire Lowe ● 2984d

I can definitely see the benefits of the roundabout. I would guess that 90% of that traffic just follows over the bridge and now that you can't enter the A40 much less traffic goes down Friary Road.A roundabout would allow for almost continuous movement and only stop/slow things down when actually needed to.Right now it only takes one pedestrian want to cross the road or one car coming down Friary road and the whole signalling system comes on for 20+ seconds and a load of cars need to do a hill start to begin climbing Horn Lane to start again.Agree that the bus stop being at a narrower point might be more problematic - especially when you anticipate more passengers due to Cross Rail. I hadn't considered this. I'd be more in favour of move the northbound bus stop to opposite the post office *before* the junction and cut into the pavement a lot more. Just an idea though - probably too expensive.

Christina Hill ● 2986d

I am not keen on the idea of a roundabout, either. Horn Lane (northbound) is very congested, and I cannot see a roundabout in connection with the pedestrian crossings making traffic flow better. Now add on the extra bus stop on the narrow bridge...My concerns are of an environmental nature - more stationary/stop-and-go traffic means more pollution, and this needs to be prevented in an already polluted area.

Urs Esser ● 2986d

I like the plans overall however two things concern me. Coming down Friary Road it's quite difficult to see the traffic coming over the bridge - I can't tell if these plans will improve visibility or not.My bigger concern is that, as someone who drives up Horn Lane and then onto Emmanuel Avenue a lot on the way to my home, the blocked right turn will mean I'd have to do a 360 degree turn at the round about so I can turn left by the vet. My fear is that a car coming down Friary road might not expect me to this as going back the way you came on a mini-roundabout is rare (though not illegal I think). So the Friary road driver might pull out and potentially cause a crash.If they can change just one thing about the plans that no right turn has to be it, in my opinion.

Christina Hill ● 2986d

Will look at this. Received no info from Network Rail about this.

Ana Strachan ● 2992d

Summary of FPPG response on:  Remove traffic lights NoAdd 2 zebra crossings and a roundabout NoWiden pavements YesMove bus stops to be on the bridge         NoAdd a set-down/pick-up area NoNo right turn by the vet NoResponses due by 26th Feb 2018.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201042/current_consultations/2428/acton_main_line

Martin Cain ● 2993d

Although I love Crossrail and the benefits it will bring 5 minutes from my flat, I don't think a roundabout there will work because pulling out of Friary Road depends on someone pulling into Friary Road to stop the Horn Lane traffic, which doesn't happen often since they blocked off access to the A40. Maybe they're thinking the new zebra crossings will create a gap.  Maybe they're right but if they're not it's going to cause a big mess.

Tania Bapuji ● 2998d

The long anticipated Crossrail is a bonus for Acton and no one is going to say otherwise. I'm personally looking forward to trains in the evenings and on Sundays and the lift down to the platforms where the current steep stairs present a challenge to some of us.One question those less spatially challenged might answer. Since the 260 bus, and the larger lorries have a difficult time turning the corner in front of the station at the minute, how is the proposed roundabout going to help?

Maire Lowe ● 2998d

queue endless moaning and whining by the majority of people on this forum about how they hate any sort of change. How the proposals are ghastly and they need the lights the current horrible footpaths and the need to turn right. I am also sure there will be moaning about the crossrail and the changes to the station - again wouldn't want to impact their lives with a little change.

Nathan Macrides ● 2999d

Was on the CANF website before it was here.http://www.canforum.org/news/acton-main-line-consultation-highway-and-public-realm-improvementsAlso on CANF Twitter and Facebook.

Paul Webster ● 2999d

Thanks Pity that Catalyst glossy magazine with photos of staff that won't be there 3 months or their Catalyst Residents Federation could not mention this important local consultation.Don't see anything on the CANF website but then it doesn't affect Churchfield Road

Martin Cain ● 3000d