Forum Topic

Roundabouts

Why are roundabouts appearing here,there and everywhere. To be honest - more congestion happens - especially the one outside the Acton police station. Oh yes - now I know why - No Traffic Lights - means less electricity consumed, for the council to pay, therefor they can send the money abroad to get interest - like Iceland , in days gone by.

Victor Bell ● 4604d9 Comments

More congestion? I find that they improve traffic flow.

Susan Kelly ● 4603d

Conservative leader David Millican kicked this programme off in 2009 after Boris Johnson was elected mayor on a platform of "Getting London Moving".  Since then TfL have retimed 1,000s of traffic lights and given the borough's much more flexibility in how they spend their strategic transport funds from TfL (so-called LIP funding).  In Ealing we used the money to experiment with bagging traffic lights and introducing mini-roundabouts, notably at Acton Town Tube station and at the top of the Argyle Road.  These experiments were found to greatly reduce congestion.  It is good to see this programme being rolled out in new locations such as Atlas Road and Acton High Street.  That said the current projects seem to be very extended and be taking a long time to finish.  I don't understand why pedestrian facilities have had to be taken out for so long at both of these roundabouts.  The strange double cycle lane arrangements on the south side of the Acton High Street one seems to unnecessarily remove the possibility of two lanes of traffic forming up into the traffic lights at the Gunnersbury Lane junction.  I also note cars parking there at night at the moment.  It seems like a good idea is being tarnished by poor implementation.

Phil Taylor ● 4603d

Help required:  I walk down Horn Lane/Steyne Road and across to Gunnersbury Avenue every day on my way home from work.  Since the new roundabout was installed and all traffic lights removed there seems to be no safe way for me to do this.  Thankfully the motor traffic will usually let me cross outside the police station, but I now have the added danger of the allocated bike slip way, where cyclists race through at great speed.  How can I cross the road safely?

Paul Scullion ● 4603d

I think the traffic travelling down Acton High St. toward Ealing has the main problem at the roundabout outside the nick because all the traffic approaching the roundabout is on the right of it so none give way, except the traffic travelling toward Acton town centre. A driver can never be completely sure that this traffic is not going to turn about and travel back the way it came, especially with the increasing occurrence of drivers not having the courtesy of signalling properly.It's probably as quick to turn off the high st at Horn Lane and follow the rd. past Morrisons and approach the roundabout that way.Watch out for that bl**dy bus lane camera above the shops facing you tho'!

Keith Iddon ● 4603d

Part of the plan with this roundabout I believe is to prevent lorries travelling along both the Uxbridge Road and Horn Lane (which has a weight restriction).  The roundabout makes it difficult for large lorries to traverse around it and should direct them along the Western Avenue.Quite right too.  Anything that prevents large lorries travelling through Acton is most welcome.

Dee Cook ● 4603d

Agree- the Steyne Road roundabout is an improvement for me most of the time, especially when on a motorcycle.

James Richmond ● 4603d

There will be a pedestrian crossing just past the Lazy Fish Bar

Bob Crossley ● 4603d

The new cycling paths (or rather not 'paths' - mini stretches that do not make any sense whatsoever) are absolutely idiotic - I could have killed 2 pedestrians without difficulty within the last fortnight had I been going fast - they show no awareness whatsoever... but the flaw lies with the design of the whole thing - total lunacy!

Urs Esser ● 4601d

I have just emailed Tom Webster at the council about the poor implementation of this roundabout and it's knock on effect. Travelling west across the roundabout is indeed a nightmare given that the constant flow of traffic from Steyne Rd, and this is before the no turns start from Gunnersbury Lane, forcing all of that extra traffic around the roundabout. I hope some of you will also email him your views websterth@ealing.gov.uk

Milena Vincic ● 4600d