| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Write in support | |
| Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
| Date/Time: | 17/07/23 10:40:00 |
| The available data may not my confirm observations but it doesn't contradict it either. Mark carefully what I am actually saying. I have observed far more instances of static traffic in the centre of Chiswick than there was pre-Covid. I'm not saying that it is always blocked up, just some of the time, and usually only in one direction. This isn't necessarily negated by simple vehicle counting. Nobody is disputing that there are fewer vehicles on the High Road. Jeremy's explanation fits the available evidence very well. There is clearly some sort of change in the way that traffic flows are being managed on Chiswick High Road which has caused more static queues in the centre. However, it is also often clearer than it used to be, possibly due to the corralling of traffic at each end, so if there has indeed been no increase in average journey times, this does negate my observations. Also a fall in pollution does mean my observations are invalid either. Pollution readings have been falling across London and were always likely to drop sharply in Chiswick due to a cleaner bus fleet and fewer buses serving the High Road. Add to that the extra distance now between the measuring station and the traffic lane and you can't rule out a rise in static traffic on the High Road combined with a fall in pollution. Slower traffic also means that hybrid buses don't use their diesel engines so, ironically, congestion might even be serving to reduce pollution readings. Unfortunately no measurements are being taken for comparison at the two ends of the central section of the High Road and the Chiswick Lane and Acton Lane junction. I do have my own very crude measure of pollution on the High Road - how much discomfort I experience with my contact lenses. This has seen no noticeable difference on the main drag over the last few years but a distinct deterioration near the junction with Acton Lane. This may be partly due to the traffic queues but I suspect it is more down to the large construction sites nearby. A proper implementation of these changes would have seen pollution monitoring near the Acton Lane and Chiswick Lane junctions before and after so that the impact could have been more accurately assessed. |