Richmond Cycling Campaign - Road Facility Audit

Site - Put site here e.g.A316 London Road Roundabout

Location - Google MapLink - if you can, provide a link to the location in google map

Google Streetview -Link - if you can, provide a link to the Google streetview

Last Update - October 2010 - when audit carried out

Summary of Problem

Provide a summary of the issue with photos: e.g. There are no crossings for pedestrians or cyclists wishing to cross the London Road to travel east or west on the A316 Chertsey Road. For cyclists, this is a significant and dangerous break in the cycle lanes that run between Feltham and Richmond on both sides of the A316.

Figure 1 - Northern Arm of London Road (note only one lane on exit from Roundabout)

Figure 2 - Northern Arm of London Road - view for crossing west to east - note inadequate traffic island

Figure 3 - Southern Arm of London Road - Note wide exit from roundabout

Figure 4 - Southern Arm of London Road - Note cyclist having to cross effectively two lanes on roundabout exit

In both cases, vehicles leave the roundabout onto the London Road at speed. There are also two lines of creeping traffic entering the roundabout from the London Road which have to be negotiated to reach the other side whether as a pedestrian or as a cyclist wanting to reach the continuation of the cycle lane. On the A316 west bound, the entry is so wide that three lanes of traffic form at times, making the junction even more dangerous (for motorists as well as pedestrians and cyclists)

As a cyclist, the alternative is to cycle on the dual carriageway. With multiple lanes of traffic there is the risk that a vehicle will cut across lanes and leave the roundabout at speed without seeing a cyclist going straight ahead at slower speed. It is also not a viable option for inexperienced or young cyclists, acting as a barrier for them using this route safely. Several cyclists have been knocked off their bikes by carson this roundabout.
Potential improvements

Provide some suggestions to improve the issue (doesn’t need to be exhaustive, if the solution isn’t clear, just say so) e.g.

Reduce exit from roundabout onto Southern Side of London Road from two to one lane (as per Northern exit)

Provide longer and wider traffic islands on both Northern and Southern exits (note, these shouldn’t create pinch points for cyclists exiting the roundabout into London Road on the road)

Provide continuous route across both Northern and Southern Exits without having to dismount (see figure 4 for example of discontinuation)

Narrow the entries to the Roundabout from the A316 west bound - this will have the impact of reducing speed of entry of motor vehicles to the roundabout and reduce the number of ‘lanes’ of cars from three to two

Provide Toucan Crossings on both the Northern and Southern sides of the London Road Roundabout as currently provided on the other main roundabouts on the A316 (e.g. St Margaret’s Road Roundabout, Whitton Road Roundabout - see figure 5, Hospital Bridge Road Roundabout). Preferably this should be at the roundabout itself, but it can be located a short distance back onto London Road as provided on the southern arm of Whitton Road Roundabout (see figure 6 below)

Figure 5 - Northern Arm of Whitton Road with full Toucan Crossing

Figure 6 - A well observed toucan crossing on the southern arm of Whitton Road.

Richmond

Cycling Campaign