Transport for London (TfL) has launched a consultation on proposals to improve walking, cycling and bus journeys in Wandsworth town centre, with changes planned for key routes including Wandsworth High Street, East Hill and the one-way traffic system. The online consultation closes on November 6.
The proposals include two new pedestrian crossings on Wandsworth High Street, wider bus stop waiting areas outside the King's Arms and Wandsworth Town Hall, and an extension of the bus lane to Buckhold Road. Some carriageway bays in bus lanes and near bus stops would be scrapped, changed or moved, and advanced stop lines would be added at signal-controlled junctions to give cyclists a head start.
Planned changes across key junctions
At the Buckhold Road junction, the waiting island, a footway and pedestrian crossings would be widened, with a northbound cycle lane introduced and a northbound bus lane added near Southside Shopping Centre. At the Garratt Lane junction, similar widening of the waiting island, footway and pedestrian crossings is proposed, while the northbound bus route would be separated into Ram Street.
East Hill and Huguenot Place would see some carriageway bays scrapped or moved, bus lanes widened and an eastbound cycle lane added. The pedestrian crossing over Geraldine Road would also be widened.
New bus lanes and wider crossings
New bus lanes would be introduced along Swandon Way and Armoury Way, traffic lanes would be narrowed, and the pedestrian island and crossings at the Old York Road junction would be widened. Fairfield Street would receive a new bus lane, wider bus waiting areas and pavements, and a new pedestrian crossing, while the Fairfield Drive pedestrian crossing would also be widened.
Some carriageway bays along Ram Street and Wandsworth Plain would be scrapped or moved, and bus lanes would be widened.
Consultation and next steps
TfL's consultation page states the plans aim to improve walking, cycling and bus journeys while "providing a stepping stone towards longer-term ambitions for the area and future improvements to the town centre transport network". The page adds: "We are proposing improvements in different locations across these roads to address local transport and safety issues. Our proposals aim to improve bus passenger experience and access as well as bus journey time reliability."
The plans follow TfL's confirmation last year that it would not proceed with a scheme to remove the congested one-way traffic system, which had been under consideration since 2014, due to high costs. The authority said it was instead investigating "viable options" to improve the town centre.
TfL will decide whether to move ahead with the proposals after reviewing feedback from the consultation, which runs until November 6.
