Forum Topic

brentford roads

hello allmyself and my fiance have just moved to bootiful brentford from leafy chiswick, and lovely as it is, i was wondering who is responsible for the local road surfaces?i cycle down the high street and kew bridge road on my road bike to get to chiswick everyday and frankly, im starting to get worried for any children i might think of having...taj

Jamie Halliday ● 6709d6 Comments

cheers christhe work on the drains seems to be in full swing.  My fiance picked up all the local tfl maps as well, which are great. good to hear about the resurfacing as well. might be avoiding that area if im in the car tho..

Jamie Halliday ● 6708d

Cyclists in Brentford have a choice of slower, back-street routes or faster, more direct but more heavily-trafficked routes.  These are all shown on the maps published by TfL.As Cllr Harmer has stated, there will be improvements to the stretch of London Road between Syon Lane junction and Brent Lea/ Brentford Bridge, with a 3.0m wide eastbound bus lane and 1.5m wide westbound cycle lane, coinciding with the new carriageway surface to be installed in March/April this year.  On Kew Bridge Road the Council’s contractors are currently installing weir drains - these are placed under the kerb line and are a better system than the exposed ironwork associated with carriageway gullies.  We are moving to this system on the main cycle routes.  Kew Bridge Road will be resurfaced about April/May, between Kew Bridge junction and the service station opposite Victoria Steps  - this is the worst stretch at present in terms of potholes and dips etc.Other roads will be progressively resurfaced over the coming years as funds permit, and further improvements will be made to cycle routes, including new road markings to alert motorists to the presence of cyclists.  Last year, the route between Brentford town centre and Kew Bridge junction was added to the London Cycle Network, as a result of an application from the Borough.  This means that this stretch now qualifies for TfL cycle programme funding, some of which is currently being used to design further improvements along this route, for implementation in 2007 and beyond.Chris Calvi-FreemanHead of TransportLB Hounslow

Chris Calvi-Freeman ● 6709d

TFL do some smashing cycle maps (all free) which may help you look for alternative routes.  I have one here which shows where roads are busy and some quieter alternatives.  This map is area 9 - Acton, Brentford, Chiswick, Ealing, Fulham, Kensington, Kilburn, Perivale and central London.  Web site www.tfl.gov.ukThe Brentford High Street route suggests you come away from London Road, just after the start of the High street and use  back streets up to Kew Bridge.

Sarah Felstead ● 6709d

The High Street, much of the road to Kew Bridge and the road to Busch Corner will be resurfaced later this year, which will cure the pothole problem. The bus lane east of Brentford Bridge will also help. But I agree with you, we have too many cycle accidents on our roads at present.

Matt Harmer ● 6709d

thanks for that michealyes, im well aware of the dangers of this stretch as well. its more readilly apparent in this wether, because not wanting to get a soaking, i try to avoid the potholes at the side of the road by the steam museum because they fill with water.. but that pushes me into the traffic.ill try the alternative route asapj

Jamie Halliday ● 6709d

Hi JamieYou have right to be worried on that road.  You've probably heard of the lady cyclist killed by a lorry at the PetSuperstore turn-off before Brentford bridge.  A child was killed at the nearby BrentLea-Syon Park area on that road 2 or 3 years ago.  I understand a lady cyclist was killed by a left turning lorry at the KewBridge lights junction westards a year ago.  The road is narrow, the cycle path is very, very narrow.  TfL (in conjunction with Hounslow is turning the BuschCorner->BrentfordBridge into a bus lane which cyclists may use.  A very experienced cyclist who rides on that road every day describes it as the worst road in England.For the average cyclist one sees on the roads I would advise them to use other roads as much as possible. From Brentford if you turn left at Somerfield or even before at the Market Place and proceed  on StPauls, Lateward Road, Braemar road etc you can reach Kew Bridge.  But go slowly because on these roads there can be pedestrians and unexpecte cars.  Westwards at BrentLea turn off into Syon Park then across old Isleworth (beware the narrow road and newly narrowed bridge on Church Street which seems designed to force cyclists to slow to avoid collision.  Then turn left on StMargarets Drive on the pedestrian/cycle route to Richmond Bridge.  All these are on the free London Cycle Guide map Area 9 in Chiswick Library.

Michael Fletcher ● 6709d