For walkers, bus passengers, cyclists, and drivers, the C9T on Chiswick High Road is dangerous. There are many accidents waiting to happen and in some cases they already have. A near miss is mentioned on social media almost weekly.

People are genuinely fearful that people will die or get seriously injured:

• Confused layouts
• Poor lines of vision and priority
• Problems of congestion
• Slow frustrating traffic light changes

The situation is already bad but will only get worse as traffic volumes and street life returns to normal for both shoppers and road users. 

Safety affects everybody including but not imited to the elderly, young families, teenagers, disabled and less abled, road users and pedestrians. 

Safety and the C9T Cycle Route

The greatest dangers have been created by the C9T Cycle Route. Chiswick High Road is a busy road with 6 bus routes, cars and vans delivering, picking up from shops or accessing residential streets, and pedestrians walking and shopping.

It is also a major through-route.  

Dangerous design for all users 

The “temporary” design is dangerous for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike. European guidance recommends that two-way cycleways should never be used where there are frequent, uncontrolled side roads and turnings.

Danger from Confused road junctions and turnings

The changes create ongoing confusion for those turning in to Chiswick High Road as cars and vans which turn into Chiswick High Road are confused because the cycle lane looks like a normal-sized lane.

Vehicles frequently turn into it not realising it is a cycle lane. They then try to “correct” their mistake with a U-turn, creating even more risk of serious accidents. 

Pedestrians and bus passengers – the dangers of crossing the road

A pedestrian simply trying to cross the High Road has to cross a two-way cycle lane plus the normal two way traffic lanes – four in total. For most people but particularly those with mobility issues or with visual impairment, this can be terrifying.

Catching a bus, especially for those who have to cross over, has become an ordeal. This disproportionately affects the elderly and vulnerable.

Bus Drivers feeling unsafe

A recent interview with a bus driver demonstrates how unsafe life has become for a bus driver trying to do his job with his passengers:

Cyclists feel unsafe

Numerous cyclists report how unsafe they feel on the two-way route for many reasons:

• Fear of collision with other cyclists going in the opposite direction
• Fear of cars entering the lane by mistake 
• Fear of running down pedestrians crossing the lane
• Other more aggressive cyclists not observing the lights
• Many cyclists continue to use pavements or the road on both sides 

Carers, ambulances, police.

But what if a carer or an ambulance wants to get through to take somebody to hospital, or a police car needs to get to the scene of a crime? This has already meant the difference between life and death.    

Taxis are unable to deliver passengers directly to their doors, and women face a walk in the dark to their homes.

More and more stories are coming through about carers unable to reach their patients, and in a recent story in Private Eye an ambulance was delayed and the crew unable to save a life as a result.

• Daily Mail article about chaos to emergency vehicles