The Hammersmith Society wholeheartedly supports the proposed four surface-level crossings on the A4 between Hammersmith Flyover and the Hogarth Roundabout.
The installation of these crossings in order to replace the unlovely and universally disliked pedestrian tunnels has been a long-term goal of the Hammersmith Society. We have received great support in this from a large number of people who live or work in the area between the A4 and the River Thames who feel that they are increasingly being severed from central Hammersmith and vice versa.
In fact, in 1998, the Architectural Foundation carried out a survey of the Borough in order to seek environmental projects to improve the amenities of residents and this very scheme was one of their recommendations. No criticism of the plan was made at the time and all its recommendations were supported by local amenity groups such as ours.
The surface-level crossings will be controlled by traffic lights and will not only help pedestrians but those motorists who are joining the A4 from the streets to the south. At present, emerging on to the main road in a car is extremely hazardous, both for those doing so and for westbound drivers on the A4. The lights will only stop traffic on the A4 when activated by a pedestrian or a car.
This year a survey called ‘Greening the A4’ was commissioned by a group comprising Transport for London, and the Boroughs of Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. The study was carried out by the well-respected planning consultancy, Whitelaw Turkington, and included a traffic-management analysis which determined that these surface-level crossings would have no overall adverse effect on journey times. Again, the study received full support from our Society and other local groups.
It is therefore very disappointing to find that its conclusions are now being criticised by Angie Bray, our GLA West Central member. Surface-level crossings at Hammersmith Broadway have worked well despite similar forebodings. Her idea of a high-level pedestrian bridge over the A4 seems ludicrous and brings to mind the ill-fated and under-used ‘train’ bridge at Shepherds Bush which was finally demolished in 2000.
December 19, 2004
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