Table 3.4 T3.4 Ealing Town Centre daytime bus routes · E10 8am-12.30am 20 min 20 min 30 min E11...

Project Number: H070084 Ref: JMP Movement Strategy Baseline Report Final Issue 03.doc 15

3.35 Almost all bus routes penetrating Ealing Town Centre run on the A4020 Uxbridge Road as the main public transport corridor in the area, as shown by the ‘spider’ route maps included at Appendix F. With Uxbridge Road as the key east-west link, Gordon Road is a secondary east-west link north of the rail line, carrying the E1 route. The key north-south links connecting to the A4020 Uxbridge Road corridor are Argyle Road / Northfield Avenue via West Ealing Station, and Castlebar Road / Eaton Rise via Ealing Broadway to Ealing Green / St Mary’s Road.

3.36 There are a number of high frequency daytime services available, most of which terminate or go via Ealing Broadway, as shown in Table 3.4.

T3.4 Ealing Town Centre daytime bus routes

Route number Operational hours Weekday peak Weekday off-peak Sunday daytime

65 24hr 6-10 min 10-12 min 15 min

83 24hr 6-10 min 10-12 min 11-15 min

112 6am-12.30am 15 min 20 min 20 min

207 5am-12.30am 4-8 min 4-8 min 6-10 min

226 5am-12.30am 10-13 min 10-13 min 20 min

427 5am-12.30am 6-10 min 6-10 min 6-10 min

607 6 am-9pm 5 min 8-12 min No Sunday service

E1 5am-1.30am 6-10 min 7-11 min 9-13 min

E2 5am-1.30am 5-7 min 5-7 min 10-11 min

E3 5am-1.30am 4-8 min 4-8 min 10-12 min

E7 5am-1.30am 9-12 min 9-12 min 20 min

E8 4.30am-1.30am 4-8 min 4-8 min 9-10 min

E9 5am-12.30am 9-12 min 9-12 min 20 min

E10 8am-12.30am 20 min 20 min 30 min

E11 8am-12.30am 20 min 20 min 30 min

3.37 In addition, two 24-hour routes and three dedicated night bus services are operating in

the study area, as shown in Table 3.5.

T3.5 Ealing Town Centre night bus routes

Route number Operational hours Night-time frequency

N7 1am-6am 30 min

N11 1am-6am 30 min

65 24hr 15-30 min

83 24hr 15-30 min

207 12.30am-6am 13-15 min (weekend), 7-10 min (weekend)


F3.6 Bus stop E on Haven Green

Planned Improvements

3.38 As shown in Table 3.7 below, TfL London Buses has programmed some minor revisions to the services serving Ealing Town Centre, affecting off-peak and Sunday services. The possible extension of route E11 from Ealing Broadway to Chiswick Park is also envisaged.

T3.7 Bus service improvement programme

Route number Transport intervention

65 No change

83 No change

112 No change

207 No change

226 No change

427 No change

607 No change

E1 No change

E2 No change

E3 Sunday shopping hours and evening frequency increase from 5 to 6 bph. To start 16 June 07

E7 No change

E8 No change

E9 Evening frequency increase from 2 to 3 bph. To start 16 June 07

E10 No change

E11 Possible extension to Chiswick Park development. To start possibly Nov 2007


Bus Stop Locations

3.39 Bus stops are evenly distributed along the A4020 Uxbridge Road corridor, located at intervals of approximately 250m on average. Due to the high frequency of buses and high number of overlapping routes on Uxbridge Road, there are several bus stop pairs located in the corridor, as shown in Appendix D.

Mainline Rail & Tube

3.40 Ealing Broadway Station and West Ealing Station are both served by the high frequency First Great Western rail service between London Paddington and Reading (compare Table 3.8). Most trains stop at Ealing Broadway Station, while approximately every second trains stops at West Ealing Station. Only direct trains bypass both stations. There is a 24 hour (if low frequency) service, extending into a 4 trains per hour service on Sundays. Heathrow Connect runs a 30 minute service between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3 during daytime. The service frequency decreases to 60 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

T3.8 Ealing Town Centre rail connections

Route number Operational hours

Weekday peak

Weekday off-peak

Sunday daytime

Operator

London Paddington – Reading (Ealing Broadway stops)

24hr 8-9 trains per hour

8 trains per hour

4 per hour First Great Western

London Paddington – Reading (West Ealing stops)

24hr 4-5 trains per hour

4 trains per hour

No service First Great Western

London Paddington – Heathrow T1,2,3

5.30am-11.30pm

30 min 30 min 60 min Heathrow Connect

3.41 Ealing Broadway Station is the terminus for both the Central Line and the District Line.

Operational hours and frequencies can be found in Table 3.9.

F3.9 Ealing Broadway tube connections

Tube line First train

eastbound depart

Last train

westbound arrive

Weekday peak Sunday daytime

Central Line (Ealing Broadway branch)

5.20am 1.00am 4-8 min 5-8 min

District Line (Ealing

Broadway branch)

4.56am 1.15am 6-10 min 10 min

3.42 The mainline rail and tube services serving Ealing Town Centre are shown graphically

at Appendix D.


F3.10 West Ealing Station

Taxis

3.43 The Public Carriage Office (PCO) has secured a very prominent position for its taxi rank opposite Ealing Broadway Station, providing efficient queuing space for up to 10 taxis. However, the site audit identified potential difficulties crossing from Ealing Broadway Station to the taxi rank.


F3.11 Taxi rank at Ealing Broadway Station

3.44 There were no dedicated taxi ranks along the A4020 Uxbridge Road observed outside the main office areas or outside West Ealing Station.

Strategic & Local Road Network

Strategic Road Network

3.45 The study areas is strategically located just inside the M25, between:

• A40 Western Avenue to the north (M25 J16); • M4 Motorway to the south (M25 J15); • A4127 Greenford Road to the west; and • A406 North Circular Road to the east.

3.46 The A4020 Uxbridge Road is the key east-west link in the study area. It comprises two general traffic lanes and bus lanes in both directions for most of its full length. There are a number of banned turns at critical junctions such as The Broadway / Uxbridge Road and Drayton Green Road / Northfield Avenue/ Uxbridge Road. There are no further ‘A’ routes nearby. Other secondary strategic routes include the north-south B452 Argyle Road / Northfield Avenue, and the B455 Castlebar Road / Ealing Green Road / St Mary’s Road.

3.47 The nearest ‘Red Route’ or Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) to Ealing Town Centre comprises the A406 North Circular Road to the east.


Local Road Network

3.48 The key local east-west road links are Gordon Road and Carlton Road north of the railway line, and Matlock Lane south of Uxbridge Road. Churchfield Road / Culmington Road is an important northeast-southwest through cut along Walpole Park.

3.49 The study area has five north-south crossing points across the railway line, including:

• Argyle Road; • St Leonard’s Road; • Longfield Avenue; • Springbridge Road; and • The Broadway.

3.50 In addition, Jacob’s Ladder in West Ealing north of the Green Man Lane Estate (GMLE) provides a pedestrian only link.

3.51 The narrow strip between railway line and the A4020 Uxbridge Road is dominated by narrow residential streets, often covered by a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) or Home Zone, including a 20 mph Zone.

3.52 The residential streets south of Uxbridge Road in West Ealing are evenly, but narrowly spaced with a slightly tilted north-south and east-west orientation. They provide ample space for residential parking. The grid becomes wider and more irregular towards Ealing Broadway, picking up the boundaries of Walpole Park. The residential area to the south of Ealing Broadway includes road closures to protect local streets from rat-running and non-local parking activity.

3.53 There are two one-way gyratory systems in place. Haven Green provides a clockwise circulation, northbound through Springbridge Road, and southbound on The Broadway, with an option to cut back westbound through the diagonal of the Green. Bond Street is a northbound only to all traffic, while High Street permits only southbound traffic.

Parking

Off-street

3.54 There are a number of off-street public and private car parks located in the study area. Table 3.12 identifies the car parks as listed by the previous reviewed PEP:


T3.12 Ealing Town Centre off-street car parks

Name No of spaces Disabled

bays

Pay-and-

display

M/C bays Other

Arden Road 30 2 0 1 27

Dean Gardens 6 4 0 2 0

Singapore Road MSCP 103 0 0 1 102

Singapore Road Surface 84 10 0 2 72

Springbridge MSCP 489 8 0 7 465

Ealing Town Hall 300 0 0 0 300

22-24 Uxbridge Road 16 3 11 1 1

Witham Road 1 0 0 1 0

3.55 Utilisation figures as available are included in Table 3.13 below.

T3.13 Off-street car parks occupancy

Name Max weekday occupancy

Demand rationale

% peak occupancy

% max Sat occupancy

% max Sun occupancy

Arden Road 100% High 100% 64% 57%

Dean Gardens 100% High 107% 100% 100%

Singapore Road MSCP 9% Low N/A 14% 18%

Singapore Road Surface 91% Medium 100% 85% 100%

Springbridge MSCP 9% Low N/A 33% 26%

Ealing Town Hall N/A Medium 98% 97% 81%

22-24 Uxbridge Road 100% High 129% 64% 21%

Witham Road 100% High 115% 100% 100%

3.56 The site audit also identified the following public off-street car parks, as detailed in

Table 3.14. The table also contained revised numbers of spaces for some of the car parks listed in Table 3.12 above. It is noted that car park supply has been estimated for some of the below car parks, in the absence of clearly marked bays.

T3.14 Off-street car parks

Name No of spaces Disabled

bays

Pay-and-

display

M/C bays Other

Arcadia ~75 N/A ~75 No N/A

Arden Road (site audit) 27 3 24 Yes 0

Broadway Centre ~1,600 N/A ~1,600 No N/A

Dean Gardens (site audit) 46 4 42 Yes 0

Ealing Car Park (Britannia, ‘Cinema’ site)

~80 0 ~80 No 0

High Street 25 0 25 No 0

Sandringham Mews (NCP) 39 0 39 Yes 0

Singapore Road Surface

(site audit)

86 10 72 4 0

Witham Road (site audit) 13 0 13 No 0

3.57 There are also a number of private car parks which are not publicly available at a pay-

and-display charge. These include office parking in front of and behind the buildings along the A4020 Uxbridge Road between Drayton Green Road and Longfield Avenue, as well as a major car parks at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in West Ealing.

3.58 Charges for all car parks are detailed in Table 3.15 below:


T3.15 Off-street car park charge structure

Name Operation Tarif first hour Tariff per day

Arden Road Mon-Sun, 8am-6pm £1 £10; £500 p.a., £150 p quarter

Broadway Centre Mon-Sat, Sun 10.30am-5.30pm

£1 £10

Dean Gardens Mon-Sun,8am-6pm £1 £10

Ealing Car Park (Britannia,

‘Cinema’ site)

Mon-Sun, 24hrs £1.50 £8

High Street Mon-Sun, 24hrs £1.50 -

Singapore Road MSCP Mon-Sun,8am-6pm £0.60 £3

Singapore Road Surface Mon-Sun, 8am-6pm £1 -

Springbridge MSCP Mon-Sun,8am-6pm - £500 p.a., £150 p quarter

Ealing Town Hall Sat-Sun,8am-6pm - £2

22-24 Uxbridge Road Mon-Fri,8am-5pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm

£0.50 -

Witham Road Mon-Sun, £1 £10

On-street

3.59 On street parking in Ealing Town Centre can be grouped into three categories:

• Pay-and-display on-street parking; • Permit controlled CPZ parking; and • Uncontrolled on-street parking in residential streets.

3.60 There are a number of pay-and-display bays, located around Matlock Lane, opposite Percival House on Uxbridge Road; on the west side of Longfield Avenue; Bond Street; the west side of High Street and the north side of The Mall. They are often coupled with disabled parking bays, motorcycle parking and loading bay provision (in Ealing Broadway).

3.61 The study area contains five separate CPZs, as shown in Table 3.16.

T3.16 Controlled Parking Zones

Name Operation Permit No of business permits

No of residents’ permits

CPZ A Central Ealing Mon-Thu 8.30am-7.30pm; Fri-Sat 8.30am-11pm; Sun 10am-4pm

£45 51 766

CPZ C Thames

Valley University

Mon-Fri 10am-7.30pm;

Sat 10am-4pm

£45 36 1319

CPZ H Home Zone Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm £45 18 113

CPZ U Green Man Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm £45 25 192

CPZ W Ealing

Broadway

Mon-Fri 9am-10am and

3pm-4pm

£25 41 931


3.62 In addition, there are currently two CPZ undergoing consultation, including:

• West Ealing CPZ (north of CPZ H and U, includes the GMLE): between Argyle Road to Castlebar Road, and to Cleveland Road to the north; and

• Boston Manor CPZ: between Boston Road and Northfield Avenue, south of

Leigh Road.

3.63 A map showing the existing on-street and off-street parking provision is included at Appendix D.

Freight & Servicing

3.64 As a Metropolitan Centre, the retail sector of Ealing Town Centre generates significant

servicing requirements. Service vehicles typically comprise ‘white van’ type deliveries, with larger heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) serving the larger retail chains and supermarkets.

3.65 The parking map referred to above (compare Appendix D) shows a series of servicing bays on The Mall and at the top of High Street, as well as on Bond Street. On The Broadway / Uxbridge Road, loading and unloading is undertaken from the bus lane, as shown in Figure 3.18.

F3.17 Loading on The Broadway


F3.18 Loading around Canberra Road in West Ealing

3.66 Having established the current transport baseline, Section 4 identifies issues and influences, both positive and negative, relating to transport, movement and access in Ealing Town Centre.

3.67 Section 4 examines the movement characteristics of Ealing Town Centre and seeks to identify what works well and why (the positives); what works poorly and why (the negatives); it also touches on what transport assets could work harder and identifies what other opportunities could improve performance (the opportunities). These opportunities are then considered further in Section 5.


4 Issues & Influences

Positive Issues & Influences

4.1 This section of the document identifies what works well, and why, in transport terms

for Ealing Town Centre. This examination of positive issues and influences is structured according to the modal order established in Section 3 above, although it is recognised that there are clearly inter-relationships between these respective modes.

Walking

4.2 Walking is the most sustainable travel mode and has associated health benefits. Whilst Ealing Town Centre is one of ten designated Metropolitan Centres (which suggests a town centre function with a wider catchment area), the potential of walk trips from its immediate and surrounding residential population is great. A ‘pedestrian-first’ philosophy should therefore be embedded in the emerging Movement Strategy.

4.3 It is noted that PPG13 (see para. 2.2 above) recognises walking as the most important travel mode at the local level, which offers the greatest potential to replace short car trips, particularly under 2 kilometres (kms) (75).

4.4 Research has shown that pedestrians make a significant contribution to the economic health and viability of town centres, relative to users of other transport modes. The findings of an independent research study carried out by Accent Marketing & Research on behalf of TfL Surface Transport are reported in the research report entitled Town Centres Survey 2003-4: Summary Report, dated July 2004 (‘Accent Study’).

4.5 The Accent Study included in-depth interviews with a number of Town Centre Managers, combined with on-street town centre visitor surveys. The main surburban town centres (the category comparable to Ealing Town Centre) included in the study were Bromley, Ilford and Kingston.

4.6 The Accent Study revealed that visitors who walk to town centres spend considerably more (£91 on average per week) than those visitors who drive by car to town centres (£64 on average per week). Pedestrians are accorded the highest priority in the modal hierarchy; their importance is also reflected in the ‘pedestrian £s’ that they put into their local retail economies.

4.7 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to walking include the following:

1. Ealing Town Centre is surrounded by extensive residential communities, forming a significant potential for walk trips.

2. Ealing Town Centre is characterised by high pedestrian flows, especially in the

vicinity of Ealing Broadway with a corresponding high footfall. 3. Haven Green, to the immediate north-west of Ealing Broadway Station, offers an

attractive green environment for pedestrians to experience. 4. There is a regular provision of formal pedestrian crossing facilities across the

A4020 Uxbridge Road toward both the Ealing Broadway and West Ealing ends.


5. West Ealing’s Five Roads Home Zone was one of the first of its kind in the UK (http://www.fiveroadsforum.org/home.htm).

6. The heavy daytime use of the Jacob’s Ladder footbridge across the railway line

north of the Green Man Lane Estate (GMLE) in West Ealing indicates a strong potential walk-in catchment for West Ealing.

Cycling

4.8 Cycling is also a highly sustainable transport mode with associated health benefits. As such, the emerging Movement Strategy should support and encourage cycling to, from and within Ealing Town Centre.

4.9 It is noted that PPG13 (see para. 2.2 above) recognises cycling’s potential to substitute for short car trips, particularly those under 5kms (78).

4.10 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to cycling include the following:

1. Ealing Broadway Station benefits from good potential cycle to rail interchange with the provision of a well-located and prominent cycle parking facility at the south-east corner of Haven Green, adjacent to the taxi-rank.

2. Cycle route provision on the A4020 Uxbridge Road in Ealing Town Centre

comprises a near continuous route of either bus lane or cycle lane. 3. New cycle parking facilities (of the Sheffield stand type) have been recently

introduced to Ealing Town Centre. Public Transport

4.11 As a Metropolitan Centre, Ealing Town Centre forms a major transport hub in West London that benefits from good and improving mainline rail, tube, bus and taxi-based public transport accessibility. Ealing Town Centre’s public transport accessibility level rises to a PTAL of 6b, the highest level (see para. 3.30), which is very good.

4.12 The Accent Study has been referred to above in the context of ‘pedestrian £s’ invested in the local retail economy (see para. 4.4). This research also revealed that bus customers spend an average of £63 a week, which is closely comparable to car drivers’ spend (an average of £64 per week). The research supports the important contribution that public transport users make to the local retail economy.

4.13 As noted in Section 2, the emerging Movement Strategy assumes a pre-WLT and pre-Crossrail position, giving the uncertainty and timing inherent in delivering these major transport projects.

4.14 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to public transport include the following:

1. Ealing Town Centre benefits from a very good and improving PTAL, with access by mainline rail, tube, buses and taxis.

2. Haven Green provides a high quality, green environment for convenient bus / bus

and bus / rail interchange. 3. The A4020 Uxbridge Road is a key east / west bus corridor with extensive bus

priority.


4. Ealing Town Centre is served by a large number of bus routes; TfL London Buses

is planning to further improve bus services with increased service frequencies for a number of routes, especially during evenings and weekends.

5. The existing taxi rank on the south-east corner of Haven Green is prominently and

optimally located to serve Ealing Broadway Station; its form provides high capacity for queuing taxis.


4.15 It is recognised that, as a Metropolitan Centre, Ealing Town Centre requires good access to the strategic road network.

4.16 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to the strategic and local road network include the following:

1. Ealing Town Centre is well located in relation to the strategic road network, commensurate with its Metropolitan Centre status.

Parking

4.17 This section of the document focuses on car parking in Ealing Town Centre; cycle parking is addressed separately above (see para. 4.8). There is a recognition that Ealing Town Centre needs to provide sufficient safe and efficient car parking facilities commensurate with its status as a Metropolitan Centre located within West London, with specific reference to meeting short-stay shopper and disabled Blue Badge parking needs.

4.18 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to the parking include the following:

1. The Springbridge Road multi-storey car park (MSCP) is an accredited Safer Parking Scheme car park.

2. Residential areas around Ealing Town Centre are protected by CPZs, with new

CPZs being rolled out to prioritise local residents’ on-street parking needs. Freight & Servicing

4.19 Ealing Town Centre’s retail economy relies on efficient freight transport access and servicing to support its viability and vitality.

4.20 Ealing Town Centre freight issues have been previously studied by MVA (September 2003) on behalf of the West London Freight Quality Partnership (WLFQP) (‘MVA Study’). WLFQP is London’s first FQP, founded in 2003. It is looking to raise awareness about distribution issues and problems in the sub-region, and to promote constructive sustainable freight solutions, in particular in urban areas.

4.21 Proposals in the MVA Study included the provision of new inset loading bays, new on-street bays, changing of waiting and loading restrictions and times, and improved enforcement.

4.22 The SDG Study has more recently reviewed the findings of the MVA Study. SDG confirmed that the MVA recommendations were acceptable in the main and


compatible with the traffic management options being investigated for The Broadway / The Mall junction.

4.23 In addition, the Ealing Broadway BID represents the interests of local retailers, one of the most important of which is freight and servicing access. The institution has been involved in the process through the Ealing Town Centre Manager.

4.24 Ealing Town Centres’ positive issues and influences with respect to freight and servicing include the following:

1. The Mall, High Street and Bond Street provide dedicated loading bays. Loading regulations on The Broadway bus lane cater for retail outlets with servicing area outside the catchments of these loading bays.

2. The dedicated loading zone on Ealing Broadway Station forecourt provides direct

access for the station’s retail units. 3. A long dedicated loading zone can be found on the westbound bus lane of

Uxbridge Road in the Canberra Road section in West Ealing.

Negative Issues & Influences

4.25 This section of the document identifies what works poorly, and why, in transport terms

for Ealing Town Centre. This examination of negative issues and influences is also structured according to the modal order established in Section 3 above, again recognising the inter-relationships between these respective modes.

Walking

4.26 Whilst high pedestrian flows result in a strong footfall to support town centre vitality and viability, associated congestion and safety problems can arise.

4.27 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to walking include the following:

1. Ealing Town Centre suffers from poor way-finding / legibility for pedestrians, especially at the key arrival points or gateways of Ealing Broadway Station and West Ealing Station.

2. The A4020 Uxbridge Road is a traffic-dominated east / west axial route which

detracts from the pedestrian environment. 3. The SDG Study (see para. 1.11 above) identified a high pedestrian accident rate

for Ealing Town Centre (2.47). 4. Pedestrian safety is particularly an issue along the A4020 Uxbridge Road between

Bond Street and The Mall. 5. Ealing Town Centre suffers from pedestrian congestion, with ‘hot spots’ at Ealing

Broadway Station’s forecourt and pinch points on The Broadway. 6. Springbridge Road is characterised by narrow footways which restrict pedestrian

flow.


7. The Broadway / The Mall and The Broadway / High Street junctions suffer particularly from complex pedestrian crossing movements and overcrowding of pedestrian islands or refuges at peak times.

8. The one-way gyratory formed by High Street (southbound) and Bond Street

(northbound) is a heavily trafficked route which detracts from the pedestrian environment; it is noted that the LB of Ealing is no longer seeking to achieve the pedestrianisation of High Street as identified in previous studies.

9. There is a lack of formal pedestrian crossing facilities across the middle section of

the A4020 Uxbridge Road (east of The Civic Centre and west of Broughton Road) – restricting north / south pedestrian connectivity.

10. There is limited north / south pedestrian access across the railway line which runs

between Ealing Broadway Station and West Ealing Station. 11. The Jacob’s Ladder footbridge offers an intimidating pedestrian environment; its

stepped form is not compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA); it is also difficult to use for those with a push chair.

12. Singapore Road in West Ealing presents a sterile and inactive pedestrian

environment. 13. The A4020 Uxbridge Road / Drayton Green Road / Northfield Avenue junction in

West Ealing is identified as a pedestrian barrier. 14. There is poor pedestrian connectivity / permeability to Ealing Town Centre’s

nearby parks, especially Walpole Park. 15. The pedestrian environment generally suffers from missing and broken guard rails

(as well as unnecessary guard rails) and missing mobility provision (e.g. dropped kerbs and tactile paving).

Cycling

4.28 Whilst cycling is a highly sustainable mode, cyclists are particularly vulnerable road users, especially in heavily-trafficked environments.

4.29 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to cycling include the following:

1. The number of cycles observed locked to guard rails, lamp columns and other structures indicate that current cycle parking demands are not being met.

2. The existing cycle parking provision at Haven Green, adjacent to Ealing Broadway

Station, is uncovered and vulnerable to the elements. 3. Cycle parking provision at West Ealing Station is poor. 4. Existing cycle parking provision at both Ealing Broadway Station and West Ealing

Station observed to be at capacity. 5. The A4020 Uxbridge Road can present an intimidating cycle environment

(especially for vulnerable and inexperienced cyclists), with observations of cyclists ‘sandwiched between’ buses and general traffic.


6. There is poor northbound cycle access to Ealing Broadway Station on The Broadway, resulting in a ‘missing link’ on the LCN+.

7. The Jacob’s Ladder stepped footbridge does not provide for convenient cycle

crossing of the railway line. 8. There is limited cycle priority in the form of advanced stop lines (ASLs) for cyclists

at junctions within Ealing Town Centre (only three junctions with ASLs). 9. The A4020 Uxbridge Road / Drayton Green Road / Northfield Avenue junction in

West Ealing is identified as a cycle barrier. Public Transport

4.30 Ealing Town Centre benefits from very good and improving public transport accessibility; however parts of the public transport network do not work as well as they should.

4.31 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to public transport include the following:

1. Ealing Broadway Station suffers from overcrowding and congestion, particularly during the peak hours.

2. Ealing Broadway Station forecourt is an important but unattractive and congested

gateway to Ealing Town Centre with poor signage and way-finding. 3. West Ealing Station provides a poor gateway to West Ealing, with difficult rail to

bus interchange and poor legibility to guide arrivals to their intended destinations. 4. Haven Green is characterised by confusing bus stopping and standing

arrangements; there are conflicts between buses, general traffic and pedestrians, especially at towards the south-east corner of Haven Green.

5. Stopping / standing buses on the periphery of Haven Green and the diagonal link

road can dominate the environment. 6. West Ealing Station lacks convenient taxi interchange facilities. 7. Despite the bus priority provision on the A4020 Uxbridge Road, buses are still

subject to delays and unreliability. 8. Bus stop facilities, including shelters and passenger facilities, along sections of the

A4020 Uxbridge Road; there are observed conflicts between waiting passengers and pedestrians in areas of restricted footway.


4.32 Ealing Town Centre straddles the A4020 Uxbridge Road, an important east / west radial route running through West London. The A4020 Uxbridge Road runs parallel and between two other strategic radial east / west routes, the A40 to the north and the M4 to the south. The A40 and the M4 are connected by a north / south orbital section of the A406 North Circular (see para. 3.44).

4.33 LB of Ealing has declared the whole Borough an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), given exceedances of the Air Quality Strategy objectives in relation to two traffic related pollutants – particulates (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). LB of


Ealing’s Air Quality Action Plan states that the Stage 4 report confirms that there will be exceedances in parts of the Borough, including along parts of the A4020 Uxbridge Road (p. 21).

4.34 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to the strategic and local road network include the following:

1. Ealing Town Centre is bisected by the busy A4020 Uxbridge Road, which presents a harsh traffic-dominated environment, especially during congested peak hours.

2. Peak hour congestion on the A4020 Uxbridge Road can adversely impact on local

air quality; NO2 monitoring stations are located within Ealing Town Centre. 3. The A4020 Uxbridge Road carries east / west through traffic (which has selected

this corridor, rather than the A40 or M40 corridors) through the heart of Ealing Town Centre.

4. The A4020 also carries (potentially conflicting) local traffic, some of which is

generated by drivers circulating in search of car parking space. 5. There are limited north / south crossing points over the railway line (a total of four,

two of which are one-way); this can exacerbate congestion in Ealing Town Centre. 6. The Broadway (one-way southbound) in the vicinity of Ealing Broadway Station

experiences severe congestion. 7. The surrounding residential areas in Ealing Town Centre are prone and sensitive

to rat-running activity. 8. The one-way gyratory on High Street (southbound) and Bond Street (north bound)

comprises a heavily-trafficked route. 9. Bond Street, which connects with High Street to the south and The Broadway to

the north, experiences significant congestion. 10. The A4020 Uxbridge Road / Drayton Green Road / Northfield Avenue junction has

been identified as a problem junction presenting a barrier to both pedestrian and cycle movement.

Parking

4.35 Baseline studies indicate that some of Ealing Town Centre’s publicly-available off-street car parking assets are not working as hard as they potentially could, demonstrated by marked under-utilisation.

4.36 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to parking include the following:

1. The Singapore Road MSCP in West Ealing is highly under-utilised; there are perceptions that this is an unsafe and unattractive parking facility.

2. The Springbridge Road MSCP is also underutilised, being approximately one-third

full (maximum occupancy) at weekends; this is a large car park with some 489 spaces in total.


3. There is a perceived lack of access to the Springbridge Road MSCP from the north, owing to the one-way north bound restriction on Springbridge Road.

4. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Sainsbury’s MSCP in West Ealing is also

underutilised. 5. The site audit identified illegal on-street parking on the A4020 Uxbridge Road on

double yellow lines in the vicinity of the Thames Valley University (TVU) Campus. 6. The site audit identified general issues relating to the enforcement of waiting and

loading restrictions in Ealing Town Centre. Freight & Servicing

4.37 There are a number of restricting factors to effective and efficient freight transport and servicing. Most of the issues are rooted in conflicts with the requirements of other transport users, including a good pedestrian environment, location of cycle parking, effective public transport priority, and general traffic flows.

4.38 Ealing Town Centres’ negative issues and influences with respect to freight and servicing include the following:

1. The provision of loading bays is limited to four bays on the north side of the Mall, and one bays in High Street and Bond Street respectively. Provision in West Ealing is restricted to one, if central, location. This is perceived as lack of dedicated facilities.

2. Guard rail in the Mall and The Broadway sections of the A4020 Uxbridge Road

restrict kerb side loading. 3. The conflicts of loading / unloading and moving traffic, especially the journey time

reliability of buses during loading hours in the bus lane, are considered a threat to the viability of Ealing Town Centre.

4. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a lack of enforcement of the loading

restrictions. The resulting conflicts with parking cars are a negative influence that imbalances the interests of retailers, servicing drivers, shoppers and residents.


5 Towards a Framework: an Emerging Movement Strategy

General

5.1 This final section of the document identifies the opportunities that could be captured in

the emerging Movement Strategy for Ealing Town Centre; responding to both the positive and negative issues and influences identified above.

Opportunities

Walking

5.2 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for walking:

1. Pursue the full pedestrianisation of Ealing Broadway Station’s forecourt to benefit all station users and achieve an enhanced and fitting gateway for Ealing Town Centre and provide consistent, high quality way-finding information.

2. Develop and refine the ‘Boulevard Concept’ for the A4020 Uxbridge Road to

deliver a high quality, high amenity and greener street scene and public realm with stepped-back frontages to create more pedestrian space.

3. Improve The Broadway / The Mall junction to provide safe and convenient

pedestrian crossing (e.g. wide and straight across provision), taking into consideration the recommendations of the SDG Study and the Halcrow Study.

4. Enhance pedestrian crossing provision at and in the vicinity of The Broadway /

High Street / Springbridge Road junction to serve pedestrian desire lines created by the redevelopment of both the Arcadia and Dickens Yard sites.

5. Introduce additional formal pedestrian crossings in the central section of the

A4020 Uxbridge Road between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing to enhance north / south pedestrian permeability.

6. Maximise the opportunities arising from the setting back of frontage on the

Arcadia site to increase and enhance the pedestrian space on both The Broadway and Springbridge Road.

7. Investigate the feasibility of a more comprehensive environmental treatment of

Springbridge Road along its section from The Broadway to the railway bridge to better integrate the Arcadia and Dickens Yard sites (see the Development Sites Baseline Report) and enhance the pedestrian space.

8. Maximise the opportunities arising from the redevelopment of the Dickens Yard

site to deliver a new public square adjacent to the Parish Church and pedestrian linkages between this site and the adjacent Arcadia site.

9. Seek to reduce the traffic dominance on the High Street / Bond Street one-way

gyratory system; this could be achieved by investigating the feasibility of allowing two-way traffic operation on the High Street and developing a shared surface


treatment for Bond Street, taking into consideration local access and specific parking needs.

10. Alternatively, this could be achieved by retaining the principle of the one-way

gyratory system and investigating the feasibility of a comprehensive environmental treatment of Bond Street to calm traffic and enhance the pedestrian environment.

11. Seek to create a new pedestrian link between the Cinema site (see the

Development Sites Baseline Report) and Bond Street to enhance pedestrian permeability.

12. Create convenient and safe pedestrian routes through the GMLE in West Ealing

along identified ‘desire lines’ to increase north / south permeability. 13. Maximise the opportunity of the GMLE redevelopment to secure active frontage

on Singapore Road to increase natural surveillance and encourage pedestrian activity.

14. Provide consistent and high quality way-finding information at West Ealing Station

to enhance this gateway and extend throughout West Ealing. 15. Generally remove unnecessary guard railing and / or repair / upgrade necessary

guard railing and provide audible or tactile crossing facilities to meet mobility needs.

16. Promote and support same-day home delivery schemes offered by Ealing Town

Centre retailers to enable local residents to walk in and shop, without the need of carrying purchases home.

Cycling

5.3 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for cycling:

1. Increase cycle parking provision at the south-east corner of Haven Green to enhance cycle to rail interchange, including sheltered provision, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Halcrow Study.

2. Support the provision of additional covered cycle storage at Ealing Broadway

Station (within the LUL building, as identified in the Halcrow Study). 3. Provide additional secure and covered cycle parking at West Ealing Station to

support cycle to rail interchange. 4. Introduce a north-bound contra-flow cycle lane on The Broadway to improve cycle

access to Ealing Broadway Station, taking into consideration recommendations of the SDG Study and the Halcrow Study.

5. Investigate the feasibility of a south-bound contra-flow cycle lane on Bond Street

(LCN+ 39) to overcome indirectness of the gyratory system in accessing Bond Street from the Uxbridge Road.

6. Instigate the feasibility of a waiting island for right-hand turns from The Mall into

Windsor Road to improve the LCN+ 85 route provision.


7. Investigate the potential for introducing cycle ASLs at key busy junctions on Ealing Town Centre’s local highway network.

8. Investigate the feasibility of re-routing LCN+ 86 away from the A4020 Uxbridge

Road / Drayton Green Road / Northfield Avenue junction via Broomfield Road and Broughton Road.

9. Investigate the feasibility of introducing a cycle-able bridge in the vicinity of the

Jacob’s Ladder in West Ealing. 10. Generally enhance the provision of high quality secure and covered cycle parking

throughout Ealing Town Centre. Public Transport

5.4 The on-going studies previously referred to, i.e. the SDG Study for LB of Ealing and the Halcrow Study for TfL Interchange, are exploring options to significantly enhance the quality of public transport provision and interchange in the immediate vicinity of Ealing Broadway Station. Both these studies are not yet concluded and clear preferred (feasible and viable) options have not yet been identified for further development. However, emerging options need to be reflected and further refined in the emerging Movement Strategy.

5.5 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for public transport:

1. The longer-term potential of the Crossrail scheme, which will significantly Ealing Town Centre’s rail-based public transport capacity, is recognised.

2. Support further enhancements (in terms of service reliability, frequency and

capacity) to bus corridor along the A4020 Uxbridge Road. 3. Support the introduction of step-free, DDA-compliant access at Ealing Broadway

Station (with the provision of new lifts), taking into consideration the recommendations of the Halcrow Study.

4. Support the introduction of congestion-relief and interchange improvement

measures at Ealing Broadway Station, including options for the creation of new and / or refurbished ticket hall, concourse and mainline rail to tub bridge-based interchange facilities, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Halcrow Study.

5. Support the full pedestrianisation of the forecourt at Ealing Broadway Station to

ease congestion and provide a high quality gateway to Ealing Town Centre. 6. Support the closure and removal of the diagonal link on Haven Green (from The

Broadway to Castlebar Road) to general traffic and buses to restore the integrity of the green space and provide the opportunity for a review and rationalisation of the bus stops and stands in the immediate vicinity of Haven Green; this concept is identified in redevelopment proposals for the Arcadia site.

7. Provide for ‘Kiss & Ride’ facilities at both Ealing Broadway Station and West

Ealing Station. 8. Explore measures to improve rail / bus interchange at West Ealing Station.



5.6 Both the SDG Study and the Halcrow Study are investigating traffic management options for one-way (southbound) section of The Broadway that runs by Ealing Broadway Station, focussing at solutions for The Broadway / The Mall junction. The options for this critical junction include the following investigations:

• banning left or right turns for general traffic; • removing general traffic from this section of The Broadway completely, i.e.

buses and taxis only; • banning left or right turns for buses and taxis; and • removing all traffic from this section of The Broadway completely, i.e. full

pedestrianisation.

5.7 Both these studies are ongoing and preferred options have not yet been selected, although option testing in the SDG Study indicates more feasible options. The emerging Movement Strategy will need to take cognisance of these studies as they develop.

5.8 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for the management of the strategic and local road network:

1. Promote an eastern gateway to Ealing Town Centre on The Mall; promote a western gateway to Ealing Town Centre (and specifically West Ealing) in the vicinity of the A4020 Uxbridge Road / Grosvenor Road junction; the gateways seek to promote a sense of arrival and alert drivers to the town centre conditions.

2. Restrict the allocation of carriageway space to general traffic on the one-way

section The Broadway that runs by Ealing Broadway Station, to allow greater priority to pedestrians, cyclists, buses and taxis, taking into consideration the emerging recommendations of the SDG Study and the Halcrow Study.

3. Seek to reduce the traffic dominance on the High Street / Bond Street one-way

gyratory system; this could be achieved by investigating the feasibility of allowing two-way traffic operation on the High Street and developing a shared surface treatment for Bond Street, taking into consideration local access and specific parking needs.

4. Alternatively, this could be achieved by of retaining the principle of the one-way

gyratory system and investigating the feasibility of a comprehensive environmental treatment of Bond Street to calm traffic and enhance the pedestrian environment.

Parking

5.9 A number of previous studies have identified the issue of lack of access to the Springbridge Road MSCP from the north as a particular concern (due to Springbridge Road being one-way northbound). Car drivers in search of a parking space circulating around (and contributing to congestion in) Ealing Town Centre are, in part, attributed to this lack of access.

5.10 Maximum weekend occupancy at Springbridge Road MSCP is markedly low (only one-third full). This car park has been awarded the Safer Parking Scheme award, so it does not face security challenges (such as Singapore Road MSCP), which might account for this marked level of under-utilisation.


5.11 The car park at Ealing Broadway Centre is the shoppers’ preferred parking choice. Once at The Broadway / High Street / Spring Bridge Road junction, there is little to choose between the route to either Springbridge Road MSCP or the Ealing Broadway Centre car park. The attraction of the latter car park is presumably its current location in relation to the retail offer at the Ealing Broadway Centre and its proximity to Ealing Green.

5.12 The future redevelopment of the Dickens Yard and Arcadia sites, with the enhanced replacement and upgraded car parking spaces, is anticipated to redistribute demand and make Springbridge Road MSCP a more attractive destination car park given its advantageous location to Ealing Town Centre’s expanded retail offer. The SDG Study has assessed an expansion of the existing Springbridge Road MSCP by 200 new (replacement) shopper car parking spaces. It is understood that an option for access to these 200 new spaces via Longfield Avenue is also being investigated.

5.13 As noted above (see paras. 1.12 & 5.9), the SDG Study is currently assessing five traffic management solutions for The Broadway / The Mall junction. It is noted that Option E, which bans the left turn from The Broadway onto the A4020 Uxbridge Road (for either general traffic or all traffic), would have implications for access to the Springbridge Road MSCP. This would be potentially significant if the expanded shopper car parking facilities were accessed solely via Spring Bridge Road, rather than Longfield Avenue.

5.14 As stated above (see para. 2.31), LB of Ealing is currently preparing a new PEP, which will provide a strategic framework to guide future parking management and operations in the Borough. This will have implications for the future management of on-street and off-street car parking in Ealing Town Centre.

5.15 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for parking:

1. The redevelopment of the Dickens Yard and Arcadia sites provides the opportunity to replace and upgrade 200 retail car parking spaces adjacent to the existing Springbridge Road MSCP.

2. The regeneration of the GMLE provides the opportunity to review, rationalise and

consolidate the public off-street car parking offer in West Ealing and potentially release some of the smaller car park sites (e.g. Witham Road and Arden’s Road) for redevelopment.

3. An improved car park offer in West Ealing should seek to achieve the Safer

Parking Scheme standard, representing a significant improvement over the existing Singapore Road MSCP offer.

4. All public car parks in Ealing Town Centre should seek to meet the standards

prescribed by the Safer Parking Scheme operated by the British Parking Association.

5. Review the charging structures for off-street public car parks to give priority to

short-stay shopper parking needs to encourage efficient turnover of spaces, taking into consideration the recommendations set out in the emerging PEP.

6. Improve Blue Badge car parking provision at Ealing Broadway Station and West

Ealing Station to meet specific disabled parking needs.


7. Within the on-street parking environment, support the implementation of local neighbourhood car club schemes to meet residents’ car mobility needs.

Freight & Servicing

5.16 The emerging Movement Strategy should seek to capture the following opportunities for freight and servicing:

1. Provision of additional inset bays and on-street loading space where existing conflicts were identified, along with the proposals of the MVA study.

2. Partnership working of LB of Ealing and the developers of the Arcadia and

Dickens Yard sites to provide sufficient and effective off-street servicing facilities, balancing the freight needs against those of conflicting transport users.

3. Removal of guard rail not only to facilitate pedestrian movements, but to facilitate

more efficient kerb side loading and unloading in the Uxbridge Road / High Street area.

4. Improvement of enforcement regime of loading facilities, especially before and

during the known peak loading times. 5. Revision of the maximum loading time to 20 minutes, as recommended by the

SDG Study. 6. Investigation of the opportunity to promote home deliveries as a service

complementing the Metropolitan Centre retail offer.

Conclusion

5.17 Ealing Town Centre has many positives in transport terms. It is a major transport hub

which benefits from a very good (and improving) PTAL commensurate to its Metropolitan Centre status and function – with access by mainline rail, tube and a dense bus network. The A4020 Uxbridge Road is a key east / west bus priority corridor and Haven Green provides an attractive green backdrop to rail to bus and bus to bus interchange. Ealing Town Centre is also characterised by high pedestrian flows and is immediately surrounded by a significant residential catchment with potential for increased walking trips.

5.18 However, Ealing Town Centre suffers from congestion, severe at times, in terms of both traffic (both local and through traffic) and pedestrian congestion. The above document makes reference to both pedestrian safety and traffic-related air quality problems, especially along the A4020 Uxbridge Road.

5.19 Ealing Town Centre’s future growth needs to be sustainable in transport terms, recognising the specific access needs of West London. A future increase in residents, workers, shoppers and other visitors will increase the pressure on Ealing Town Centre’s transport system. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified to guide the emerging Movement Strategy for the evolving Development Framework. This necessitates a balanced multi-modal approach and includes in summary:

1. Maximising potential walk trips from the surrounding residential areas through re-allocation of space to pedestrians with better place-making, connectivity and permeability.


2. Increasing the quality and supply of cycle parking provision (especially at both

stations) and plugging existing gaps in the local cycle network to support this mode.

3. Increasing bus-based public transport capacity (and reliability) ahead of the

longer-term Crossrail project (and potentially WLT), on the east / west A4020 Uxbridge Road access and strategic north / south routes.

4. Creating a step-change in the interchange experience at Ealing Broadway Station,

with reference to the ongoing TfL-commissioned Halcrow Study, to provide step-free access and congestion relief within the station.

5. Harnessing the potential of the Haven Green interchange hub, with reference to

the emerging Arcadia site proposals, to improve conditions for pedestrians, waiting passengers and buses to enhance bus to bus and bus to rail interchange.

6. Improving the gateway at West Ealing Station through the enhancement of rail to

bus and rail to taxi interchange and addressing pedestrian legibility. 7. Making Ealing Town Centre’s off-street public car parks work harder and more

efficient, especially Springbridge Road MSCP which will be a more attractive destination following the redevelopment of the Arcadia and Dickens Yard sites.

8. Capturing the opportunities provided by the comprehensive regeneration of the

GMLE to significantly enhance the publicly-available car parking provision in West Ealing, especially in terms of security.

A Appendix

List of Transport Stakeholders

B Appendix

WLT Route Alignment

C Appendix

Crossrail Route Map

D Appendix

Transport Baseline Maps

E Appendix

LB of Ealing PTAL Map

F Appendix

TfL London Buses ‘Spider’ Map

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Table 3.4 T3.4 Ealing Town Centre daytime bus routes · E10 8am-12.30am 20 min 20 min 30 min E11...

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Transcript of Table 3.4 T3.4 Ealing Town Centre daytime bus routes · E10 8am-12.30am 20 min 20 min 30 min E11...