Have your say on road safety plans for Battersea Bridge

Multiple collisions around Battersea Bridge including the death of a pedestrian in 2021 have prompted Transport for London (TfL) to propose a number of changes to the busy corridor.

Local residents are invited to share their thoughts on the proposals TfL has published which include new pedestrian crossings, bus lanes, cycle signals and a section of protected cycle track.

On the southern side of Battersea Bridge, they intend to:

• Install a new push button pedestrian crossing on Battersea Bridge Road, close to Hester Road to link with the Thames Path, where TfL plan to install a bus gate to improve bus journey times for northbound buses
• Introduce a new pedestrian and cyclist crossing at the Battersea Bridge Road/Battersea Church Road junction to help manage confirmed aggressive driver behaviour when entering and exiting Battersea Church Road
• Remove a parking bay (2 cars) in Battersea Church Road to accommodate the new stop line for this signal controlled junction
• Extend the bus lane from Banbury Street northwards on Battersea Bridge Road to improve bus journey times, removing one 12m parking bay (2 car spaces) at this location to accommodate the new bus lane
• Reconfigure crossing points at the junction of Battersea Bridge Road with the Prince of Wales Drive, widening pavements, removing the existing traffic island, and building two new push button crossings.
• Reduce the parking bay by 5m (1 car) at Prince of Wales Drive and remove a loading bay on Battersea Bridge Road to accommodate this new signalised crossing
• Ban the right turn from Battersea Bridge Road into Parkgate Road, and the left turn into the B305 (and make kerb adjustments at Westbridge Road).

At the northern end of the bridge, TfL is proposing to:

• Introduce new straight-across push button pedestrian crossings on Cheyne Walk, Chelsea Embankment and Beaufort Street
• Ban the left turn into Beaufort Street to motor traffic and cyclists to reduce delays and wait times at the turning point, improve safety and eliminate the risk of left turning vehicles colliding with cyclists.
• Provide dropped kerbs here and a shared use area on the northwest corner for cyclists
• Make improvements for cyclists at the junction including dedicated cycle signals and a section of segregated cycle track
• Build a new section of westbound bus lane from Royal Hospital Road to the bus stop at Beaufort Street to mitigate delays to bus journeys. A new eastbound bus lane is also proposed from the junction of Beaufort Street to the stop just west of the junction with Old Church Street. The bus lane would operate 24 hours a day, with taxis, motorcycles and cyclists permitted to use it

London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said: "These proposed changes will play an important role in reducing road danger and making it safer for people to walk and cycle near Battersea Bridge. We are determined to build a safer, greener city for all Londoners - and improving junctions is a key part of our Vision Zero action plan to eliminate death and serious injury from London's roads. I encourage all members of the community near Battersea Bridge to share their views on this consultation, so we can support everyone with safe and appealing routes to travel around London."

Click here to comment on the Battersea Bridge safety improvements scheme during the Consultation Phase of the project. The survey should only take ten minutes to complete but for those who would rather not fill in TfL's questionnaire, comments can also be submitted directly via [email protected] or in writing to FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY (no stamp required).

After the consultation closes in a fortnight, on January 24, comments will be reviewed before a final report is produced with confirmed changes to be made.