| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Age does weary us. | |
| Posted by: | Libby Kemp | |
| Date/Time: | 19/07/19 23:20:00 |
| Following on from the Crossrail Scrutiny meeting I wrote to Councillor Rooney questioning Ealing’s attitude to their Public Realm responsibilities. To spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar is what Ealing is in danger of doing, by not planning for Kiss and Ride drive throughs. Billions have been spent on Crossrail, and it is not just the disabled who need easy access to the station. Ealing Broadway will be a major station for accessing trains to Heathrow, people have luggage and not all use black cabs, people will be given lifts and what about people arriving by Uber? Positioned correctly Kiss and Ride are not difficult to manage, they are operated successfully at hundreds of stations and airports all over Europe. Most people have mobile phones so passengers departing the station can call in their rides, who with the change in parking restrictions would be able to park relatively close to the station. Allowing Kiss and Ride could have a significant effect on the decision to drive to Heathrow and other rail termini or take the train and not just for those with mobility problems and heavy luggage. As a councillor please insist that the possibilities of Kiss and Ride is looked at again before the entrances to Ealing Broadway and other stations are finalised. A consultation with residents, many of whom have town planning, transport and architectural backgrounds may shed a fresh light on this problem. And this is the reply from Councillor Rooney. “I understand your concerns however I'm afraid the issues with implementing "kiss and ride" at Ealing Broadway relate to the lack of space due to the position of the station entrance on the bridge and issues around security. The area around Ealing Broadway is very restricted in terms of road space and yet it has a large number of requirements – buses, taxis, pedestrian crossings, loading for shops and offices. There simply isn’t room to include everything in the kerb space available. Additionally, if “kiss and ride” were to be provided, it would almost certainly be abused in the way the existing loading areas are. The intention of the public realm scheme is to make the space in front of the station a high-quality gateway to the town centre. This also has to incorporate certain security requirements, as Ealing Broadway is a category A station, and this means that the old “slip road” drop off area cannot be replaced and we are not permitted to allow vehicles that close to the station entrance. Officers are continuing to work with TfL to see if some of the bus stops can be relocated or amalgamated so that space could be provided for a kiss-and-ride point, but so far they have been unable to reach an agreement. It is also Council policy to discourage short-distance trips by car, which could be cycled or walked, as these significantly contribute to traffic congestion and air pollution. With the frequency of the trains at all 5 Crossrail stations (including West Ealing) in the Borough increasing and all the stations being made accessible for people with mobility issues, this does provide a range of alternative stations with good train services in the near vicinity if drop off is a particular requirement. I hope this information helps, however please let me know if you have any further questions.” I am not happy with Councillor Rooney’s reply and I think if enough people protest we may get somewhere, they do have c. £19 million to be spent on Transport projects. This would be a very worthy cause. |