228 Bus in action

Walking through Shepherds Bush early this morning, on the way to the gym, I was startled by the loud roar of a 228 bus hurtling down Bloemfontein Road driven badly by the obligatory crap driver. This was at 0615. It made me recall the rubbish TfL had tried to feed us about how quiet they were. I pity the people that now have to put up with this.

Your Victory Reported

Yes we could!

STEVENTON ROAD SAVED - TFL DEFEATED - RESIDENTS WIN BATTLE

In an email from Chris Bainbridge, Transport officer at H&F Council, residents were today informed that the proposed bus route which TfL have tried to force down Steventon Road W12 in opposition to residents wishes has finally been consigned to history.

Residents of the street, which already has buses going to the same Westfield destination at both ends of the road, objected to the new bus primarily on safety grounds. The new bus route would have required traffic calming measures to be ripped up in order to fit a new bus through. This would have inevitably led to major increases in road traffic who already use the route as a rat run to avoid the Uxbridge/Old Oak Road junction in spite of existing traffic barrriers.

TfL ran a "consultation" excercise with minimal publicity and with questions such as "do you want the new bus, yes or no" which were standard questions in all other such consultations deliberately removed in favour of the question "would you use it if it was there". TfL's "consultation" unsurprisingly produced the results they wanted, but was slammed as unrepresentative and ill-informed by residents and community leaders from all political parties.

H&F Council, although initially slow to react, responded to the residents campaign which involved a petition against the bus signed by over 500 local residents by halting TfL in their tracks. A subsequent H&F led consultation, which actually asked residents whether they wanted the bus route or not, produced the accurate response that Steventon Road as a route was deeply unpopular. This route is now off the agenda.

Residents stood up for their area, and against the might of TfL, and won. But how many other communities has Transport for London, who will willingly produce misleading "consultation" excercises and disregard local views, blighted?

From the outset this campaign has been run by local people who use public transport every single day. The new alternative route is one which local residents involved in the campaign suggested to tfL personally and by writing but were ignored. TfL had to be forced to stop and think again.

Investing in public transport and adequately consulting local people are not opposites - they go hand in hand. A lesson which TfL would do well to learn. And learn fast.

NOTES

Email from H&F to residents:

From:
Bainbridge Chris

Sent:
09 January 2009 13:34:27
To:


Dear Sidonie and Chris

Thank you for your response to the Council's consultation exercise on proposed bus route 228.

We have now analysed the results of the exercise.

57% of respondents supported route 228 in principle, and over four times as many respondents preferred the Uxbridge Road/Bloemfontein Road route (Route B) over the originally proposed route via Steventon Road (Route A). We received many more objections to Route A than to Route B.

The Council will not therefore be pursuing Route A and will not undertake the highway engineering works necessary to enable buses to use Steventon Road.

London Buses will start running the service via Uxbridge Road/Bloemfontein Road from Saturday 17 January on a permanent basis.

Yours sincerely

Chris

Chris Bainbridge Head of Transport Planning Highways & Engineering Division Environment Services Department London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Town Hall Extension King Street London W6 9JU

Go shop now

I visited the new Westfield shopping centre today, having seen it getting built over the last few years along with everyone else that lives in W12.

As predicted I was spoilt for choice when it came to which bus I used - I had at one end of Steventon Road the 260 and at the other the 283. Luxury - and a confirmation why we were right to fight for our street.

Enjoy the new centre - though personally I still prefer Shepherds Bush Market!

Andy Slaughter MP welcomes campaign win

Local MP Andy Slaughter has welcomed TfL's forced retreat and the saving of Steventon Road. More to follow.

Shaun Bailey welcomes no bus

Shaun Bailey, Conservative candidate for Hammersmith, has issued this press release welcoming the forced retreat of TfL. We are grateful for his support to date, but also happy that he also pledges to fight with us against any attempt to impose this unwanted and unnecessary route on us again. He says:

“I am delighted for the local residents. TfL needs to take into account the practical impact and environmental impact this bus would have had, and having also seen the proposed route first hand and the commercial vans speeding dangerously down it, I am glad that a potential death trap has been shelved for the time being. However if TfL continue to press for the route in future, I will continue to fight with the local residents and make sure this never happens!”

The H&F consultation is being distributed to residents of Steventon and Bryony Roads very soon. Vote No.

Just say no

All residents on Steventon and Bryony Roads will shortly be receiving a consultation document from the council.

It will ask you whether you want the new bus, and the changes to your roads that the new bus would mean - in other words a removal of traffic calming measures.
Unlike Transport for London's fraudulent attempt to get what they want, which had the question "do you want the bus, yes or no" deliberately removed - this one will ask that simple question.

And if you vote no - the bus is history and your road is safer. Vote no.