Local news

TfL letter - Bushey Rd - Feb 2017

To:       John Elvidge

From:   Leon Daniels, Managing

Director, Surface Transport, Transport for London 

Re:   Bushey Road and Lower Downs Bridge 

Thank you for your letter of 11 January. I have addressed the issues you raise individually. 

The junction of Bushey Road and Grand Drive 

This junction experiences heavy traffic throughout the day, with long queues on both Grand Drive and Bushey Road. Our primary aim here has always been to strike a fair balance for all and we have tried to make improvements to both of these approaches in response to customer enquiries about the junction. 

There are four bus services that pass through this junction, including routes 152, 163, 655 and K5, and we need to maintain a smooth journey and minimise delays for each bus. The A298 is also designated as a stretch of the 'Strategic Road Network', which we must prioritise where possible, as it carries a large Volume of traffic. 

To aid us in reaching a fair balance, this junction was upgraded to operate a newer form of traffic signal control that uses vehicle detection embedded in the road surface to measure demand on each approach. This information allows our computer system to calculate the required length of signal 'green time' to allocate. The new signal timings have been in operation for approximately six months, and we are pleased to say that we have received no negative feedback in that time. 

However, following your enquiry, we have investigated the operation of the junction in line with your observations, and have confirmed that the right turning movement from Bushey Road into Grand Drive southbound is receiving a shorter signal green time when compared to other approaches, particularly in the morning. To help address the issue with this movement, we have changed the traffic signal timings in the morning to provide a slightly longer signal green time, on average, without significantly impacting upon other traffic movement. 

We will continue to monitor the junction over the coming months to ensure that our changes are effective, and would welcome any further feedback from you. 

Lower Downs Bridge 

This bridge is not part of our road network and any works would need to be carried out by the asset owner and the local borough, the London Borough of Merton.   I would suggest contacting the LB Merton directly about the issue of high vehicles getting stuck. 

I hope this response is helpful to you.