Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a Zebra Crossing outside Ickenham Station. A petitioner was in attendance and made the following points: 

·       a zebra crossing had been requested not only to access the station but also for safety reasons i.e. to slow down the traffic;

·       crossing the road was a major issue as traffic moved very quickly and few traffic calming measures were currently in place;

·       the survey mentioned in the officer’s report would be costly and seemed superfluous given the existence of a petition which already indicated that local residents supported the request;

·       clarification of the cost of installing a zebra crossing was requested.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that, prior to the hearing, Ward Councillors had indicated that they felt the installation of a zebra crossing would be challenging given the narrowness of the road and the reduced sight lines and believed alternative options should be explored. It had been suggested that TfL could potentially create alternative exits so people using the station did not need to cross the road.

The Cabinet Member, the Traffic, Parking, Road Safety and School Travel Team Manager and the Senior Transport Planner listened to the concerns of petitioners and were keen to mitigate the issues raised.

The Cabinet Member commented that there were two main issues to consider – the speed of the traffic coming over the bridge and the safety of people crossing. It was noted that there was no capacity for pavements on both sides of the road as it was too narrow. Officers observed that a zebra crossing had to meet the requirements of national legislation and would not be feasible in the requested location given its topography. It was confirmed that officers were currently working with TfL to support their work at the station – it was possible that an alternative type of crossing / other access arrangements could be considered as part of this work. Traffic and pedestrian surveys would be critical to provide the data needed to ascertain the most appropriate traffic calming measures to install in this location. It was hoped that both sets of surveys would be conducted around the same time in September 2021. It was noted that the ‘Slow’ signs on the roads needed to be repainted. The Senior Transport Planner would advise the Council’s Highways team accordingly.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport:

1.    met with petitioners and listened to their concerns in regard to safe crossing for pedestrians in the area of Ickenham Station and the request for the provision of a zebra crossing;

2.    asked officers to undertake 24/7 automated traffic counts at locations along Glebe Avenue agreed with petitioners;

3.    asked officers to undertake pedestrian surveys at, and close to, the station to understand current pedestrian desire-lines;

4.    asked officers to consider and incorporate as appropriate the request into the current investigations into improving accessibility and road safety in the area around the station, as detailed within the body of the report; and

5.    noted the work by Transport for London to make Ickenham Station ‘step-free’ and the part that the Council is playing to build on this and progress further mitigation measures in and around the station.

Reasons for decisions

The petition hearing provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners on their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.