No Traffic on Twickenham Riverside

All servicing requirements to Eel Pie Island (including the boatyards) and to the King Street commercial premises can be provided without having vehicle access along the Embankment. Allowing such access (other than for emergency vehicles) would override a cardinal principle in the brief and competition.

Core to this requirement is that Water Lane and Wharf Lane be fully two-way. This has been accepted in the latest design proposals. It is also easily possible to turn a 16.5 metre articulated truck at the lower end of Water Lane, as hammer head tracking diagrams done by the Hopkins Architects traffic consultants, WSP, have proved.

The difficulty and danger lie in large vehicles, such as 16.5 metre articulated trucks, turning out of Wharf Lane and Water Lane into King Street:

* The close proximity of the existing buildings and width of pavement at the junction of Wharf Lane and King Street restricts the turning of vehicles in excess of 12 metres in length. Vehicles of this size have to do a two or three-point turn blocking both lanes of traffic

* The distance between the Wharf Lane and Cross Deep junctions is insufficient to allow a large vehicle, such as a 16.5 metre articulated truck, to ‘straighten up’ in their lane before crossing the junction. This is dangerous, particularly when the traffic lights are against them.

The solution lies in the Council restricting Wharf Lane to smaller vehicles. 10 metre fixed body trucks could easily enter and exit Wharf Lane without blocking traffic. Wharf Lane would thus primarily become a service road capable of providing all servicing needs to the King Street commercial properties (including Iceland).

A further provision that the Council should impose is that all servicing to these properties (and indeed to the Church Street premises) be carried out in an early morning time slot, managed by raising bollards. These areas would thus remain vehicle free most of the day and night.

Water Lane does not have the physical restrictions at the junction with King Street that Wharf Lane has. With the demolition of the Santander building and creation of a new public space at this junction, it is possible to allow for safe turning requirements into and out of Water Lane for all vehicles.

All but the largest vehicles could enter and exit to the right of the large existing tree as shown on the current plans. The largest vehicles, such as a 16.5 metre articulated truck, requiring a wider turn could exit by dropped bollard controls via a paved area to the left of the tree on the rare occasions this would be required.

This exit would be far easier, quicker and safer than having to manage a lengthy riverside route through a pedestrian/cyclist priority area to a difficult exit into King Street from Wharf Lane. The Riverside would effectively have to be designed to meet the requirements of such a large vehicle – in particular the turn around the Wharf Lane Building.

This would be a busy location where people would congregate particularly for river-based activities such as moving boats, canoes and paddle boards. Due to the height of the retaining wall, the design would have to resolve the issue of a virtually a blind corner, together with providing for a wide sweeping turn. How ironic that a prime public space should be designed to suit the infrequent use of a large truck!

Finally, it should be noted that 16.5 metre articulated trucks service Waitrose in Arragon Road on a regular basis. These vehicles are successfully manoeuvred along a short two-way cul-de-sac crossed by pedestrians, and used by vehicles entering and leaving the adjacent large carpark building. This is done without a fuss.

Vehicle movement and parking should not be allowed on Twickenham Riverside. It is a core principle of the brief, is entirely avoidable and supported by the majority of Twickenham residents. Allowing vehicles back onto the Riverside would be the thin edge of the wedge, with more vehicles following and parking inevitably returning.

Please make your voices heard when responding to the public consultation. The consultation is open until 03 Feb, and you're welcome to attend a Zoom meeting (with a presentation by Hopkins Architects) tomorrow morning from 11-12.30. Register up to one hour before. See link below.

LBRuT's Twickenham Riverside Development webpage

Best wishes from the Twickenham Riverside Park Team

#ParkNotCarPark    #ParkNotTruckRoute

#ASpaceForPeopleNotMotorVehicles   @TwRiversidePark