TheOneKEA wrote:
Richard J. wrote:

It was probably the only available site, and it's not bad from
an operational point of view, being just off the one-way system.
But the stops on the roads in the town centre are more convenient
for most people.


Not really. One of the major stops near the Square is on a very thin
sidewalk, and is so busy that people regularly spill out into the
street. Very dangerous in heavy traffic, as it forces people to walk
out in the street to avoid the crowds.

I did notice that. Such a scenario implies to me that the road should
probably be pedestrianised, and the bus stop relocated somewhere nearby
where people can wait more easily without disrupting the flow of
pedestrians. Of course, that may not be possible in Richmond - but
perhaps removing private through traffic might help. Mind you, they have
a similar problem in Oxford on a road which is bus-only.

Well, for a start, there's a public car park next to the station,
though it might be possible to construct a different access to it.

Not really. It's hemmed in by buildings on all sides.

I didn't notice which side of the station it was. If it's the northern
side, perhaps Kew Road could be public transport and car park access
only. Perhaps more radically, a new car park could be built on the
eastern side of the station over the railway line, with access from
Church Road, and the current car park replaced with something else.
However, I imagine that would be extremely expensive!

There were plans for pedestrianisation in the 1970s which never
came to anything. Not sure if the subject has been raised more
recently. Church Road is fine off-peak for traffic entering
Richmond from the A316, but in the other direction tailbacks from
the Richmond Circus roundabout (A316/A307 junction) clog the right
turn out of Church Road.

That might be remedied if Church Road became the main through route.
Traffic control and a box junction, with priority maintained for buses
entering Richmond by using transponders for a favourable traffic light
sequence.

The problem with the inner parts of Richmond (i.e. George Street and
the Quad) is that it is used by everyone coming inward from the A305
Sheen Rd., Richmond Bridge via Hill Street and Petersham Road to get
onto the A316. If more people went via Queens Road to Sheen Road,
across the Windsor lines and down into the Manor Road area, it could
improve things enormously.

Could the Manor Road level crossing cope with the extra traffic? If not,
I wonder how much it would cost to grade-separate it.

Is there a reason why traffic from the Bridge comes through the town
centre, rather than reaching the A316 via St Margarets?


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London