The review of School Crossing Patrols gives another opportunity to look again at the traffic lights on the corner of Furness Road and Harlesden High Street. I have raised this with the Transport Department before, but haven't made much progress.
There are two issues.
The first is the timing of the lights, which is so short that it is very difficult to cross before the green man goes. Timing of traffic lights is in the gift of TfL rather than Brent, but we can have another go at persuading them to lengthen the gap. I think their concern is slowing up the traffic down High Street Harlesden, which is a legitimate one. However, we need to decide whether traffic down the High Street takes primacy over the safety and comfort of pedestrians not only trying to get to Furness School, but also down the Harrow Road footpath to Willesden Junction.
Secondly, there is the slip road that drivers turning left off Furness Road down Harrow Road NW10 use. There is no control on it at the moment, and I have long been trying to persuade the Transport engineers to put in a filter. There is, in fact, such a scheme, but it has failed to attract funding. Perhaps the review of School Crossing Patrols may provide an opportunity to reprioritise this junction.
1 comment:
Extending the period during which people can cross would notionally reduce traffic flow. However, if this were done simultaneously with enforcing existing regulations at the junction I suspect the net effect would be an increase in flow. Specifically, I am always amazed that cars are allowed to park on the double yellow lines from the left turn into Tubbs Lane almost as far back as the zebra crossing (often on the white zig zag lines, turning a parking offence into a seriously dangerous risk to pedestrians crossing). As a result (a) as soon as any car is forced to wait to turn right into Furness Road, traffic carring on to Harlesden which should be passing to the left is unable to do so because of parked cars. The problem is all the greater for buses. Can you please look into this (preventing this illegal stopping) - it is certain to provide a meaningful improvement to flow, and safety.
Michael (Furness Road)
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