Frustration has been growing over severe congestion in Putney
Transport for London (TfL) will make changes to improve congestion at a South London junction, as frustration grows over the area “choking” on traffic.
The authority confirmed it is rolling out new measures to tackle severe congestion in Putney town centre, which residents and councillors say has been worsened by recent road layout changes.
TfL confirmed it will install new traffic control chips at the junction of Putney Bridge Road, Lower Richmond Road and Putney High Street on October 27. The new chips will adjust signal timings in real time to improve traffic flow through the junction.
TfL is also reviewing bus stop P on Lower Richmond Road, which is a known congestion hotspot. While these plans have been confirmed, the authority said it is continuing to work with Wandsworth Council and Putney MP Fleur Anderson to ease congestion in the area.
TfL, the council and Ms Anderson have been holding meetings in response to growing frustration from residents over traffic chaos in Putney and the impact of the council’s redesign of the junction to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists last year.
Wandsworth Conservatives tabled a motion at a council meeting in July stating the council’s “damaging” redesign had dramatically worsened traffic in the already congested area, “choking Putney and impacting drivers, cyclists and bus users”.
Conservative councillor Ethan Brooks told the meeting that as soon as the works were completed it was clear “the new layout had left us worse off, one lane in either direction onto the bridge, traffic worse than ever – this was a mistake, everybody knows it”.
He said: “Putney needs hope – hope that the traffic situation will improve, that we might hear people’s worry and that the choking congestion is not the future we’re being consigned to.”
Conservative councillor James Jeffreys warned residents’ patience was wearing thin over the “obvious catastrophe before us”.
Labour councillor Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said she understood residents’ frustration and that tackling the congestion was a top priority. She told the meeting there were a number of reasons for congestion in Putney, including the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to vehicles in 2019.
Councillor Yates said the council had already made changes to ease traffic following the redesign and it was working with TfL to introduce further measures. She added: “We will continue to work hard with TfL on changes that can be made to help traffic flows through the junction and to do everything we can to ease congestion and address residents’ concerns.”
Ms Anderson welcomed TfL’s latest confirmation of the changes it will make to the junction, but she is pressing the authority to make changes to three other bus stops and move driver changeover points from Lower Richmond Road to Putney Common.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “This is welcome news for Putney. Residents and businesses have endured unbearable traffic and congestion for far too long, and I have been holding ‘crisis’ meetings with TfL all year.
“I am pleased that TfL has listened and committed to some real action, but more is needed. New traffic light phasing and long-overdue changes to one of the bus stops which causes traffic to back up will make a real difference. But there is more that should be done to three other bus stops to enable cars to get round buses and keep traffic moving.
“All of these changes must now be delivered without delay, people cannot afford more months of gridlock. I will keep working with TfL, Wandsworth Council and our community to ensure these measures are implemented and that we see genuine improvements on our roads for all users.”
A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS: “We’re pleased to be working with London Borough of Wandsworth to help make changes to the Putney Bridge junction that will help ease congestion and improve safety for people using the area. The installation of smart traffic signal technology and reviewing possible changes to a bus stop, are part of a continued effort to respond to local concerns and make journeys more reliable.
“These improvements are designed to improve bus and traffic flow while also creating a safer experience for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus passengers. We’re committed to working with the community to ensure these changes deliver real benefits for Putney.”
Putney High Street sits on the route that was named as the most congested in London in 2022, according to a report by traffic researchers INRIX. The report identified the Fulham Road to Morden Hall Road stretch of the A219 southbound, including Putney High Street, as London’s “most congested” route that year. Drivers spent an average of 47 hours a year sitting in traffic on the stretch, it added.
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