CLLR Nicholas Paget-Brown has been poorly advised in commenting on the road crossing out-side Sloane Square station (Kensington and Chelsea News, March 6).
This is claimed to be an example of shared space/surface where pedestrians and vehicles intermingle. He refers to the success of similar installations in the borough. There are none.
His references are Wright's Lane and the junction of Campden Hill Rd/Phillimore Walk. Both just off Kensington High Street, Wright's Lane is simply an extended flat top hump as used in thousands of intersections between minor and major roads.
Research by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) shows that at vehicle flows of over 100 per hour some four per cent of pedestrians on a shared road would be endangered.
Sloane Square road-crossing vehicle flows reach 350 per hour, hence the reported many near-misses. The pavement and road are at the same level outside Sloane Square station with nothing to tell the blind or partially-sighted where they are. This is a no-go area for them. There are some 10 million people in the UK with disabilities who can not cope with shared space.
Why has the council ignored their needs? TRL research also shows that pedestrians will not mingle with vehicles in the same space unless the traffic speed is less than 19mph. Traffic at Sloane Square is at the 30mph limit.
For the reasons enumerated above the very expensive, proposed Exhibition Road scheme should be dropped.
G Taylor West London Residents'Association
