Four of the worst junctions on my way to work in Westminster would be easy to improve. The first is the junction of Millbank with Vauxhall Bridge Road on the Embankment. The lights allow twice as much time for traffic coming from the bridge heading north at the junction as they allow for traffic passing along the Embankment. As a result there are regularly unused periods of time when the Vauxhall Bridge northbound lights are green with no traffic, whilst there are nearly always queues along the Embankment requiring vehicles often to await two changes of lights to cross. A simple retiming of lights would cut traffic waits.
The second is the junction of Lyall Street, Elizabeth Street and Eaton Place. There they placed one of those sets of cross roads lights that have all red phases for traffic. I have never seen a pedestrian cross both ways at the same time, who would be the only person needing this all red phase. There are very few pedestrians as it is not a shopping or leisure area. The all red phases should be removed.
The third is the junction of Drummond Gate with Vauxhall Bridge Road. This is one of those junctions designed to maximise the take in fines from unwary drivers, with box junctions that make it difficult for vehicles turning right into Vauxhall bridge Road to find enough road space to do so against red lights ahead. There is plenty of road space for a sensible repaint. The timings of lights at the junction of Bessborough Gardens and John Islip Street does not give enough priority to the main road, adding to the chaos and increasing the back up to the close by Drummond Gate junction.
The fourth is the junction of the A4 with Warwick Road at Earls Court. There is not enough priority given to west east Cromwell Road into London by the lights. The other main flow to turn left out of Warwick Road onto Cromwell Road westbound could also benefit a longer left filter phase with suitable lane markings on the A4.
I give these examples as a few amongst many. We all need to review the failings of our local roads and submit proposals for change to our local Highways authority. I am doing such an exercise for my Wokingham constituency.
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