Transport for London has given Richmond Council one of the best settlements for years for road and transport improvements - £4.2m for the coming financial year, 2004/5.

Government funding of £4.2m via Transport for London, is one of the best settlements for the borough in recent years for roads and transport.

£1.8m of the allocation will be spent on improvements to roads and footways and bridge strengthening. with work to bridges at Rocks Lane, Park Road, and Queens Ride. Signage to bridges is to be improved borough-wide.

Road safety is a high priority in order to meet the government's casualty reduction targets for 2010. The grant will benefit local safety schemes and the Safer Routes to Schools projects with over £690,000 funding in 2005/06.

Accident prevention measures are to be introduced in Whitton High Street, Kew Road, York Street, Castelnau, and along Warren Road and Kneller Road. Junction improvements are programmed for Sheen Road/Manor Road and Powdermill Lane/Hospital Bridge Road, to reduce accidents and tackle problems of congestion and delay.

Improvements to the routes to St Stephen's CE School, The Queen's CE School and Waldegrave School for Girls will be carried out following consultation.

Public transport improvements in the borough will get £350,000 with schemes designed to increase bus reliability and improve journey times. Passengers will benefit from new, accessible bus stops on many routes across the borough.

Cyclists and pedestrians will see marked improvements to facilities with £375,000 dedicated to their needs and new cycle routes for Barnes Green, Mill Hill Road and Vine Road, plus new cycle parking stands at a number of sites across the borough.

Measures to improve access to Hampton and Strawberry Hill railway stations will get £145,000. There will also be a programme of work across the borough to provide dropped kerbs and ramps to aid pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities.

The council will spend £50,000 of the grant on noise monitoring to help its fight to protect residents from aircraft noise.

Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport and Parking, Cllr Mark Kreling, said: "We are delighted with this year's settlement which will enable us to carry out major improvements to the borough's roads, and a series of schemes to increase safety for motorists and pedestrians alike. Road safety is a key priority and our spending reflects this. Also, improved highway maintenance will have a real impact on the overall look of the borough's streets in line with our Civic Pride programme."

Opposition spokesman, Cllr Martin Elengorn, commented: "This looks like good news but we will be carefully examining details of schemes to make sure that road safety rather than speed remains paramount."

Friday, December 3, 2004

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