Purpose

 
Results of the statutory
consultation relating to the Wellesley Road Surface Crossing
(making Lansdowne Road one-way eastbound between Wellesley Road and
Walpole Road) and consideration of objections
received. 
 
Anticipated
recommendation:  
 
To agree to making Lansdowne
Road one-way eastbound between Wellesley Road and Walpole
Road. 
 
To authorise the Head of
Highways & Traffic, Sustainable Communities, Regeneration &
Economic Recovery Directorate the authority to make the necessary
Traffic Management Order amendments under the Road Traffic
Regulation Act 1984 (as amended) and notify the objectors of the
decision 
 

Content

To consider the objections
received to the proposed one-way eastbound on Lansdowne Road
between Wellesley Road and Walpole Road.
 
To consider the Chief of
Police’s response to the proposed toucan crossing on
Wellesley Road between Whitgift Centre and Lansdowne
Road.
 
To agree for the reasons,
detailed in Section 4, to introduce the Toucan crossing on
Wellesley Road and make Lansdowne Road one-way eastbound between
Wellesley Road and Walpole Road. The associated works
include:
• the removal of the
existing Wellesley Road subway, ramp and stairs;
• improvements to the
Wellesley Road southbound cycle lane alignment and
segregation;
• relocation of existing
Wellesley Road northbound bus stops and infrastructure to
accommodate the new signalised crossing;
• reduction of the
Wellesley Road underpass to a single lane in the northbound
direction and an extension of the existing green median in advance
of the new signalised crossing;
• extension of the
contraflow westbound cycle lane on Lansdowne Road to meet the
proposed shared use footway;
• footway widening works
at the Wellesley Road / Lansdowne Road junction; and
• planting of new
vegetation.
 
To authorise the Head of
Highways & Traffic to amend the Traffic Management Order (TMO)
as necessary in accordance with the Road Traffic Regulation Act
1984 (RTRA) (as amended) and notify the objectors of the
decision.

Reasons for the decision

The recommendations are to
implement a Toucan crossing on Wellesley Road (A212), providing a
safer and accessible route across Wellesley Road. This proposal is
a key scheme within the Town Centre Regeneration programme with the
aim of attracting new visitors, residents and investors to
Croydon.
 
In order
to accommodate the toucan crossing
over the southbound traffic lanes on Wellesley Road, the
south-eastern corner of the Wellesley Road / Lansdowne Road
junction would need to be widened. The recommendation in this
report would allow the southern footway on Lansdowne Road to be
widened and replace the westbound traffic lane. This would result
in making Lansdowne Road one-way eastbound between Wellesley Road
and Walpole Road.

Alternative options considered

The alternative to not
implementing the staggered Toucan crossing is for pedestrians to
continue to use the existing Wellesley Road subway, with the
following disadvantages:
 
The current subway is not an
accessible route from the western side of Wellesley
Road:
 

-      
During the Whitgift Centre opening hours,
pedestrians use a set of stairs to access the lower ground level
and the subway. Mobility impaired pedestrians or those with
pushchairs would need to enter the shopping centre at street level
and use the escalators or lifts to travel to the lower-level floor
to access the subway.
 

-      
When the Whitgift Centre is closed, pedestrians are
still able to access the set of stairs for the lower ground level
and subway. However, all entrances to the Whitgift Centre are
closed so those needing an accessible route across Wellesley Road
would need to use the George Street or Poplar Walk crossing, which
are both approximately 200m from the Whitgift Centre
entrance.
 

-      
Currently, pedestrians are unwilling to use the
subway to cross Wellesley Road as they consider it unsafe (due to
rough sleepers) and unhygienic.
 

-      
The future development at No. 1 Lansdowne Road
proposes 524 cycle spaces and the future Whitgift development
includes over 5,000 cycle parking spaces. The proposed surface
crossing provides a safe route for cyclists, especially when the
Whitgift Centre is closed.
 
 
In order to accommodate the
Toucan crossing over the southbound traffic lanes on Wellesley
Road, the southern kerb line of Lansdowne Road would need to be
widened into the existing westbound traffic lane, requiring the
conversion of Lansdowne Road to one-way eastbound between Wellesley
Road and Walpole Road.