Forum Topic

Putney Bridge changes from October 27th

TfL have set a date for installing kit to alter the traffic lights.In addition the bus stops are being altered with one of the Putney Pier stops removed all together. I hope it's the riverside one otherwise it's quite a walk to the Ruvigny Gardens stop.Details here...https://putney.news/2025/10/18/tfl-to-install-new-traffic-light-system-at-putney-bridge-junction-on-october-27/

Adrian Pearce ● 136d16 Comments

All of this is sticking plaster.  The fundamental problem is the volume of traffic passing over Putney Bridge.It is too late to increase the number of central London vehicle bridges over the Thames (which has not changed since Chiswick Bridge was built in 1933). Endless housing/office development along the banks without planning for cross river movement has been daft.To have one of the few closed for 6 years is untenable. Regardless of any lobbys we all wish to move around the city in as efficient a way as possible. Having a four mile stretch of inner city with no crossings is ludicrous. We would do something if the Thames was a wall. In effect it is. Joseph Bazelgette will be turning in his grave.  The man whose vision was all about the improvement of citizens lives would never have hung on to his bridge of that I am sure. are living in denial of that which we all need, the freedom to move around in

Amanda Oppe ● 129d

Hello Jonathan,Thank you for the information.  Let us hope some of the measures will be of help to ease the congestion.I think TfL and the Council have to reconsider change of driver spots.  This cannot happen by TK Maxx or the stop Q on Lower Richmond Road.  What should really be sought is to avoid stationary buses!  It is fine while passengers are getting on or off, but for driver's breaks or change of drivers it is certainly a no-no!I also hope that all the changes to green lights will include synchronization with the traffic lights up Putney High Street.Thank you once again.

Ivonne Holliday ● 130d

The Council has written to residents in the area around Putney Bridge.  They set out an action plan as follows:The immediate next steps are:l Get more time for green lights so that vehicles turning from Putney Bridge Road to Putney Bridge can clear the junction more easily during each traffic light phase. This work is scheduled by TfL to complete by the end of October 2025.2 Give vehicles turning left from Lower Richmond Road onto the bridge more time to move through the green light. This work is due to complete by TfL in November 2025.3 Installation of double yellow lines on Putney High Street, Lower Richmond Road up to Putney Embankment and Putney Bridge Road up to Brewhouse Lane in November 2025.4 Reassign lanes on Putney High Street (outside Putney Station) to reduce delays caused by stationary buses. This work is due to complete in December 2025.5 Trial suspension of the southbound bus lane outside the Odeon Cinema to improve southbound flow and exit to Putney Bridge Road. This work is expected to complete in December 2025.6 Trial relocation of bus stop “P” outside Kenilworth Court on Lower Richmond Road. Bus stop P is to be suspended and a temporary stop located 40m westwards to improve westboundflow and reduce congestion back into the High Street. This work is expected to complete in November 2025.7 Improve the amount of space so that vehicles can pass stationary buses on the High Street outside TK Maxx. This work is expected to complete in January 2026.

Jonathan Callaway ● 130d

I agree but I think closing Q would require changes to the road lane marking both east and westbound to get any real benefits. They've gone for another bodge.

Adrian Pearce ● 130d

I don't think shifting the Kenilworth Court bus stop (P) helps at all:from observation today it just moves the holdups a few metres along LRR. Much more useful, I think, would be to close the stop opposite (Q); it's pretty redundant anyway as there's another just round the corner on the bridge. And closing P removes the option for people wanting to travel from the High Street along LRR of just walking round to P to pick up a bus

Richard Carter ● 130d

Having read through the proposed changes according to the Council's leaflet which awaited me upon arrival back home I draw the obvious conclusion that they simply don't know if these changes will work to reduce congestion. Fleur Anderson  has the hottest local potato as she continues to hammer away to try and get those with power (and money of course) to end the scandal of the Hammersmith Bridge closure. Residents must try and remain calm and wait upon events whilst Wandsworth councillors play party politics and critique the admittedly lack lustre Council Leader... I myself may sooth my nerves through increasing my consumption of sherry in order to cope with our particular urban crisis.

Miles Thompson ● 130d

As well as the Kenilworth Court bus stop change there will be..More green light time for traffic entering PHS from Putney Bridge RoadMore green light time LRR to Putney BridgeMore double yellow linesChanges to lanes outside Putney Station so vehicles can get round stationary busesBus lane outside cinema suspendedChanges to make it easier to drive round buses outside TK Maxx

Adrian Pearce ● 130d

Playing around with bus stops may help a bit, but the real problem with the buses in LRR is the decision to change drivers at the stops nearest the bridge - and for the 22, 265 and 378 it surely isn't too much for the drivers to change at the terminus in each case, taking a bus there from the High Street?

Richard Carter ● 132d

We came back from the shops today and caught the bus outside the new temporary stop. It was a short walk from the old westbound stop on Lower Richmond Road and no great inconvenience. It's on the other side of the entrance to Kenilworth Court. No shelter from the rain and thus no seat either. The residents in the flats behind may not be too pleased about the queues and the view for those queuing is not as pleasing as standing looking over the tree and the river and the bridge, but the traffic may move quicker, so the pollution should be less, at least so one would think.

Katrina Black ● 132d

I've now discovered that the bus stop they want to shut is the westbound Putney Pier stop.  I'd say by far the worst stop to shut given eastbound buses stop next just round the corner on the bridge or in the case of the 485 in front of the cinema.Now shoppers and the like will have to walk as far as Ruvigny Gardens to get a bus. It would be easy to shut the eastbound stop, change the lane markings on the LRR and keep the westbound stop open.  Also it's the eastbound stop that causes the serious jams.

Adrian Pearce ● 132d

There's more on the latest plan here.https://www.putneysw15.com/default.asp?section=info&page=ldrsroad007.htm

Adrian Pearce ● 132d

Hello Ed,Thank you for your post.I think that if a bus says it is going to the Green Man, at the Green Man it should stop.  Otherwise, it should say Lytton Grove.When reaching the Green Man, the bus can stop as soon as it arrives, passengers can get off and they can cross the road at the traffic lights.Also, the Green Man is not a very big bus stand particularly compared with Victoria.No passenger needs to be, or should be, in the middle of the bus stand at the Green Man.A change of bus driver by TK Maxx when it left the Green Man 10 minutes before is truly preposterous.As I said before, common sense has gone out of the window.

Ivonne Holliday ● 135d

Changing drivers at bus stops that will cause congestion seems not only illogical but expensive too as buses on the same route will be impacted.I believe the Green Man is a different issue based on perceived safety following fatalities concerning buses at Victoria station.Buses are extremely heavy and even at very low speed represent a high risk due to their weight. Hence the buses being the one of the leading causes of death along with HGV within London.This from a bus forum 12 months ago:"For the 14, it’s 100%true since I drive the route. We leave the passengers at Lytton grove nowadays because of how TFL perceive bus big bus stands where there are multiple buses parked. I think they want to avoid another case of Victoria and to reduce casualties at bus stands such as Green Man. Plus they’re sorting out the lights at the bus stand. So it might just be temporarily or might be permenant."

Ed Robinson ● 136d

Thank you for the post, Adrian.My heart sank when I read one bus stop is going to be removed altogether.Why do people "in authority" not listen and digest the information given?  The bus stops are not the problem!  Change over of drivers and it takes 10 minutes to do so is preposterous! Putney Common is some three stops before.  Why not change over drivers there?  The same applies for buses that start at the Green Man or the depot....  Common sense has really been thrown out of the window!

Ivonne Holliday ● 136d

Reading the article it looks like clockwork traffic lights are going to now controlled by computer chips that has been pre programmed using the data from the previous few months.I remember been given a talk by the then person that ran the centrally controlled traffic system for London. Let's just say that was over forty years ago.So it appears the new traffic lights system is not centrally controlled and the article hints that the traffic lights control may not be dynamic i.e. change according to current circumstances. It's 2025 this is very worrying.One does wonder what they installed previously and how much it has cost. Added to the fact that this junction is not alone when it comes to TFL changes that result in more congestion.On the plus side anyone that has been caught in a bus jam on the high street or LRR will probably welcome some changes.But should it have taken years for some numpty to realise that ever increasing bus sizes added to the fact that bus stops have become bus parks, not to mention limiting boarding to just the front doors slows traffic down.The LRR West bound bus stop should have had a yellow box opposite it. I'm not convinced that they are removing the correct bus stops.We still have stupid bus stops on the bridge along with two bus lanes where buses can't overtake another bus. I would have removed these and replaced with two dedicated cycles lanes and a extra general North bound lane.We seem to have a transport policy from the '80s!

Ed Robinson ● 136d

Good news as far as it goes. Let’s see what difference the changes make.

Jonathan Callaway ● 136d