Forum Topic

Gridlock Dismissal

The following captures Wandsworth Council's attitude to Putney's congestion crisis:'Cllr Emmeline Owens brought a motion declaring that “gridlock is having a serious, ongoing impact on residents and businesses” and that “there is no credible or publicly articulated plan” to address it.'https://putney.news/2025/12/11/two-days-after-walking-putneys-gridlocked-junction-yates-blames-margaret-thatcher/

Miles Thompson ● 30d22 Comments

Barbara. I don't understand your post. I'm obviously fully aware of the traffic chaos in Putney. I'd have thought that it was clear to everyone that's why I was warning someone who wasn't a frequent visitor here of likely delays and to avoid Putney Bridge and any southern approach roads to it.

Michael Ixer ● 26d

Yesterday was particularly grim as Putney.News again reports. Not only the main roads but also the feeder roads leading to the High Street (including Chelverton) and the residential roads west of Charlwood, including Charlwood itself.Yes, Christmas shoppers were out in number but it is clear the junction redesign at Putney Bridge has not only been a complete failure but is still causing major problems despite efforts by the council and TfL to improve traffic flow.I hope all our local councillors are putting pressure on the council to get on with resolving the problem.Local residents are getting increasingly frustrated!

Jonathan Callaway ● 26d

Michael, how often do you actually venture to the High Street, because you seem to live in oblivion where the High Street is concerned. What has your little vegan van got to do with the vast amount of vehicles trying to get anywhere, it's disgusting, all day our road was bad yesterday the 13th. Perhaps you should sit in one of the coffee shops by Chelverton Rd. Then you can see for yourself how bad it is. What about all the music in the cars early in the morning and the honking of their horns. We should have a discount in our Council Tax for our continual disturbance to our peace.

Barbara Stevens ● 26d

Yesterday, we sat in our road for ages trying to get to a Christmas Party in Surbiton. So many buses coming out of the bus garage, no cars could get to the High Street end. It went on and on, this was at about 4.00. The high street was packed it seemed with groups of youngsters, don't know where they had all been.

Barbara Stevens ● 26d

Thanks Michael, I understand that on occasions emergency road works need to take place at the most inconvenient times : I trust (hope) this is the case today, and not just scheduled works planned for a Saturday afternoon shortly before Christmas.But the havoc on the high street and surrounds is real, regular and ongoing with little sign of improvement. Councillors responsible not turning up to public meetings and then suggesting that things have improved and anyway it’s all a Margaret bloody Thatchers fault for selling Thames Water should do a hell of a lot better, or get outta the way!

Gerry Boyce ● 27d

It's reported elsewhere that there's roadworks by the Temperance Pub near tge north of Putney Bridge which is impeding the flow of traffic onto and off of the bridge. So as well as traffic being throttled going from PHS/LRR/PBR onto the bridge, it's also being blocked getting off!

Michael Ixer ● 27d

Another day of  hell in Putney; traffic gridlock, busses cancelled/diverted, full busses, in this case the 430, dumping a bus load of passengers by Putney train station. Horns honking, contamination revolting, …… etc etc  et bloody cetera! Wake up Jenny and the rest of Labour, quit playing tribal party politics and DO something soon!

Gerry Boyce ● 27d

Robert and BarbaraI agree the traffic situation in Putney is very serious and that the bus delays are unacceptable - particularly as WBC and TfL don't seem to be taking any substantive action. It must also be affecting businesses in the area and those making deliveries to Putney. (I've had to warn someone from a small, specialist vegan supplier who's making a delivery run from a distance outside London to various addresses in London that when coming to Putney they should avoid the High Street and surrounding area as far as possible.)It was just that looking at a couple of posts one might get the impression that Putney was completely marrooned from the outside world and Fulham was unreachable!

Michael Ixer ● 28d

I agree with Barbara’s post.  If you use the tube none of this affects you however if you try and get on a bus you are in for a marathon journey going anywhere.  Having battled shopping from the Exchange all the way up to the station to try and get a 430 bus is now a nightmare.  Having suspended bus stops it has caused unsafe conditions at times for people trying to get onto any bus. Net result now is avoid the High Street and shop somewhere more pleasant.  In this current financial climate l really feel for the shopkeepers.

Robert Wheeler ● 28d

Lucky you not everybody is able, or children on their own. Not like the old days.

Barbara Stevens ● 28d

It obviously depends a bit on where one lives in Putney. I rarely use a car (and will use one even less with the demise of Zipcar!) but I visit the Riverside Studios, Gate and Sagar restaurants, Lyric Theatre and William Morris pub in Hammersmith from time-to-time and it's fairly easy and quick - District line tube East Putney to Earl's Court, then District or Piccadilly line to Hammersmith ...

Michael Ixer ● 29d

I visited an old friend who is sadly suffering from dementia in H&F - which is now very unaccessible.The public transport options times are the same as walking.In fact on the last visit, I walked back but it had stopped or at least the rain had eased off.The recent published poor average bus speeds just highlight the mess!

Ed Robinson ● 29d

"traffic evaporation" also means buses not serving vital routes to a vital transport hubs."traffic evaporation" for a lot of us means not using it as a route to commute to/from work and not visiting friends and also restaurants etc in Hammersmith as frequently as we previously did.The "traffic evaporation" evangelists I suspect do not daily commute nor do they regular frequent the borough across the water."traffic evaporation" champions appear to be people that do not actually go anywhere!

Ed Robinson ● 29d

Oh dear Richard, was what I put too near the truth and upset you. I can remember running down the high street trying jump on one of the old buses with a conductor. No bike bike bike.

Barbara Stevens ● 29d

I have this wonderful vision of all these vehicles simply evaporating to the heavens and forming their cloud of metal. You'll need a bloody strong umbrella when what has evaporated rains down.

Andy Pike ● 29d

Because the evaporation happened long before the recent rejig of the junction.

Richard Carter ● 29d

Jenny Yates, the cabinet member for Transport, seems to be in denial about the causes of congestion on Putney High Street. I I am not particularly surprised as she should be held responsible for overseeing the plans and their implementation.To blame the problem on Thames Water emergency works and to point the finger at Thatcher for privatising this utility is a pretty absurd and flimsy defence.It's a pity she didn't come to the public meeting a few months ago when this matter was raised and many local people described the very damaging impact these problems are having on a daily basis; from buses being diverted and delayed to speeding cars seeking alternative routes along quiet streets, to cyclists not using their bikes for fear of their own safety etc.  Sounds to me like Jenny Yates is definitely not in 'listening mode'. I am guessing, come May elections that will not bode well for her.

Gerry Boyce ● 29d

If traffic has evaporated how come we have gridlock roads leading to the bridge.

Robert Wheeler ● 29d

"The more traffic that is caused by all these cycle lanes." That's a new one, the suggestion that the presence of cycle lanes increases the level of vehicular traffic! How does that work in the real world?And the suggestion that the "Hammersmith Bridge closure has caused so much traffic" is simply false. In fact there was significant traffic evaporation following the closure, as has been pointed out many times here and elsewhere.

Richard Carter ● 29d

Although many a Putney resident has doubtless had similar thoughts...

Miles Thompson ● 29d

I am totally speechless!  What appalling replies Jenny Yates gave ....

Ivonne Holliday ● 29d

They probably think the more traffic that is caused by all these cycle lanes it will eventually put residents off from driving. But what they are forgetting is the buses are getting caught in all this as well. So much traffic must come from Barnes and Castlenau as they have no Hammersmith Bridge, would have thought the Council would have realized this by now. How do residents in Rocks Lane end of Barnes get to Charing Cross Hospital, or take their children to Olympia.  How when I lived off White Hart Lane, would I now get to work in Olympia. Hammersmith Bridge closure has caused so much traffic its pathetic, there are so many young people in the councils now, I don't think they have a clue.

Barbara Stevens ● 30d