Revised plans for a West Hampstead interchange

Proposals to upgrade the various West Hampstead stations into a major transport hub are again on the agenda.  First Capital Connect, the operator of the Thameslink line, presented plans this week.

It seems the idea of converting the stations into a single interchange has been dropped.  Instead, there would be new stations for the Thameslink and Overground lines, the pavement along West End Lane between the two would be widened and there would be commercial development around West End Lane and Iverson Road to finance the plans.

A contributor to Cityneighbours, Marcia, says the meeting was told that Mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport for London are planning a significant expansion of the capacity of the West Hampstead stations:

When someone asked about the effect this will have on the underground, we were told Jubilee Line is increasing capacity by 40 per cent and, like it or not, West Hampstead is being developed as a major transport hub - but without the single station that it requires to be a proper interchange.  We also heard that Livingstone has designated West Hampstead an area for high density housing by 2025 - with lots of tower blocks - because of its excellent transport links.

So one of the issues that could be decided in the forthcoming London Mayoral election is whether West Hampstead faces a high rise future, with many more shops and offices around West End Lane and dramatic population growth.

Finchley Road bus lane

If you are a cyclist or motorcyclist, you will be aware that for about two years motorcyclists have been entitled to use the bus lane on the stretch of Finchley Road which passes West Hampstead. This has been part of a trial involving three routes in London to test the merits of allowing motorcycle use of bus lanes more widely.

The scheme has been controversial, with cyclists in particular complaining about having to share bus lanes with motorcycles.  Transport for London's evaluation of the trial has been much delayed as the Mayor's office considers how to navigate these tricky political waters.

Now the Daily Telegraph has obtained a leaked early draft of the report.  It suggests that allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes produces tangible improvements in safety not just for motorcyclists but for cyclists and pedestrians too. 

Transport for London calls motorcycles "powered two-wheelers" or P2ws.  The Telegraph says:

"According to the report's executive summary, there was a net reduction in collisions involving P2Ws and pedestrians (46 per cent) or cyclists (44 per cent), plus a 45 per cent reduction in P2W casualties.

The evidence is especially clear after traffic migration is taken into account. The report shows that large numbers of motorcyclists changed their routes into London to take advantage of the trial bus lanes, with P2W traffic increasing on the experimental routes by between 25 and 40 per cent and falling by similar amounts on parallel roads that were monitored."

Transport for London tells the Telegraph publication of the evaluation of the scheme has been delayed because of "methodological issues".