Our Ref:         FOI-0133-1819

Thank you for your request received on 13 April 2018 asking for information about Cycle Superhighway 11.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:
 
1) Explain how the recently introduced permitted right turn from College Crescent into Finchley Road North bound(which did not previously exist, so could not have been originally banned) will be advantageous when it will cut right across the reduced 5 lanes from 10 lanes bottle-neck (in the area of the former gyratory system) and hold up the traffic further?
 
During the public consultation for CS11 in 2016, concerns were raised about the amount of traffic that will potentially utilise local roads when the scheme is implemented and proposed banned turns are one of the factors that can influence this. As you are aware, we reviewed the designs and have made changes to now allow motor vehicles to make two turns we had previously proposed to ban, which are the right turn from Finchley Road southbound to Hilgrove Road and the right turn from College Crescent into Finchley Road northbound, as you identify in your query.
 
The design as presented in the CS11 consultation information had included a banned turn from College Crescent into Finchley Road northbound. Whilst this is currently not possible as a direct movement due to the gyratory system in place, traffic can turn left out of College Crescent and use the gyratory to continue their journey northbound on Finchley Road, which they would have been unable to do in the scheme design presented at public consultation. By making some adjustments to the layout of the junction, mainly to the pedestrian crossing on College Crescent, we were able to facilitate the provision of this movement, reducing the traffic reassignment to the east of Swiss Cottage. This crossing point was previously straight across College Crescent, but will now run in two stages with pedestrians waiting on an island before completing their crossing. This right turn can now be safely permitted, with no conflicting movements happening at the same time without significantly impacting the operation of the junction.
 
2) Let me have a copy of the updated version of the document: "CS11_REASSIGNMENT Future base v CS11.pdf" that accurately shows the results of the Traffic Reassignment modelling based on the revised CS-11 scheme with the two now-permitted right turns in the Swiss Cottage area?
 
(Note 1: the two now-permitted right turns are from Finchley Rd southbound into Hilgrove Road and from College Crescent into Finchley Rd northbound. Note 2: The original version of this document, for which a copy of the update is now sought, is dated as 15/11/16).
 
We can confirm the document you requested ‘CS11_REASSIGNMENT Future base v CS11.pdf’ has not been updated, however our traffic modelling indicates that allowing both these turns will significantly reduce the amount of traffic reassigning into nearby minor roads. For example, as a result of the changes we have made we no longer expect to see a significant increase in traffic on Hampstead High Street, Rosslyn Hill, Pond Street, Agincourt Road and Parkhill Road in the AM peak hour. In the PM peak hour, the overall predicted reassignment was much lower but this also shows some improvement in that area. However as previously, some local roads are likely to see an increase in traffic volumes because of our proposals, while other roads are predicted to see a reduction in traffic volumes.
 
3) Let me know the specific Traffic Reassignment details for the likely increase of traffic on the following streets in Belsize Park (in additional am. and pm. peak vehicle movements per hour, based on the latest traffic reassignment modelling):
 
Belsize Avenue, NW3
Belsize Park, NW3
Winchester Road, NW3
Elsworthy Road, NW3
Eton Avenue, NW3
Fellows Road, NW3
Parkhill Road, NW3
Upper Park Road, NW3
Pond Street, NW3
 

4) Let me know the specific Traffic Reassignment details for the likely increase of traffic on the following streets in South Hampstead (in additional am. and pm. peak vehicle movements per hour, based on the latest traffic reassignment modelling):
 
Fairfax Road, NW6
Goldhurst Terrace, NW6
Loudon Road NW6 & NW8
Belsize Road roundabout (at junction of Fairfax Rd/Belsize Rd/Hilgrove Rd/Fairhazel Gdns. etc.), NW6
Fairhazel Gardens, NW6
Boundary Road, NW8
 
We expect to see a decreases in traffic on Parkhill Road southbound and Hilgrove Road westbound in the morning peak hour in the ranges of 100-200 fewer vehicles on both roads. However, there is now likely to be an increase in traffic on Belsize Avenue in the region of 100-200 vehicles eastbound and 50-100 vehicles westbound. Belsize Park is predicted to also see an increase of 100-200 vehicles westbound and 50-100 vehicles eastbound in the AM peak hour. Pond Street eastbound is predicted to see a decrease of between 50 and 100 vehicles in the AM peak hour with the new proposed design compared to an increase of more than 200 vehicles in the design consulted on. However westbound there is expected to be an increase of around 20-50 vehicles. Fairfax Road northbound is now likely to experience a minimal increase of up to 20 vehicles in the AM peak hour compared to over 200 in the consulted design.
 
Goldhurst Terrace is also predicted to see a reduction in the AM peak hour compared to the proposals consulted on, but this remains a predicted small increase of 0-20 vehicles compared to existing. Fairhazel Gardens is predicted to also see a small decrease of 0-20 vehicles in the AM peak hour, as per the proposals consulted on. There is predicted to be a smaller increase in vehicles on Loudon Road northbound in the AM peak hour compared to the proposals consulted on, but still an increase of 50-100 compared to existing. Southbound there is predicted to be a small increase of 0-20 vehicles compared to existing.
 
On Boundary Road westbound there is predicted to be a smaller increase in vehicles compared to the proposals consulted on, now with an additional 0-20 compared to existing. Eastbound there is predicted to be an increase of 50-100 vehicles compared to existing. On Belsize Road there is predicted to be a smaller increase in vehicles eastbound compared to the proposals consulted on, with 20-50 more vehicles than existing. Westbound there is predicted to be a decrease in vehicles, as per the proposals consulted on, but with 0-20 fewer vehicles than existing.
 
In the AM peak hour, Elsworthy Road is predicted to see a decrease of 200+ vehicles eastbound compared to existing, and a decrease of 50-100 vehicles westbound.
 
In the PM peak hour Belsize Avenue is predicted to still see an overall decrease in vehicles compared to existing, with 20-50 fewer vehicles in the eastbound direction and a small increase of 0-20 vehicles westbound. Belsize Park is also predicted to still see a decrease in vehicles overall compared to existing, with 20-50 fewer vehicles eastbound and a small increase of 0-20 vehicles westbound. Parkhill Road in the PM peak hour is now predicted to see a smaller increase in vehicles compared to the proposals consulted on, with an increase of 20-50 vehicles southbound and 0-20 northbound compared to existing. Whereas Pond Street is predicted to see a similar increase of 20-50 vehicles eastbound, as per the proposals consulted on, and a slightly smaller decrease westbound of 0-20 vehicles.
 
Goldhurst Terrace and Fairhazel Gardens are now both expected to see a smaller increase vehicles in the PM peak hour compared to the proposals consulted on. There is now predicted to be 20-50 more vehicles on Goldhurst Terrace but 0-20 fewer vehicles on Fairhazel Gardens compared to existing. Hilgrove Road is still predicted to have a decrease in vehicles westbound in the PM peak hour, with 50-100 fewer vehicles than existing. Eastbound there is predicted to be 100-200 more vehicles, similar to the proposals consulted on.
 
Fairfax Road is predicted to see a smaller increase in vehicles than the proposals consulted on, at 100-200 more vehicles northbound and 0-20 more vehicles southbound. This is similar to Boundary Road overall, which also is predicted to see fewer vehicles than the proposals consulted on, with 0-20 more vehicles westbound and 50-100 eastbound than existing. Loudon Road is predicted to see a smaller increase northbound in the PM peak hour, at 100-200 vehicles, but a slightly larger increase in vehicles southbound at 50-100 vehicles. Belsize Road is predicted to see a similar increase of 100-200 vehicles compared to existing eastbound, and a reduction of 20-50 vehicles westbound compared to existing.
 
Finally in the PM peak hour, Elsworthy Road is predicted to see 200+ fewer vehicles in the eastbound direction and an increase of 50-100 vehicles in the westbound direction, compared to existing.
 
Due to the nature of assignment modelling, the inclusion of too many smaller roads will most likely result in an un-realistic amount of rat running. For this reason only key strategic roads and through routes are included in the model. As such, we cannot provide you with information for the following roads in your request:
 
• Winchester Road
• Eton Avenue
• Fellows Road
• Upper Park Road
 
Finally, it is important to understand that traffic reassignment modelling is only ever indicative; it is intended to give an idea of where the impacts of changes in journey choices are likely to occur on the network. It assumes that all drivers have perfect knowledge of the network and will always choose the quickest route available. This modelling can provide an estimate of likely route choices of road users and the resulting average levels of traffic.
 
If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.