Should All Junctions Have Double Yellow Lines

Consultation on waiting restrictions around road junctions

The council’s cabinet has approved the standard provision of "at any time" waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) around all road junctions in order to improve road safety and help accessibility for those that are mobility impaired.

This will be implemented over the next three years and the public are being consulted on the priorities below and also asked for suggestions for sites for inclusion in the first two tranches.

The proposed measures will reinforce the current guidance in the Highway Code which stipulates that parking should not occur within 10 metres of a road junction.

The suggested approach to implement the proposal is as follows:

1. The council will seek to progress two tranches of junction protection schemes each financial year.

2. Officers will develop a schedule of junctions for each tranche, using the following criteria (in order of importance) to assist in prioritising:
a. Junctions where there has been a collision within 20 meters in the last five years
b. Junctions with extant complaints from emergency services
c. Junctions with extant complaints from councillors and members of the public
d. In general, junctions with principal roads will be progressed before junctions between minor roads.
e. Junction without any restrictions will be progressed before those with “single yellow” lines.

3. In order to achieve efficiencies in regards to the drafting of plans and progression of the requisite Traffic Management Order (TMO), all junctions on a particular road will need to be reviewed at the same time i.e. if one junction on a road has been identified as a priority then the process will seek to progress at any time restrictions at all junctions along its length in line with this approval in principle.

4. Officers will technically assess each junction on the tranche and identify the optimum extent of restrictions taking account of road geometry, visibility splays, and turning movements for large vehicles, such as fire appliances and refuse/recycling collection vehicles. In the vast majority of cases the highway code recommendations of restrictions extending 10m from the junction mouth will be applicable;

5. Officers will notify ward members and lead member of proposed restrictions at each of the junctions on the tranche, and the applicable consultation period that applies, prior to consultation commencing.

6. Formal (statutory) consultation for the making of TMOs commences. Consultation in this regard is in the form of a notice affixed on street in the vicinity of the junction, though a list of junctions would also be publicised on the council’s website. Ward councillors would be encouraged to disseminate the schedule of junctions to any contacts at the same time. It is proposed that TMOs are batched as at present to save costs and that each batch consists of no less than 15 junctions;

7. Following consultation officers will endeavour to resolve any objections received.

8. Unresolved objections would then be referred to the lead member for Environment for decision via a single member decision report, in consultation with ward councillors. It is worth noting that it will not be possible to progress any junctions, including those without objections, until the lead member considers and determines the objections reported;

9. Implement all approved restrictions (with modifications if deemed necessary by the lead member).

10.Commence anew with subsequent tranche.
Following approval of this proposal, where the council is progressing a particular traffic management, parking or safety scheme in an area “at any time” waiting restrictions will be the default proposal for junctions.
These will however be considered as part of the approval for the scheme as a whole, by area forum or cabinet for example, rather than through the dedicated process for junction protection as outlined above. In the event that the scheme is not progressed, proposals for junction protection specifically may be referred to this process.

Should you wish to submit any comments/suggestions, please email traffic@hounslow.gov.uk no later than 28 August 2015.

Download the full report (pdf).

July 16, 2015