Kingston Labour recently attended the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee meeting to raise serious concerns about traffic and road safety in Hawks Road following the Albert Road Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). While LTNs generally are a positive way to reduce traffic and improve local streets, this area has seen traffic rise on Hawks Road by around 50% eastbound, creating real safety concerns.
Residents are rightly worried about heavy lorries, air quality, speed, and pavement safety. At the meeting we pressed for a clear date for an area traffic review (including heavy lorries), air quality and speed monitoring, better pavements (and cutting back overgrown hedges), and smart traffic lights at the Cambridge Road junction to help ease congestion.
Kingston Labour also submitted a Labour petition to save the bus stop on Cambridge Road (TfL confirmed this was a council decision), but were told it couldn’t be heard under the petitions process, even though it had been submitted on time – a frustrating example of a council, dominated by Lib Dems, failing to listen to local communities.
Kingston Labour will continue to push for answers, ensure local voices are heard, and fight for safer streets.