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Ealing COVID transport measures

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Updates on the COVID transport measures implemented this week, as well as an update on the reopening of high street shops below.

  • Ealing Council have implemented a good deal of footway widening in the borough this week.  

In West Ealing:

  1. At bus stops N and O outside Himalaya Palace shopping centre (South Road, Southall)
  2. Pedestrian guardrailing now largely removed from M&S junction in Ealing Broadway, and footway reinstated è a gain of around 0.5m additional footway space around most of the junction

In Hanwell:

  1. Uxbridge Road, outside shops and Post Office
  2. On Boston Road, at bus stop K

In Northolt:

  • Ealing road

In Southall:

  • South Road by Himalaya Palace
  • We have also implemented a protected cycle lane on west and eastbound sides of the Uxbridge Road, between the North Circular and Ealing Common station
  • We have installed footway markings outside 40 schools. 

Further measures that are planned for implementation next week include:

  • Footway markings at another 20 schools

TfL has recently announced that they are closing applications for funding bids next Friday.  We will endeavour to submit further applications before this deadline, of which more school measures and another batch of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods will be included. 

With regards to the reopening of the high street:

Preparations for non-essential retail reopening on 15 June

  • To help high streets prepare for this, the government issued guidance and a limited grant to all local authorities (£300K for Ealing).
  • The council is coordinating preparations for this, which included setting up and chairing meetings with the three BIDs, ward cllrs, trader associations and business reps, which has helped inform a diversity of measures including public realm enhancements to allow greater cyclist and pedestrian safety, installing stencils and street markers on the pavements to help with pedestrian flows and queuing, supporting hospitality businesses to innovate and diversify their offer and this is all enshrined in a comprehensive comms campaign.
  • Separate discussions have also occurred with Ealing Broadway Shopping centre given the density of shops that might reopen (could be 48), to ensure their reopening plan integrates with the measures the council is introducing in the vicinity. A combination of queuing barriers and floor stickers will be delivered to ensure safe operation.
  • On comms, a consistent safe ‘reopening’ and ‘keep your distance’ poster has been co-designed with the BIDs and other high street partners and will include the council and relevant partner logo to demonstrate partnership working. The council will print posters of various sizes for display is different settings and the partners will take the role of collecting them and displaying them in areas of most need.
  • Southall has been identified as a key area of focus given the density of textile shops, language barrier and the fact no BID or trader association exists. Consequently, regulatory services officers have already carried out a site visit (focused on the Himalaya Shopping Mall) to offer bespoke advice and Cllr Anand will also provide a video in Punjabi to be shared through all comms channels.
  • The council’s highways team will coordinate some monitoring and observations of key high streets across the borough to determine the effectiveness of public realm measures in allowing safe cycling and pedestrian flows. If issues are identified then this will inform further measures for delivery.