Citizens' Panel - Improving our streets: Travel options for Kensington High Street and beyond

In 2021 the Council commissioned a report from the Centre for London (CfL) to investigate the changing way residents and visitors get around the borough as the Covid pandemic receded. The Council also sought suggestions about how our streets and places could be adapted to improve walking, cycling and the use of public transport which are part of the Council Plan commitment to a greener Kensington and Chelsea. The report had a particular focus on Kensington High Street as a primary east-west corridor linking Kensington and Chelsea to other boroughs. The Panel survey on ‘Improving our streets: travel options for Kensington High Street and beyond’ launched in January 2023 and sought the views of the Panel on the ideas from CfL, firstly in general terms and then specifically in relation to Kensington High Street. The survey received 321 responses, there was an over representation of the percentage of Panel members with access to a car compared to census data and just under half of respondents were aged 60 and over.

Getting around Kensington and Chelsea – The most popular modes of transport for getting around Kensington and Chelsea were walking and buses which were also the most popular modes of transport for getting around Kensington High Street itself. Post pandemic, there have been overall increases in Panel members walking, using buses, and cycling and decreases in car use, tube/National Rail, and taxis/minicabs.

Cycle lanes – Fifty-nine per cent of Panel members supported painted line only cycle lanes, with less support for them specifically on Kensington High Street (43 per cent support). Panel members were less supportive overall of cycle lanes physically separated from the traffic (42 per cent support, 41 per cent oppose) and again there was less support for these protected cycle lanes on Kensington High Street (31 per cent support, 53 per cent oppose). The cycle lane design that respondents felt would make them feel safest whilst cycling on Kensington High Street was the wand cycle track (17 per cent) and the design with the best visual appearance was the painted line only (37 per cent).

Other proposals - The majority of Panel members expressed support for timed bus lanes (68 per cent) with less support for such bus lanes on Kensington High Street (51 per cent support). There was a mixed response to the idea of widening pavements with 46 per cent of Panel members expressing support and 39 per cent expressing opposition. On Kensington High Street, 40 per cent supported the widening of pavements and 45 per cent opposed.

Specific proposals for Kensington High Street - Floating bus stops on Kensington High Street received more opposition than support from Panel members with 47 per cent opposed and 23 per cent supportive of the proposal. There was also more opposition than support for the removal of kerbs on the High Street (55 per cent opposed, 23 per and for the introduction of a timed eastbound sustainable travel lane (45 per cent opposed, 29 per cent supportive). There was more support for replacing staggered pedestrian crossings with straight across crossings with half of Panel members supporting this proposal and 19 per cent opposing it.

The service has carefully considered the results of the Panel survey and they have also been presented to the Environment Select Committee. The results are being used to inform the next stage of consultation with residents and other stakeholders more widely. A consultation on the proposed introduction of advisory cycle lanes (indicated by a broken/dashed painted white line) on Fulham Road and the eastern and western sections of Kensington High Street is due to launch from mid-May (closing 26 June).