Transport for London (TfL) are proposing to remove the roundabout at the south end of Waterloo Bridge (the IMAX one, between Stamford Street and York Road).

This is how TfL explain the proposals:

It would:

• Create a new tree-filled public square supporting civic and cultural life of the area by moving the existing bus stops from Tenison Way to an improved bus station on Waterloo Road, closing the south-west arm of the roundabout and changing the remaining carriageway to two-way traffic.
• Introduce segregated cycle lanes making cycling around Waterloo roundabout safer.
• Create new pedestrian routes and permanently remove some subways (but keep others) to help create more direct walking routes towards the river Thames. The subways can be unpleasant and divisive, inaccessible to large sections of the community.
• Widen the footways on Waterloo Road to give more space to pedestrians and waiting bus passengers by narrowing the carriageway through removing a section of bus lane.
• Relocate northbound and southbound bus stops to keep traffic moving on Waterloo Road.
• Ban the right turns from Waterloo Road into Stamford Street and from Concert Hall Approach (except for buses) to keep traffic moving.

They also say it would create “a new, high-quality, traffic-free, green public space to become a focal point for Waterloo supporting the civic and cultural life of the area”.

The impact on journey times for general traffic will be mixed although west bound from Stamford St to York Road will be substantially delayed. Even cyclists and bus passengers may experience extra delays. In our view better proposals could have been developed to improve the environment at this major junction, without such negative impact on traffic flows.

And as usual nowadays with TfL consultations, there is no information provided on the cost, nor any cost/benefit analysis.

You can obtain more information and respond to the public consultation here:

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/waterloo-roundabout/

Roger Lawson