Consultation on proposed changes to bus services in

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Consultation on proposed changes to bus services in Hackney Town Centre during the trial closure of Narrow Way Consultation Report June 2013

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Contents

Section 1 Page

1. Introduction 3

2. The Consultation 3

3. Responses from the public 4

4. Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders 7

5. Summary 11

Appendices

A. Copy of the consultation letter/leaflet 12

B. List of stakeholders consulted 14

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1 Introduction Transport for London consulted on bus route changes to facilitate Hackney Council’s plans to close Narrow Way to through traffic for a trial period. Currently the road is open to southbound bus routes and to delivery vehicles at certain times. The trial allows for exceptions to be made to the closure in the evenings, to accommodate deliveries. The trial closure is scheduled to start on 15 June 2013 and last until January 2014. TfL and the Council will monitor the impacts. 2 The consultation The consultation was conducted in line with section 183 of the GLA Act 1999 to help inform our final decision-making on the proposals and provide potential insights on issues which may have been overlooked. We determined that the following changes to bus routes in Hackney would be required during the closure :

• Buses on routes 38, 48, 55, 106, 242, 253, 254, 394, N38, N55 and N253 will be diverted along Dalston Lane and Amhurst Road.

• Buses on route D6 will terminate at Cambridge Heath, near Ash Grove. • Route W15 will be altered so that the last alighting stop is Hackney Town Hall (stop

A) and the first pick-up stop is Morning Lane [Trelawney Estate] (stop D). • There will be no changes to routes 30 and 276.

Some changes to bus stops are required. A new stop is being installed in Amhurst Road opposite Hackney Central Station, replacing the current stop in the Narrow Way. The stops on the other side of Amhurst Road need to be moved further north. There would also be a new southbound stop in Dalston Lane. 2.1 Consultation objectives The objectives of the consultation were:

• To give residents, local businesses, bus users and other stakeholders easily-understandable information about the proposals and allow them to respond • To understand the level of support or opposition for the proposals • To understand any issues that might affect the proposals of which we were not

previously aware • To understand concerns and objections • To allow respondents to make suggestions.

2.2 Consultation material, distribution and publicity A notification letter and map detailing the proposals was hosted on our consultation page and given to London Borough of Hackney for distribution at key council offices. Braille, audio and large-font versions of the consultation materials were available on request. A copy of the consultation notification and map is shown in Appendix A. The options for feedback were made as accessible as possible through TfL’s consultation online page, by emailing [email protected] and through free post postal service. The consultation was conducted for 5 weeks between 25 April and 30 May 2013.

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2.3 Communications and Consultation Activity Outbound Channel Target audience TfL consultation page https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/narrow-way

Local residents Local Businesses Stakeholders (political, transport,

TfL press release London and local media

Poster adverts at relevant bus stands

Local commuters, residents

Outline brief and map 1500 copies of Outline brief and map distributed to: Hackney Central Library Hackney Town Hall Hackney Service Centre

TfL Schools Team Communication to London Borough of Hackney Schools Team.

Oyster card users – affected routes 80,000 commuters

London Borough of Hackney publication Hackney Today

Article in publication of 29/4/13

We are aware that London Borough of Hackney also communicated the consultation widely but the precise scope of this is unknown.

2.4 Who we consulted The consultation on the changes to routes was undertaken as part of section 183 of the GLA Act 1999. We collaborated with the London Borough of Hackney to ensure that the proposals were communicated through a variety of channels to reach those who might be affected . We proactively sought feedback on the changes from a wide range of stakeholders including: commuters, residents, businesses and members of the public. We also consulted stakeholders including traffic police, London TravelWatch, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members, transport and local interest groups. See Appendix B for list of stakeholders and summary of their responses in Section 4. 3 Responses from the public Respondents were asked to provide feedback on the proposals in an open comment format. A total of 747 responses were submitted: three by post, three by email and 741 via our online consultation portal). There were also submissions from 14 stakeholders which are dealt with in the following section. Of the 747 responses:

• 320 were broadly supportive of the proposals • 269 were broadly opposed to changes to the bus network • 158 were either neutral or had comments both for and against the scheme or

contained unrelated feedback.

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The table below presents the range of comments and suggestions generated by the consultation which are categorised into themes. Many respondents commented on more than one point.

Issue Number submitted

Oppose All traffic will be forced down Dalston Lane / Amhurst Road and that will make congestion worse 132 Oppose the scheme 109 Route D6 being curtailed at Ash Grove is a step too far. 100 Concerned that it will have a significant impact on my journey to work because of traffic congestion in Dalston Lane and Amhurst Road. 32 I do not like the idea of the 38 bus route being diverted 13 Withdrawal of the W15 between Hackney Town Hall and the Central station, while a short distance, also removes a key link for passengers 12 Reassuring to have regular traffic on Narrow Way. If there were no buses I would feel unsafe. 5 It will add extra journey time 3 Keep the bus stop where it is 3 It will create more traffic in the area by moving the buses 2 I would go to the shops on the Narrow Way less frequently as I can't walk very far. 1 Object to the truncation of route W15 at Hackney Town Hall/Morning Lane as it removes the convenient interchange with trains at Hackney Central and Hackney Downs 1 Support Support the scheme 339 I welcome the idea of pedestrianising Narrow Way 41 Believe that it will create a well used public space. It will make Hackney a nicer place to live 7 I think it's a great idea - the Narrow Way has so much potential as a shopping street and buses just make it difficult 3 Neutral Nothing relating to scheme 77 I am 50/50 in favour 25 Not Answered 11 I'm not sure I understand why this is being done. 7 Hackney issues 2

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Issue Number submitted

Suggestions Would love to see cycling fully supported as part of these works. 53 Would like to see the Narrow Way being open to cyclists in both directions. 38

Suggest routes 242 and 38 go along Dalston lane to Dalston in the same route as the current bus 56. 1 Safer for routes 253, D6 & W15 to use Paragon Road as a bus stand and pick up point 1 The Narrow Way should be closed to all traffic except buses and cabs carrying passengers who are disabled. 1

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4 Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders We received fourteen stakeholder responses which are summarised below. There was no response from Hackney Council, but there were four from individual councillors. Councillor Simche Steinberger – Springfield Ward “This proposal is a total waste of money, it shows no responsibility for the public purse, which is our hard earned taxpayers money. 1 - First of all, we are discriminating against the old, the vulnerable, and the disabled. as up until now, if they want to go to Marks and Spencer, Primark, Nationwide Building Society, McDonalds etc. they had a local bus stopping just outside these places for them, now they will not be able to go there, as there will be no buses on the Narrow Way, and for that matter, what`s the point of investing millions and millions of pounds for the disabled, on the London transport, if we then deny them access to their local high street shopping facilities. 2 - by these proposals, you are also taking away several bus routes from hackney central i.e. the `D6` to the Isle of Dogs. 3 - third of all, the residents of the proposed diversion roads will suffer from noise pollution, as well as safety issues, from the moving buses, the local traffic will become a no drive zone, because of the lines of buses which will clog up the road. Therefore I Strongly Object to this proposal, and I can`t even see one good thing coming out of this, other than wasting public money.” Councillor Linda Kelly – Leabridge Ward “Sorry, I do not agree with the proposals. You are taking away transport from a large part of Hackney residents, who live in the North of the Borough, who use these buses to access the shops on the narrow way. There is no parking in the area; the buses bring a lot of shoppers/visitors to the area already. They also service the elderly, who otherwise would not be able to get there, you are also prolonging the journey times of bus users, who come to Hackney Central Overground railway. Also I understand the shopkeepers along the narrow way are not very happy with the proposals. Sorry but it is totally unacceptable,” Councillor Benzion Papier – New River ward “As a local councillor, I strongly object to the proposal, as it will just cause loads of traffic, the d6 will no longer be available at hackney narrow way, to the detriment of the local residents. It will make it a no go zone for disabled people since buses will stop to far away from the narrow way. and it`s a total waste of taxpayers money. Hoping to hear very soon that the proposals have been scrapped.”

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Councillor Vincent Stops - Hackney Central ward “In my view two way operation of bus services is almost always a good thing. They are more legible to passengers and are able to serve passenger objectives. In this case the new route will mean services passing close by Hackney Downs station enabling great interchange with the station for many bus passengers and also the new development at Pembury Circus. The re routeing of the 30 and 276 which I have advocated for years has meant similar legibility benefits and additionally journey time savings. The economic benefits to the Hackney Central commercial area of great bus access should not be underestimated. Nor should the benefits of reliable bus services and short journey times for Hackney residents using these bus services be misunderstood or underestimated. Buses stuck in traffic will not benefit Hackney Central. For Hackney Central to be an attractive town centre, both commercially and socially I believe it also needs a transformation in its public realm and a reduction in all-day traffic congestion. I and residents (see previous planning consultations) want to see less traffic, wider foot ways and a great public space in front of the old Hackney Central station ticket office. I am therefore keen to support these proposals as a trial, but would also want to see a further iteration of the trial after a period of months. I would like to see general traffic excluded from travelling under the Amhurst Road rail bridge so as to prioritise Hackney Central for buses, cycles, pedestrians, shoppers, visitors and its general economic and social well being. This would also allow a step change in the public realm that can be provided. I would welcome a discussion of this with Transport for London so that I can properly make the case for the residents and businesses I represent.” Hackney Residents Association “I am writing on behalf of the Residents Association in support of the re-routing of buses away from the Narrow Way The currant traffic arrangements on the Narrow Way is totally untenable 12 bus routes are forced down a narrow single lane resulting in permanent congestion with associated noise, pollution and difficulties for pedestrians. This effectively blights the historic heart of Hackney. We warmly welcome the proposals to re-route the buses and make the Narrow Way for pedestrians and cyclists only (with deliveries restricted to the evening) This has the potential for a positive transformation of the area to create a vibrant and characterful destination, following the success of the Broadway Market and Columbia Road As a regular bus user for many years we also believe the proposed arrangements is likely to improve the bus services. However some consideration may be needed to improve the traffic flow at the junction of Amhurst Road and Dalston Lane. In conclusion are delighted that positive steps are being made to improve Hackney Central and welcome the proposals with proviso noted above”

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Churchwell Residents Group “A VERY GOOD EXPERIMENT, LONG HOPED-FOR AMONG RESIDENTS & SOME SHOPKEEPERS. A good opportunity to improve the character of the Narroway and (eventually, we hope) attract a wider range of businesses with better quality outcomes.” Warburton & Darcy Tenants & Residents Association “Do not agree with terminating route D6 at St. Joseph's Hospice / Ash Grove. It is an important link from the areas it serves in Tower Hamlets to and from Hackney Central and to stop it short of the Cambridge Heath Triangle (to use its old name -i.e. Westgate Street) would make the route substantially less useful and travel to and from such places as Roman Road or Crossharbour more difficult. The D6 route should terminate either at Hackney Town Hall or in Amhurst Road opposite Hackney Central station.” Salvation Army – Cambridge Heath “Greetings - just a quick comment to register our interest in being kept up to date and to make a plea for good communication with our users. I'm the officer in charge at the Salvation Army - 70 Mare Street. In a typical week we have 400 people passing through the doors of our community centre - we have a popular lunch club for older people with over 100 members - many use public transport to get to us - some even taking a bus journey of just a few stops! It would be really helpful to find a way of ensuring that our members are fully consulted and involved. Hackney Unison “The proposal is very ill conceived, it will gridlock traffic at Dalston Lane and bus journey times will be greatly increased. Buses should not be stopped from going down a one way street (The narrow way) in Mare Street !” Hackney Conservative Federation “I do not understand how it is in any way logical to divert 8 busy bus routes on to an already congested major through route, where there is no room for a southbound bus lane. In addition it will mean further for people to walk from the bus stop to the shops which will particularly impact elderly and disabled people. Thirdly I do not think the curtailment of the D6, the major bus route from Hackney town centre to Docklands, can be justified, especially since it will mean that people working in docklands, who are currently taking one bus to get to and from work, will have to change buses with all the extra time and expense that this involves. In many cases this can mean the difference between being able to afford to get to work on time or looking for a different employment in these days of lack of jobs.”

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Transport for All “Can you please keep the link to Hackney on the D6, as Disabled passengers will not be able to get to the shops in Hackney from Roman Road area and it will make the 277 busier from Mile End area to Hackney making it harder for wheelchairs to get on. There are 3 alternatives, extend it to Clapton, Dalston or Homerton Hospital, so it still serves Hackney. Please think about this and consider the disabled passengers who cannot change buses easily.” Hackney Girl Guides “Many of the young people attending scouts and guides (and other older and younger youth groups) at the Den on Mare Street use that bus stop to get to and from meetings, often unaccompanied. Given that the road is one way and restricted to certain traffic at certain times, it seems a safer option to have the bus stop there, rather than on the busy (and fast) Amhurst Road where there is more traffic flow and thus greater risk to children. Therefore I would suggest the bus stops remain in the Narrow Way part of Mare Street for this reason, and also because it seems to be a safer area after dark as it is busier with people.” The London Fields Medical Centre “Seems reasonable- will end the never ending queue of buses down the narrow way at peak times. You may want to consider sequencing the traffic lights at the junction of Amhurst and Dalston Lane to allow a smooth flow for all traffic” Hackney Learning Trust “Terminating and starting the D6 away from the centre will reduce options to get to and from work. Could it terminate (and start) at Hackney Town Hall and then go down Morning Lane to wherever the bus stand is? Knowing how difficult it is to get to early morning and evening meetings on buses going down Dalston Lane and Amhurst Road, how will so much extra large vehicular traffic on the other side of the road be managed with the very tight bend at the Pembury estate and single lane traffic? Taking buses one way down the Narrow Way was brought in because of just such problems.”

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5. Summary TfL’s proposals for bus changes in Hackney Town Centre generated the following comments and opinions. In total there were 747 responses involving: 320 submissions broadly in support of the proposals and 269 submissions which were against the scheme. There were 158 responses which contained comments both for and against the proposals or contained feedback unrelated to the consultation. Of these total responses, a range of themes and views emerged which were categorised according to support, opposition and suggestion standpoints which provided more detailed insights. Comments in support believe the proposals will improve the public realm, provide greater potential for Narrow Way and make it a nicer place. Comments against the scheme include its contribution to increased traffic and congestion, longer journey time and reduced accessibility of Narrow Way to those less or unable to walk. The main specific concerns about bus routes relate to the curtailment of Route D6 to Cambridge Heath). There were also comments on the withdrawal of W15 from stops at Hackney Central Station. There were suggestions on the details of bus routeing, on cycling and on taxi access.

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Appendix A – Consultation letter and leaflet

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Appendix B – List of Stakeholders Consulted Local authority London Borough of Hackney

Elected members Meg Hiller MP Hackney South & Shoreditch Diane Abbott MP Hackney North & Stoke Newington Valerie Shawcross Transport Committee Chair Caroline Pidgeon Transport Committee Deputy Chair Darren Johnson Transport Committee Murad Qureshi Transport Committee Victoria Borwick Transport Committee Tom Copley Transport Committee Onkar Sahota Transport Committee Richard Tracey Transport Committee Roger Evans Transport Committee Stephen Knight Londonwide member Nicky Gavron Londonwide member Andrew Boff Londonwide member Gareth Bacon Londonwide member Jenny Jones Londonwide member Fiona Twycross Londonwide member

Key Stakeholders Powerscroft Road Initiative for Neighbourhood Community & Environment LondonCycling Campaign - Hackney Hackney Safer Transport Team Metropolitan Police London TravelWatch

Police and Health authorities Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London Ambulance Service NHS Trust City & Hackney Primary Care Trust Hackney (and City) LINk Hackney Safer Transport Team

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Other stakeholders Age Concern London Age UK Asian Peoples Disabilities Alliance Disability Rights UK Guide Dogs UK London Older People's Strategy Group MIND National Children’s Bureau RNIB Sense Sixty Plus Stroke Association British Telecom EDF Energy National Grid Thames Water AA Motoring Trust Association of British Drivers Association of Car Fleet Operators British Motorcyclists Federation Campaign for Better Transport Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee Eurostar Group Freight Transport Association Green Flag Group Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People Joint Mobility Unit London City Airport Motorcycle Action Group Motorcycle Industry Association Port of London Authority Road Haulage Association Confederation of British Industry Royal Mail Royal Parks