Does anyone know the reason that Warwick Gardens in Kensington has a
barrier over it at night, preventing traffic moving from north to
south. En-route home I normally leave Wood Lane heading North, then
either go down South Africa Road (bad for suspension) or the A40/North
Circular to the M4.

Of course on Thursday night the H&C bridge had closed Wood Lane, so I
had to go south to Shepherds Bush. I decided that I'd drop down Holland
Park towards Earls Court. I was surprised when I couldn't go straight
across out of Addison Road, and had to take a right past Olympia, as
there were barriers accross the entrance to Warwick Gardens.

My map (2003) doesn't show that this is a restricted road. What time do
the barriers get lowered? As there is no right-hand-turn from north-end
road (even if there is no traffic coming the other way and you don't
stop to make the turn), it leaves the choice of the middle of
Hammersmith (watch out for the drunken revllers) or (as I and another
car did on Thursday) a turn in Beaumont Avenue south of West
Kensington.

I think tomorrow night I'll continue round and drive through some
residential streets in W14 if the mayor and his cronies insist on
closing major thoroughfares.

Paul Weaver wrote:
I think tomorrow night I'll continue round and drive through some
residential streets in W14 if the mayor and his cronies insist on
closing major thoroughfares.

I don't know the answer to your question of why Warwick Gardens is
barriered off at night (apart from it being a prestigious street full
of very wealthy residents), but I wouldn't rush to judgement that it's
because of a Mayoral decision. I have a feeling that this arrangement
has been in place for a good few years, predating the creation of the
Mayor and TfL.

Paul Weaver wrote:

I think tomorrow night I'll continue round and drive through some
residential streets in W14 if the mayor and his cronies insist on
closing major thoroughfares.

That particular road had barriers across several decades before the idea of
a London mayor was even thought of.

In message .com, Paul
Weaver writes

Does anyone know the reason that Warwick Gardens in Kensington has a
barrier over it at night, preventing traffic moving from north to
south.

To reduce the amount of night-time noise in a wealthy (and clearly
influential) residential area.

My map (2003) doesn't show that this is a restricted road. What time do
the barriers get lowered?

Not sure, but its around 10.30pm

As there is no right-hand-turn from north-end road (even if there is no
traffic coming the other way and you don't stop to make the turn), it
leaves the choice of the middle of Hammersmith (watch out for the
drunken revllers) or (as I and another car did on Thursday) a turn in
Beaumont Avenue south of West Kensington.

You went the wrong way. The alternative route (which I think is
sign-posted) is turn left from Addison Road into High Street Ken, and
then turn right into Earl's Court Road. It is actually hardly any longer
than the usual route at that time of night.

I think tomorrow night I'll continue round and drive through some
residential streets in W14 if the mayor and his cronies insist on
closing major thoroughfares.

The barrier has been there for at least 15 years (and probably quite a
bit more than that) - long before Ken & Co.

--
Paul Terry

You went the wrong way. The alternative route (which I think is
sign-posted) is turn left from Addison Road into High Street Ken, and
then turn right into Earl's Court Road. It is actually hardly any longer
than the usual route at that time of night.

I susspected that from the fact most traffic went left. Of course by
this stage I was in lane 3 of 4, straight on (right lane) or turn
right.

How do said wealthy residents get to their prestigious area?

If Ken was a proper working-man's mayor he'd divert the night busses
down there

On 31 Jul 2005 09:59:07 -0700, "Paul Weaver"
wrote:
Of course on Thursday night the H&C bridge had closed Wood Lane, so I
had to go south to Shepherds Bush. I decided that I'd drop down Holland
Park towards Earls Court. I was surprised when I couldn't go straight
across out of Addison Road, and had to take a right past Olympia, as
there were barriers accross the entrance to Warwick Gardens.

Should have gone left as the signs all say (they change when the
barriers come down). Then turn right at the Odeon Kensington. Exactly
the same distance, just the other two sides of the same rectangle. The
lights at the Odeon appear to follow a different pattern at night to
accomodate the extra right-turners there at this time.

If you really really want to drive down it, just do as the residents
do and turn left towards High St Ken and make an immediate U-turn, the
road you are talking about is not barried off from traffic heading
West towards Hammersmith. But since the alternate route is fine it's
really only people that live in the actual street that need to do
this.

My map (2003) doesn't show that this is a restricted road. What time do
the barriers get lowered?

They lower at 22:30, occasionally I've been passing when they do so,
on a slightly long red phase.

The current barriers are new, but there's been an automatic barrier
there, closing at 22:30 for decades. It doesn't need to be on a map,
the alternative route is perfectly good enough.

I think tomorrow night I'll continue round and drive through some
residential streets in W14 if the mayor and his cronies insist on
closing major thoroughfares.

What nonsense. The road you're talking about IS entirely residential
and I expect that is why it closes to straight-on traffic at night. I
would expect that the barriers were put in when they made that whole
Warwick Avenue one way thing happen, as part of winning the residents
over to the idea.

Should have gone left as the signs all say

The signs that are posted at the junction, which is no use when there's
two lanes of traffic on your left (lane 1 turning left, lane 2 heading
straight on, lane 3 heading straight on, lane 4 heading right), traffic
behind you and the only way to go without causing a delay is to the
right.

The road you're talking about IS entirely residential
and I expect that is why it closes to straight-on traffic at night

The road is a green "Primary Route", a major thoroughfare for traffic
from the north of London to the south.

There are several symbols defined (dot in road, line across road,
yellow/purple dashes) to indicate a road with restricted access.

Paul Weaver wrote:

The road you're talking about IS entirely residential
and I expect that is why it closes to straight-on traffic at night

The road is a green "Primary Route", a major thoroughfare for traffic
from the north of London to the south.

There are several symbols defined (dot in road, line across road,
yellow/purple dashes) to indicate a road with restricted access.

In the A-Z I have (about 2 or 3 years old) it's shown in purple (as a
restricted access road, like Oxford St). Looks a bit odd having a
purple section in the middle of an orange A-road, but there you go...

Rupert Candy wrote:
Paul Weaver wrote:

The road is a green "Primary Route", a major thoroughfare for traffic
from the north of London to the south.

There are several symbols defined (dot in road, line across road,
yellow/purple dashes) to indicate a road with restricted access.

In the A-Z I have (about 2 or 3 years old) it's shown in purple (as a
restricted access road, like Oxford St). Looks a bit odd having a
purple section in the middle of an orange A-road, but there you go...

It is a primary route. I don't know if it always has been though,
before they declassified the part of the West Cross Route that used to
be the M41.

Now if only they'd build a "proper" West Cross Route (as I have
proposed and similar to what was originally planned) they would divert
major traffic away from Kensington and Chelsea and onto a
grade-separated non-residential route towards Hammersmith instead
(bypassing Fulham and Putney to meet the A3 near Tibbetts).

See url
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ossBypass2.jpg

Earl Purple wrote:

It is a primary route. I don't know if it always has been though,
before they declassified the part of the West Cross Route that used to
be the M41.

Indeed (though the A-Z doesn't distinguish primary routes from ordinary
A-roads). I wonder if any other primary routes (other than tunnels or
bridges) are closed at night?

Now if only they'd build a "proper" West Cross Route (as I have
proposed and similar to what was originally planned) they would divert
major traffic away from Kensington and Chelsea and onto a
grade-separated non-residential route towards Hammersmith instead
(bypassing Fulham and Putney to meet the A3 near Tibbetts).

That would be very useful, particularly if combined with a
grade-separated Victoria Embankment/Cheyne Walk (!)