Wider pavements mean more space for people to pass each other safely. This is particularly important in the current circumstances, where everybody is being asked to keep their distance to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Already, we have put down more than 760 metres of barriers to address ‘pinch points’ – busy stretches of pavement – to help protect the community. Some of these measures could be made permanent in future by moving the curb outwards and resurfacing the footway.
Other measures to help support social distancing include suspending parking restrictions, removing clutter on narrow pavements, suspending licences to display goods, and targeted enforcement.
Why do we need Footway widening?
COVID-19 has changed the way that we are shopping. To comply with social distancing, many shops have introduced queuing systems outside their premises and many bus stops have become pinch points. There is also evidence that some pedestrians are stepping out into the road to get around people, resulting in a road safety risk.
Where are the planned changes?
Listening to concerns from residents, businesses and TfL, the Council has temporarily widened the pavement using barriers and signs at locations outside busy premises and bus stops in Ealing Rd, Harlesden high Street, Neasden, Wembley High Road and Willesden High Road. We are also in the process of providing temporary bus stop boarders to widen some pavements to assist with accessibility.
In response to emerging issues as lockdown restrictions are eased, and further requests for pavement widening we are now proposing to widen the pavement at the following locations:
- High Road, Wembley
- Ealing Road, Wembley
- Harlesden town centre, Harlesden
- Church End town centre, Church End
- High Road, Willesden
- Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise
- Salusbury Road, Queens Park
- Kilburn High Road, Kilburn
- Neasden town centre, Neasden
- Wembley Park Area, Wembley Park