Twickenham Parking Study

The Challenge

In April 2019, SYSTRA was commissioned by the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames to produce a series of parking reports, based on the borough’s proposals to remove a heavily-used section of parking within the Twickenham Riverside Controlled Parking Zone. The initial traffic survey study aimed to ascertain vehicle, pedestrian and servicing movements as well as identifying parking stress within an area of central Twickenham.

SYSTRA’s Role

The task involved detailed survey data analysis and presentation, in order to fully understand how the immediate road network in Twickenham Riverside is used and demonstrate the types and numbers of parking permits used. This data was then compared to a scenario involving the closure of one key side road, in order to establish the impact on the vehicle traffic. Through a series of visual and written analysis, it was determined that parking stress was similar during both scenarios.

A particular challenge of this project was that the section of parking marked for removal fronted the nearest access for Eel Pie Island, which is car free. Residents of the island would therefore be losing their nearest and most convenient location for parking and would need to be provided for. This issue was overcome by proposing a number of new parking spaces in the area, along with re-designating permit types to particular parking spaces. SYSTRA further proposed alternative measures to manage the parking demand, with detailed analysis of local car parks and proposing a better-quality wayfinding strategy, with easy-to-follow signage, as this can play an important role in raising awareness of parking options within the town centre, reducing potential congestion.