Balham boulevard scheme explained I read with interest John Rattray's letter, and the concerns he has about the proposed Balham Boulevard scheme.

To address his principal concern it is not going to reduce the pavement space available to pedestrians. It is worth noting that the proposals are fully supported by both Wandsworth Living Streets and the Wandsworth Cycling Campaign.

He and your readers may be interested to look at my blog traffikintooting.blogspot.com where you can look at the initial proposals in detail.

If the scheme goes ahead as per my vision, then the service roads (only accessible by car for parking and deliveries) will effectively act as segregated cycle routes.

Through motor traffic would remain on the main carriageway, a single lane in each direction.

The car parking bays would be set away from the pavement on the other side of the service road.

Numerically speaking the road capacity (i.e. number of motor vehicles that can be on the stretch of road at a given moment) would therefore not be mathematically reduced.

However, the likely outcome assuming the scheme goes ahead, is that we will succeed in creating a much more pleasant environment for everyone who lives, works and indeed travels through the area.

Jon Irwin, Tooting