Whipps Cross Corridor: Linking Lea Bridge Road to Leytonstone

Whipps Cross Road plays an important role in our borough’s transport network, linking Lea Bridge Road and Wood Street with Leytonstone, and providing access to key locations like Whipps Cross University Hospital and Hollow Ponds in Epping Forest.

Monitoring shows around 20,000 motor vehicles use Whipps Cross Road each day, including 16 buses per hour on route 257 during peak times. Between October 2017 and October 2023, there were 32 road traffic collisions resulting in 39 casualties, of which three were classified as serious. With the upcoming redevelopment of Whipps Cross University Hospital, we want to make sure Whipps Cross Road serves all road users, particularly those using active and sustainable modes of transport.

Since we introduced a shared-use path along Whipps Cross Road from Lea Bridge Road to Green Man Roundabout in 2012, it has been used regularly by people walking and cycling. To further improve the area for walking and cycling, we are now planning to create two separate paths: one for pedestrians and one for cyclists. This will improve safety, make it easier for everyone to move through the area and encourage more people to travel actively and sustainably where they can.

As well as upgrading the cycle path, we are addressing issues around motor traffic dominance, safety and speeding, introducing safer crossing points, and improving the way the area looks and feels by increasing trees and greenery to make it a more enjoyable place to travel through.

These proposals are a key part of our plan to create a greener, healthier future, as set out in our Borough Missions and Climate Action Plan. By 2030, we are aiming to be net zero, with 80% of journeys in Waltham Forest being made by walking, cycling, or public transport, well ahead of the Mayor of London’s 2041 targets.

To achieve this, we are making sure our infrastructure is fit for purpose, to make active travel safer and more convenient for everyone. We have already built 56 kilometres of cycle lanes, installed 765 bike hangars, created more than 200 continuous footways, and introduced or upgraded over 70 formal crossings. These efforts are having a significant impact, with the borough’s Cycle Counter Network recording a 56% increase in cycle journeys between 2017 and 2023.

Encouraging active travel not only helps us address the climate crisis but also boosts public health. Research shows 42% of adult residents in Waltham Forest do more than 20 minutes of exercise daily, making us the second most active borough in outer London. Regular exercise reduces the risk of major illnesses like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and can lower the risk of early death by up to 30%.

By continuing to invest in these changes, we are creating a cleaner, healthier, and more connected Waltham Forest for everyone.

Proposals

The video below shows what we are proposing for the area.


The proposals include:

  • Upgrade the shared path on Whipps Cross Road between Lea Bridge Road and the Green Man Roundabout by replacing it with separated pedestrian and cycle paths.
  • Improve some side road junctions and accesses by introducing continuous footways at the entrances to the Hollow Pond Boat House car park and the Leyton Flats car park to signal to drivers that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way and to provide a smoother, uninterrupted path for those walking and cycling.
  • Upgrade the current pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Whipps Cross University Hospital entrance at Hospital Road to a full traffic signal junction. The new traffic signal junction will have green man pedestrian crossing points on all arms and include a traffic light phase for people cycling to get from the cycle track into Hospital Road.
  • Upgrade the traffic signal junction where James Lane exits onto Whipps Cross Road by adding a traffic light phase for pedestrians on both James Lane and Whipps Cross Road.
  • Upgrade the current crossings at Forest Glade and one near Green Man Roundabout to provide separate space and traffic light phases for people walking and cycling.
  • Install new bat-friendly lighting. Bats can be sensitive to light which can disrupt their feeding, mating, and migration patterns. The new lighting will reduce these disruptions while still providing visibility for people.
  • Introduce planting with modified soil types to enhance water absorption and improve drainage.
  • Plant greening and around 45 new trees along the route. Although we’ve worked hard to minimise tree loss, we will need to remove up to 15 small trees. However, we are replacing these and proposing to plant more, resulting in biodiversity net gain.
  • Introduce a new traffic signal crossing by Preston Road. Similar to the upgraded crossings at Forest Glade and near Green Man Roundabout, the crossing will have separate space and phases for people walking and cycling.
  • Introduce a traffic calming table near the entrance to the Lakeside Whipps Cross Diner and The Log Cabin to reduce vehicle speeds and make it easier to access the car park.
  • There are no changes to parking along the route.

If you would like more information about these changes, please see the plans in the 'Documents' section or read the FAQs on the panel on the right side of the page.

Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near James Lane. Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near Preston Road.

Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near Forest Glade.

Have your say

We want to ensure our proposed plans meet the needs of the community, which is why we asked for your feedback.

The public consultation period ran between 21 October 2024 and 18 November 2024. It included a short survey which asked about your travel habits, what you think of the proposals, and any other changes or improvements you believe are needed in the area. We also spoke to people at a pop-up and a drop-in session in the area.

Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback. We are now analysing the feedback and will report back on what will happen next in early 2025.

The final scheme will also be subject to the outcomes of ongoing traffic modelling currently underway in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), to ensure that the changes do not have an unacceptable impact on buses and general traffic.

We’ll aim to write to residents with more information on the results of the public consultation and the next steps in early 2025. Information and regular updates on the scheme can also be found at https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/active-and-sustainable-transport-schemes/current-schemes/whipps-cross-corridor-transport-scheme


Whipps Cross Road plays an important role in our borough’s transport network, linking Lea Bridge Road and Wood Street with Leytonstone, and providing access to key locations like Whipps Cross University Hospital and Hollow Ponds in Epping Forest.

Monitoring shows around 20,000 motor vehicles use Whipps Cross Road each day, including 16 buses per hour on route 257 during peak times. Between October 2017 and October 2023, there were 32 road traffic collisions resulting in 39 casualties, of which three were classified as serious. With the upcoming redevelopment of Whipps Cross University Hospital, we want to make sure Whipps Cross Road serves all road users, particularly those using active and sustainable modes of transport.

Since we introduced a shared-use path along Whipps Cross Road from Lea Bridge Road to Green Man Roundabout in 2012, it has been used regularly by people walking and cycling. To further improve the area for walking and cycling, we are now planning to create two separate paths: one for pedestrians and one for cyclists. This will improve safety, make it easier for everyone to move through the area and encourage more people to travel actively and sustainably where they can.

As well as upgrading the cycle path, we are addressing issues around motor traffic dominance, safety and speeding, introducing safer crossing points, and improving the way the area looks and feels by increasing trees and greenery to make it a more enjoyable place to travel through.

These proposals are a key part of our plan to create a greener, healthier future, as set out in our Borough Missions and Climate Action Plan. By 2030, we are aiming to be net zero, with 80% of journeys in Waltham Forest being made by walking, cycling, or public transport, well ahead of the Mayor of London’s 2041 targets.

To achieve this, we are making sure our infrastructure is fit for purpose, to make active travel safer and more convenient for everyone. We have already built 56 kilometres of cycle lanes, installed 765 bike hangars, created more than 200 continuous footways, and introduced or upgraded over 70 formal crossings. These efforts are having a significant impact, with the borough’s Cycle Counter Network recording a 56% increase in cycle journeys between 2017 and 2023.

Encouraging active travel not only helps us address the climate crisis but also boosts public health. Research shows 42% of adult residents in Waltham Forest do more than 20 minutes of exercise daily, making us the second most active borough in outer London. Regular exercise reduces the risk of major illnesses like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and can lower the risk of early death by up to 30%.

By continuing to invest in these changes, we are creating a cleaner, healthier, and more connected Waltham Forest for everyone.

Proposals

The video below shows what we are proposing for the area.


The proposals include:

  • Upgrade the shared path on Whipps Cross Road between Lea Bridge Road and the Green Man Roundabout by replacing it with separated pedestrian and cycle paths.
  • Improve some side road junctions and accesses by introducing continuous footways at the entrances to the Hollow Pond Boat House car park and the Leyton Flats car park to signal to drivers that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way and to provide a smoother, uninterrupted path for those walking and cycling.
  • Upgrade the current pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Whipps Cross University Hospital entrance at Hospital Road to a full traffic signal junction. The new traffic signal junction will have green man pedestrian crossing points on all arms and include a traffic light phase for people cycling to get from the cycle track into Hospital Road.
  • Upgrade the traffic signal junction where James Lane exits onto Whipps Cross Road by adding a traffic light phase for pedestrians on both James Lane and Whipps Cross Road.
  • Upgrade the current crossings at Forest Glade and one near Green Man Roundabout to provide separate space and traffic light phases for people walking and cycling.
  • Install new bat-friendly lighting. Bats can be sensitive to light which can disrupt their feeding, mating, and migration patterns. The new lighting will reduce these disruptions while still providing visibility for people.
  • Introduce planting with modified soil types to enhance water absorption and improve drainage.
  • Plant greening and around 45 new trees along the route. Although we’ve worked hard to minimise tree loss, we will need to remove up to 15 small trees. However, we are replacing these and proposing to plant more, resulting in biodiversity net gain.
  • Introduce a new traffic signal crossing by Preston Road. Similar to the upgraded crossings at Forest Glade and near Green Man Roundabout, the crossing will have separate space and phases for people walking and cycling.
  • Introduce a traffic calming table near the entrance to the Lakeside Whipps Cross Diner and The Log Cabin to reduce vehicle speeds and make it easier to access the car park.
  • There are no changes to parking along the route.

If you would like more information about these changes, please see the plans in the 'Documents' section or read the FAQs on the panel on the right side of the page.

Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near James Lane. Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near Preston Road.

Visualisation of proposals on Whipps Cross Road near Forest Glade.

Have your say

We want to ensure our proposed plans meet the needs of the community, which is why we asked for your feedback.

The public consultation period ran between 21 October 2024 and 18 November 2024. It included a short survey which asked about your travel habits, what you think of the proposals, and any other changes or improvements you believe are needed in the area. We also spoke to people at a pop-up and a drop-in session in the area.

Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback. We are now analysing the feedback and will report back on what will happen next in early 2025.

The final scheme will also be subject to the outcomes of ongoing traffic modelling currently underway in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), to ensure that the changes do not have an unacceptable impact on buses and general traffic.

We’ll aim to write to residents with more information on the results of the public consultation and the next steps in early 2025. Information and regular updates on the scheme can also be found at https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/active-and-sustainable-transport-schemes/current-schemes/whipps-cross-corridor-transport-scheme


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