Drivers have mixed feelings about a new roundabout coming to west London

A new roundabout is coming to Oxford Street West and Gideon Drive later this year as an attempt to improve traffic in the area. But some drivers who frequent the busy west London intersection say they’re not convinced that adding a traffic circle will solve the problem.

Having two lanes on Oxford Street instead of a roundabout could be more helpful curbing traffic on the road that connects London to neighbouring communities like Komoka and Kilworth, where new houses are being built, said Pavlo Gudzenko, who works in Komoka.

“On both sides of Oxford from Westdel Bourne to Kilworth, there’s only one lane so there are a lot of cars and traffic is heavy especially during busy times like 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., so it would be nice to have at least two lanes going in one direction,” said Gudzenko.

The roundabout, slated for construction in the spring, will aim to help traffic flow better in London’s west end, which anticipates more growth and development in coming years.

It will also bring cycling tracks, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, landscaping, and street lights to the road, while repairing and replacing its underground infrastructure. This comes after a city-led environmental assessment found the intersection in its current state no longer has the capacity to accommodate current and future traffic demands. 

“I think [a roundabout] will screw traffic up,” said Dennis Moore, who lives near the intersection. “I don’t think it flows right for this street, and I think it can be a hazard when there are so many people who don’t know how to use them.”

A prototype of what the intersection on Oxford and Gideon in west London will look like once it’s built later this year. (City of London )

Londoner Suraj Prajapati has seen traffic increase significantly all throughout the city. London needs to keep its infrastructure at pace with its rapid growth, he said. 

“If I was to look back even a year ago, it was super easy to travel here but now it’s so busy and can take much longer on the commute,” he said. “Lots of people are coming to London from other cities so they should improvise. If a roundabout can help, I think it’s great.” 

Although development and building housing units is important, so is improving road infrastructure to make sure people can move around easily, said Coun. Anna Hopkins, whose ward the area falls under. 

“What gets me excited about these roundabouts is that they’re not just for cars, it’s for the people. So pedestrians and cyclists, everyone can move around and I’m pleased that this is coming,” she said.  

Hopkins is hopeful this new roundabout will ease traffic congestion, especially after she witnessed the improvements that a two-lane roundabout made at the intersection of Southdale Road West and Colonel Talbot Road when it opened last year, she said.

The Oxford Gideon intersection, which has one lane on both sides, no longer has the capacity to accommodate current and future traffic demands, a city-led environmental assessment found. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)

“It’s keeping that traffic flowing and it’s road calming as well. It slows us down, it makes us drive safely, and it makes pedestrians able to cross and cyclists moving as well, so there’s lot of great things when we do roundabouts,” Hopkins said, adding that she’s unsure what road closures will look like and how long they will be in place. 

The city will host a virtual meeting to update the public about the project and what residents can expect during construction. More information, including a video on what the finished product will look like, can be found on the City of London’s website.