Key Points
- Wandsworth Council is requesting £200,000 from Transport for London (TfL) to help modify traffic flow at the Putney Bridge junction.
- The funding is intended to help relocate the pedestrian crossing further down the bridge.
- Moving the crossing will stop pedestrians from reducing the green light time for vehicles turning left out of Lower Richmond Road, giving motorists 42 seconds per cycle instead of 25 seconds.
- Pedestrians will return to crossing the road in three separate stages using two traffic islands, reverting to the pre-2024 layout.
- Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet previously approved the relocation on 12 October with an estimated cost of £450,000 from council funds.
- A new paper heading to the council’s transport committee on Thursday adds £100,000 of TfL funding for the current year and requests an additional £100,000 for next year, leaving the final total cost unclear.
Putney (South London News) November 13, 2026 – Wandsworth Council has formally requested £200,000 in funding from Transport for London (TfL) to help resolve ongoing traffic congestion at the Putney Bridge junction by relocating a key pedestrian crossing.
How will moving the pedestrian crossing change traffic flow at Putney Bridge?
Under the proposed modifications, the existing pedestrian crossing will be moved further down Putney Bridge. Currently, whenever a pedestrian presses the button to cross, the green traffic signal for vehicles turning left out of Lower Richmond Road is reduced from 42 seconds down to 25 seconds. By shifting the crossing’s location, drivers turning left from Lower Richmond Road will receive the full 42 seconds of green light time during every signal cycle, providing motorists with an extra 17 seconds to clear the junction.
While the alteration increases signal time for vehicular traffic, it directly alters the route for those travelling on foot. Relocating the crossing means pedestrians will once again have to navigate the road in three distinct stages via two separate traffic islands.
What is the financial breakdown and why are the total costs unclear?
The financial details surrounding the junction alterations show discrepancies between two separate council documents. On 12 October, Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet approved the plan to move the crossing, citing an estimated cost of £450,000 to be paid using the council’s own funds. That October report made no mention of financial contributions from Transport for London.
However, a newly published paper scheduled to go before the council’s transport committee on Thursday introduces TfL funding into the equation. The new document allocates £100,000 of TfL money for the current year and formally asks TfL to provide a further £100,000 next year. While this latest committee paper references the 12 October Cabinet decision, it omits any mention of the previously stated £450,000 figure. Consequently, neither document clarifies what the final total cost of moving the crossing will now be, and Wandsworth Council has been contacted for clarification.
What is the background of the Putney Bridge junction layout?
The current traffic and pedestrian configuration at the Putney Bridge junction is the result of a major rebuild that took place in 2024. Prior to those 2024 works, pedestrians navigating the area were required to cross the road in three stages using two islands. The 2024 junction redesign replaced that multi-stage system with the current single-stage pedestrian crossing on the bridge, which subsequently introduced the button-activated signal phase that cuts green light times for traffic exiting Lower Richmond Road.
How could this development affect local motorists and pedestrians?
If the funding is secured and the relocation goes ahead, local motorists using Lower Richmond Road to access Putney Bridge will experience improved traffic flow and reduced waiting times, gaining 17 additional seconds of green signal time whenever pedestrians are present. Conversely, pedestrians—including daily commuters, local shoppers, and those with limited mobility or pushchairs—will face longer, interrupted crossing times as they return to waiting on two central traffic islands to complete their journey across the bridge.
