Why not Keep Left on London Underground walkways?

OK. This one is going to run and run. It is with Transport for London, (TfL) about whether or not it is better to have streaming on underground (and other) walkways.

My opener:

Dear TfL

I was glad to see you are asking for feedback. 

Customer flow on all your walkways would be vastly quicker, safer, more convenient, more congenial and generally improved if you had Keep Left signs everywhere: on the stairs, corridors, everywhere. 

You may have noticed that this convention has applied to motor traffic on the roads for many years and it works really well.

There are already arrows on the steps at Bristol Temple Meads and at Paddington, so this is not a radical or unrealistic suggestion, but it needs critical mass to really take off.

I did put this suggestion to TfL once before, and the objection was raised that Keep Left cannot apply in concourses with criss-cross flow. This is true, but it has no bearing  on passages and stairs. On open concourses you can see what evolves. Flow routes may emerge, and could be nudged along with painted lines. Or you could just leave things as they are in those locations. They would not be any worse. 

The fact remains that a Keep Left convention throughout the Underground will improve our comfort and convenience enormously.

Many thanks for considering this suggestion

Their reply:

Dear Dr Lawson

The reason for not always keeping to the left and keeping to the right on escalators is to ensure that the quickest most direct route out of any station or between interchanges is provided to our customers. This is also to ensure safety because of very narrow platforms at the base of the stairs and lift entrances.  The one way systems are clearly marked but unfortunately there are always cases where signage is missed and we should be managing that in a professional manner.

We would not look to change our current routes displayed as consistency enables our customers to manage their entrance and exit to the station more efficiently and safely. Whilst we try to provide the best customer care possible we have a duty of care to our customers and ensuring their safety will always take priority.  

We would not look to changing any current routes marked within the London Underground for the forseeable future.

Caroline Smith

To which I reply:

Dear Caroline

You say that the reason for not always keeping to the left and keeping to the right on escalators is to ensure that the quickest most direct route out of any station or between interchanges is provided to our customers.

However, this is not the case.  By having a random flow of pedestrian traffic, you are ensuring dodging, slowing up (in counterflows) and collisions take place. The dodging, side-stepping and collisions can only increase the risk to health and safety in the narrow places that you mention.

It is not clear what you mean by "cases where signage is missed and we should be managing that in a professional manner."  Missed by whom? Staff or passengers? How do you manage that?

If you would kindly re-read my email, you will see that I am not proposing that you change your routes, only that you introduce streaming on them.

If streaming is such a bad idea, why is it in practice in Paddington? What is the experience there since its introduction?

Thank you

Richard Lawson

Watch this space