Gauge

Putney Bridge Peak-Time Traffic, 2019 vs 2023

Peak-hour traffic across Putney Bridge in 2019 and 2023, from the count data behind Wandsworth Council’s claim of a 25% morning-peak rise (FOI WBC-FOI-12247). The council’s published comparison is shown beside a like-for-like comparison by direction, time period and count source.

Compared like for like (same day of week, same hours, same metric), morning-peak traffic on Putney Bridge was roughly flat between 2019 and 2023, and evening-peak traffic fell. The published 25% rise compares different days, directions and units.

Data last updated 7 April 2026 Sources: FOI WBC-FOI-12247 (Wandsworth Council)DfT Road Traffic Statistics (Putney approach, CP 36823)

How the 25% figure was built

In January 2025 Wandsworth Council stated that "The Council’s own automatic traffic count data shows a 25% increase in traffic during the morning peak hours between 2019-2023" (Wandsworth Council, 27 Jan 2025). Analysis of the underlying data by Professor Tom Pike (FOI WBC-FOI-12247), including a follow-up FOI with the vehicle class breakdown for both years, shows how that figure was assembled:

  • The 2023 value comes from Vivacity camera counts for the week of 18 to 24 September 2023, with the peak hour selected separately for each direction: Tuesday 07:00 northbound (1,891) and Saturday 09:00 southbound (1,213), added together (3,104). Of that total, 1,000 were cyclists (773 NB + 227 SB).
  • The 2019 value comes from a manual count, but uses the PCU column (Passenger Car Unit, where a cyclist = 0.2 and a bus = 2) rather than the vehicle count: northbound 07:00 (1,468) plus southbound 07:00 (989) = 2,457.
  • 2,457 to 3,104 is +26.3%, reported as 25%. The two figures differ in days of week, hour selection and units, so they do not measure the same thing.

Common questions

Did morning-peak traffic on Putney Bridge rise 25% between 2019 and 2023?

The 25% figure compares a 2019 PCU value (where a cyclist counts as 0.2 and a bus as 2) against a 2023 vehicle-plus-cyclist count taken on different days: 2,457 to 3,104, or +26.3%. Comparing like for like (same day of week, same hours, same metric), morning-peak traffic was roughly flat, and the evening peak fell, most notably southbound. Source: FOI WBC-FOI-12247 (Wandsworth Council), analysis by Professor Tom Pike.

Linked charts

Putney Bridge Traffic, 1986 to 2026

Motor vehicles per day across Putney Bridge (A219) from 1986, combining DfT AADF, the TfL Thames Screenline, monthly Vivacity camera counts and ATC tube counts, with a 3-year trend line.

Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge Bus & Traffic Speed

AM-peak bus speeds on the nine routes at the Putney Bridge junction (TfL iBus), with weekday traffic speeds across Putney, Chiswick, Kew and Wandsworth bridges.

Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge Traffic by Vehicle Type, 1986 to 2024

Putney Bridge traffic split by vehicle type, cars, LGVs, HGVs, buses, motorcycles and pedal cycles, from DfT and TfL sources with a combined smoothed view.

Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge Traffic North & South, Vivacity Camera, Jul 2023 to Jan 2026

Daily vehicle counts from Vivacity cameras on Putney Bridge by direction and vehicle class, July 2023 to January 2026, shown as a 28-day centred rolling average.

Putney Bridge

Putney Air Quality, 2010 to 2026

Annual NO2 at the Putney High Street kerbside, the high-street diffusion tube, and background sites in Putney and Barnes, with markers for the bus upgrades, the Low Emission Bus Zone, and ULEZ phases.

Putney Bridge