Traffic management in Kilburn

Brent Council is the highway authority for Kilburn: the borough runs local roads, while Transport for London runs the red routes. Red routes, the main roads on the Transport for London Road Network, need TfL's agreement instead. Trunk roads are managed by National Highways.

Almost every English highway authority now runs a permit scheme under the Traffic Management Act 2004, so works on the road need a permit, applied for through the government's Street Manager service. Minor works usually need 3 working days' notice, standard works 10 and major works 3 months.

Primary routes through Kilburn include the A4, A5, A40, A41 and A400. The M1 is within a few miles. Work on or next to these roads usually needs signals or a lane closure rather than simple cones, and often off-peak or night working.

Around 17,000 people live in Kilburn. On busier streets, keeping footways open and queues short matters as much as the works themselves.