Camden & Brent councils are proposing changes to this busy junction, supposedly with the joint aim of reducing congestion and improving pedestrian facilities and safety. As you can see below, the first of these objectives has definitely taken precedence over the second. There are some good things in the proposals, but plenty of dreadful ones too – the general idea seems to be to turn the High Road into another Finchley Road.
Initial comments
Removal of the islands on the south side of the junction is highly retrograde and will make for more dangers to pedestrians.
The extension of the pavement on the western side of the High Road south of the junction would be a good idea, but only if the existing two lanes were reduced to one. As the proposal stands, the effect will be to squeeze out the space currently occupied by the ASL feeder lane, thus forcing cyclists into a narrow traffic lane. The plan shows the effect clearly: the feeder lane will be reinstated, but on top of the narrow space allocated to the inside lane. It will therefore be pretty much useless – at times when cyclists would need it, it’ll be blocked by motor traffic. As with the Willesden Lane/Gascony Avenue junction, whether there is a feeder lane or not is not particularly relevant – the real issue is the creation of unfeasibly narrow traffic lanes.
Cyclists should be exempted from the no right turn into Victoria Road. Notice that they are happy to preserve the island on the north side of the junction, indeed are planning to enlarge it, but only in order to prevent right-turning into Victoria Road.
This section of the Kilburn High Road is a LCN route! See also the proposals for the High Road junction with Willesden Lane/Gascony Road.
COUNCIL TEXT
Kilburn High Road (A5) is one of the busiest arterial corridors that carry high volurnes of traffic to and from central london, including local traffic and buses. It is important that the highway space is fully and efficiently utilized in order to reduce traffic congestion and Improve pedestrian facilities and safety.
The London Borough of Camden, jointly with the Kilburn Town Centre Management and with the assistance of the london Borough of Brent, intends to carry out junction improvement works at Kilburn High Road / Quex Road / Victoria Road, as a part of the Kilburn Town Centre improvement scheme. The accident rate at this junction is high, therefore, the provision of adequate facilities for pedestrians and safer traffic signal arrangements are considered to be essential. The following measures, that can improve the safety and reduce congestion at the junction, are listed below:
Kilburn High Road – south of the Junction:
- Widen the westem side of the footway by 2.0m to align with the opposite side kerbline.
- Remove the existing centre islands and re-Iocate, northwards, the pedestrian crossing. Provide a sufficient signal time for pedestrians to cross the road.
- Re-align the traffic lanes in Kilbum High Road to provide a dedicated lane for the right turn lane into Quex Road and the inside lane for the ahead traffic and left to Victoria Road.
Kilburn High Road – north of the Junction:
- Widen the existing central pedestrian refuge island to 2.6m. Extend this island to stop any illegal right turn for southbound traffic into Victoria Road.
Victoria Road:
– Widen the pedestrian crossing on Victoria Road to 3.2m.
- Provide a pedestrian guard railing at the corners of the junction.
Quex Road:
– Re-shape the pedestrian crossing on Quex Road.
- Provide a pedestrian guard railing at the comers of the junction.
CCC’s response
We DISAGREE with these proposals.
Removal of the islands on the south side of the junction is highly
retrograde and will make for more dangers to pedestrians.
The extension of the pavement on the western side of the High Road south of
the junction would be a good idea, but only if the existing two traffic
lanes were reduced to one. As the proposal stands, the effect will be to
squeeze out the space currently occupied by the ASL feeder lane, thus
forcing cyclists into a narrow traffic lane. The plan shows the effect
clearly: the feeder lane will be reinstated, but on top of the narrow space
allocated to the inside lane. It will therefore be pretty much useless – at
times when cyclists would need it, it’ll be blocked by motor traffic. As
with the Willesden Lane/Gascony Avenue junction, whether there is a cyclists
feeder lane or not is not particularly relevant – the real issue is the
creation of unfeasibly narrow traffic lanes, which are very dangerous for
cyclists.
Cyclists should be exempted from the no right turn into Victoria Road.
This stretch of the High Road is supposed to be a London Cycle Network
route! The London Borough of Camden is supposed to be the lead borough for
developing the London Cycle Network!!
