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. I have provided some initial comments after the details of the proposals.
Initial comments
Removal of the islands is highly retrograde and will make for more dangers to pedestrians. The only point of removing them is to give more road space to motor vehicles! And it is not just pedestrians who lose out: – the new left-hand side lanes occupy road-space already allocated to ASL feeder lanes. These are preserved in the new arrangment, but of course become completely uselesss – even with two lanes of ordinary sized motor traffic there is hardly going to be room for cyclists to get to the ASLs. The absurdity is plainly evident on the plans. ASL feeder lanes or not, cramming two lanes in is going to deprive cyclists of space in which to cycle safely. In particular, creating an inside lane dedicted for left-turn traffic into Willesden Lane will endanger cyclists proceeding north – at least at present there is road space for them alongside the pavement.
There simply isn’t sufficient road space to fit in an extra traffic lane along this part of the Kilburn High Road. It does narrow here, and that does make for some congestion (given that much of the rest of the High Road is two-lane in both directions), but short of knocking buildings down there’s not much that can be done about it. Certainly, taking away roadspace from pedestrians and cyclists is not the way to do it.
(NB this idea of trying to squeeze in an extra road lane was proposed two years ago for the Willesden Lane arm of the junction – we objected forcefully and the plan was abandoned.)
The Willesden Lane controlled pedestrian crossing with a pedestrian refuge island is a good idea. (But if they think islands are a good idea why are they removing them from the High Road?!) The way the road curves round on the south side is a problem for cyclists travelling north up Kilburn High Road, as it can be difficult to get ahead of left turning traffic to avoid being ‘swept’ round the corner (this is a comment David Arditti made some years ago). This difficulty will also be exacerbated by the two-lane proposal. Consequently, the pavement should be built out to create a more perpendicular turn.
I expect that we will want to object forcefully to the main thrust of these proposals.
This section of the Kilburn High Road is a LCN route!
See also the proposals for the High Road junction with Quex/Victoria Roads.
COUNCIL TEXT
KIlburn High Road (AS) Is one of the busiest arterial corridors that carry high volumes 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 junction with Willesden Lane and Gascony Avenue, as a part of the Kilburm Town Centre Improvement scheme. The accident rate at this junction is high, especially at the uncontrolled pedestrian crossing through Willesden Lane. 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 Roed – south of the junction:
. Remove the existing centre Islands. Provide a sufficient signal time for pedestrians to cross the road.
. Provide two separate traffic lanes in Kilburn High Road, the inside lane dedicated for the left tum traffic into Willesden Lane and the outside lane for the ahead traffic and right tum into Gascony Avenue.
Kilburn High Road – north of the junction:
. Remove the existing centre islands. Provide a sufficient signal time for pedestrians to cross the road.
. Provide two separate traffic lanes In Kllburn High Road, the outside lane dedicated for the right turn traffic Into Willesden Lane and the Inside lane for the ahead traffic and left turn Into Gascony Avenue.
. Provide a 10m long loading bay outside No. 209 KIlburn High Road.
WIllesden Lane:
. Provide a controlled pedestrian crossing through Willesden Lane with a pedestrian refuge island.
. Provide tactile paving slabs at the crossing and a pedestrian guard railing at the corners of the junction.
Gascony Avenue:
. Provide a controlled pedestrian crossing through Gascony Avenue.
. Provide tactile paving slabs at the crossing and a pedestrian guard railing at the corners of the junction.
CCC’s response
We DISAGREE with these proposals.
Removal of the islands is highly retrograde and will make for more dangers
to pedestrians. The only point of removing them is to give more road space
to motor vehicles! And it is not just pedestrians who lose out: – the new
left-hand side lanes occupy road-space already allocated to ASL feeder
lanes. These are preserved in the new arrangment, but of course become
completely uselesss – even with two lanes of ordinary sized motor traffic
there is hardly going to be room for cyclists to get to the ASLs. The
absurdity is plainly evident on the plans. ASL feeder lanes or not,
cramming two lanes in is going to deprive cyclists of space in which to
cycle safely. In particular, creating an inside lane dedicted for left-turn
traffic into Willesden Lane will endanger cyclists proceeding north – at
least at present there is road space for them alongside the pavement.
There simply isn’t sufficient road space to fit in an extra traffic lane
along this part of the Kilburn High Road. It does narrow here, and that
does make for some congestion but short of knocking buildings down there’s
not much that can be done about it. Certainly, taking away space from
pedestrians and cyclists is not the way to do it.
The Willesden Lane controlled pedestrian crossing with a pedestrian refuge
island is a good idea (but why put in an island here yet remove them from
the High Road?!). The way the road curves round on the south side is a
problem for cyclists travelling north up Kilburn High Road, as it can be
difficult to get ahead of left turning traffic to avoid being swept round
the corner. This difficulty will also be exacerbated by the two-lane
proposal. Consequently, the pavement should be built out to create a more
perpendicular turn.
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!!
