COUNCIL TEXT
LOCAL SAFETY SCHEME
West End Lane north of Its junction with Inglewood Road
Proposed new pedestrian refuge Island
As part of Camden’s policy to reduce accidents involving personal injury and to provide a safer walking environment, the Council is embarking on a progremme of measures to reduce the number and severity of accidents.
West End Lane, north of its junction with Inglewood Road is one of a number of locations in the Borough identified for measures to improve pedestrian sefety on the basis of their accident record in the last three years.
During the last three years there have been a total of four road accidents within the vicinity of the junction of which one was classed as serious and three as slight. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and powered 2-wheelers were involved In three of the above accidents. Speed of vehicles travelling along that stretch of West End Lane also contributed to the accidents.
The Council is proposing to introduce a new pedestrian refuge island at the above location to provide additional crossing place for the many pedestrians who shop and visit the area. A pay and display parking space, which is equivalent to one car length, adjacent to the proposed location would be relocated to the north end of the parking bay; therefore there will be no net loss of parking space as a result of this proposel.
The attached drawing number TElLSSIO56IU1IO11O1 shows the location and layout of the proposed refuge island. Please note that the attached drawing is a diagrammatic representation of the proposels and could therefore be subject to changes following public consultation and detailed design.
The Council would be pleased to hear your views on the proposed measures and details on how to respond to this consultation are given on the back page of this letter.
CCC’s response
The proposed refuge narrows the road space in a way which will endanger cyclists. Motor vehicles will cut in towards the curb to avoid it. The road is narrow at the point, and the chicane effect is accentuated by parking bays on the north of the east side of the Lane. Motorists will disregard the parking restrictions, making it very difficult for vehicles – especially buses, and fire engines! – to pass a refuge (they frequently get blocked there as it is). The information on casualties you provide is inadequate. Did the one ‘serious’ incident mentioned involve pedestrians? No way of telling. You include ‘powered 2-wheelers’ as ‘vulnerable road users’, but they, like cyclists, are going to be made even more vulnerable by the introduction of the refuge. We agree that better pedestrian facilities are needed in West End Lane, but do not think that this refuge is a good idea and also consider that other stretches of the Lane are more problematic for pedestrians.
Question:
Are you in favour of the pedestrian refuge island shown in drawing number TE/LSS/056/UI/01/01. NO
