COUNCIL TEXT
The Council is proposing to improve safety at the junction of Malden Road/Malden Crescent/Prince of Wales Road by providing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, funded by Transport for London (TfL).
This junction is located in Haverstock Ward, in close proximity of Camden Town market and between four schools (Haverstock School, Charlcot School, Rhyl Primary School & Nursery and Holy Trinity Church of England School. Hence, has a high pedestrian activity and is heavily used by buses.
During the period between 1 September 2000 and 30 August 2003, there were in total 11 recorded accidents (1 serious and 10 slight) of which eight involved pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
For your information, the Council’s consultation board on 26 April 2005 approved the report, which recommended that, ammendments to existing signalised junctions to improve crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists should not be open for the public to be consulted on the principle of the scheme. However, the public should be informed of the proposals and given the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed scheme.
I am therefore writing to inform you of the Council’s proposals to improve this junction (as shown on the attached drawing), which will include the following:
- Reviewing the existing ‘all red’ pedestrian crossing facilities across all arms of the junction.
- Remove the existing traffic island between Prince of Wales Road and Malden Crescent and minor kerb realignment to improve turning manoeuvres for larger vehicles.Camden Cycling Campaign welcomes the addition of ASLs to all the arms of this junction, but has strong reservations about the rest of the scheme. Overall we feel that, contrary to the text of the consultation document, the proposals do little to improve safety, and we find it difficult to see how the funding can be justified under the umbrella of Streets for People.
CCC’s response
This junction is completely dominated by cars and lorries. Due to the large amount of carriageway set aside for motor vehicles, the number of lanes, and the gentle curvature of some of the arms, traffic travels at speed through the junction, endangering pedestrians and cyclists. The proposals do nothing to ameliorate this. For example, it is difficult to see how the proposal to “Remove the existing traffic island between Prince of Wales Road and Malden Crescent and minor kerb realignment to improve turning manoeuvres for larger vehicles” with the concomitant moving of the crossing benefits anyone except drivers.
Our specific points are as follows:
- We question the centre feeder to the ASL on Prince of Wales Road eastbound. Our understanding is that centre feeders are only appropriate when the inner lane is a left-turn only. The proposal will require cyclists to ride between two lanes of sometimes fast-moving motor traffic.
- All the roads are too small for the number of lanes shown. We request that all be reduced as follows:
a Prince of Wales eastbound: one lane plus a cycle feeder.
b Prince of Wales westbound: two lanes plus a cycle feeder (there is absolutely no justification for the three lanes shown).
c Malden Road: one lane plus a cycle feeder.
d Malden Crescent: one lane plus a cycle feeder (right filter lane after lights acceptable if offset from existing plan)
This would have the effect of reducing traffic speed and increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians as in the remit.
We object as a matter of general principle to the introduction of “pedestrian guard rails” on the island where Prince of Wales road eastbound meets the junction. These are visually intrusive and go against the modern ideas of traffic calming by ‘naked streets’.
John Chamberlain
21 July 2005
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