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Islington and Camden Councils propose measures that they say are intended to make area safer for pedestrians, cyclist and bus passengers with minimum impact on traffic flows.
Click here to see the consultation leaflet
This follows the 2007 consultation which related to a study on re-introducing two-way working in Torriano Avenue, Brecknock Road, York way and Camden Park Road. Follow link to see why they rejected two-way working.
The current consultation proposes the following measures:
- a cycle lane on the east side outside the parked cars (which we should reject – we don’t like to ride in the door zone)
- an ASL and feeder at the junction with Camden road (which is sorely needed).
- a footway build out on the east side (around post office area)
- two pedestrian crossing points – just footway build outs so that peds can see past the parked cars – I think that at least one (the upstream one) should be a zebra).
- a table at the junction with Hargrave Place
CCC’s response
We are very disappointed that after the informal consultation and study two years ago, this scheme ignores the idea of reverting to two-way working in Torriano Avenue, Brecknock Road, York way and Camden Park Road. Brecknock Road is a useful shopping street (with Bumblebee and Salvinos, for example), but the relentless one way traffic spoils, it as well as making it very hard to access the northern end by cycle, if you’re coming from the south east.
We have the following remarks regarding the proposals in the current consultation:
• the cycle lane on the east side of the road outside the parked cars: we reject this proposal, since it would encourage cyclists to ride in the door zone. This would be particularly bad outside pay and display parking where people are in a rush and unlikely to consider cyclists when opening their doors. In addition, new research shows that motorists give cyclists less room when they are riding in a cycle lane. See http://tinyurl.com/doorzone.
• the ASL box and feeder lane at the junction with Camden Road: an ASL is urgently needed. However, the right turning lane should also have an ASL. As an example, see the recent LB Camden consultation on Osnaburgh Street area Environmental Improvements, which proposes a pair of ASLs, one on either side of an island where Osnaburgh Street meets Euston Road. See http://tinyurl.com/osnaburgh.
• we do not like the proposal to retain two straight ahead lanes on the approach to the junction with Camden road. This creates racing attitudes among drivers and leaves no space for cyclists. It is inappropriate to retain this feature in conjunction with the footway widening. With a single straight ahead lane, there should be plenty of room for cyclists to access both ASL boxes and probably capacity to widen the footway.
• we support footway widening at the bus stop.
• we think the crossing points will help pedestrians and should not be a pinch point for cyclists.
• we are in agreement with the raised table at the junction of Hargrave Place.
We ask you to consider the following additional measures to help cyclists:
• Allow cyclists to turn left legally from Brecknock Road into Camden Road.
• Impose a maximum speed limit of 20 MPH on this part of Brecknock Road (also a benefit to pedestrians)
• Improve conditions for cyclists at the north end of York Way. The problem is that the parked vehicles and other obstructions on the left of York Way across Camden Road often requires cyclists to pull out into accelerating traffic.
