Since the improvements for pedestrians at the junction of Chalk Farm Road and Adelaide Road, cyclist are often experience near misses at this junction. The yellow box junction hasn’t improved the situation. See the photo in which the cycle signal is green
Paul Braithwaite and IJohn Chamberlain met 3 engineers from TfL traffic light division at the Crogsland Road crossing yesterday. The meeting was organised by Cliff Thompson from Camden and was to discuss how to remedy the unsafe situation where traffic can still be moving northbound when cyclists have a green light.
The following may be difficult to follow if you don’t know the area but here’s the argument:
TfL recognised the problem which is caused when traffic tails back from the lights at Adelaide Road. However they rejected our suggestion of a traffic signal at the crossing to prevent vehicles proceeding when cyclists have a green phase. Their argument was that it would have to be an additional phase and was too close to the preceding light for this. If operated at the same time as the pedestrian crossing it would interfere with the inter-green time when traffic clears the junctions and would not be allowed by DfT rules.
Instead they have a plan to changed the phasing of the lights at Adelaide Road to prevent the tail-back, including a vehicle detector loop in the road. This would put the situation back to how it was before this junction was improved by removing the pedestrian sheep-pens and giving a straight rather than a staggered crossing. As we didn’t have a problem before the junction was changed, this ought to fix the problem, though it doesn’t really address the root cause which is the long distance between the stop light and the cycle crossing.
Here’s the bad news – 8-9 months to change the phasing! (Unless Paul can wave his magic wand)
I think we’ll be putting up some warning signs in the meantime.
John Chamberlain Nov 2009
