This year, two cyclists have been killed on TfL Roads in Camden. Paula Jurek was killed in Camden Road at the junction with St Pancras Way on 5th April and Min Joo (‘Deep’) Lee at Kings Cross on 3rd October. In both cases these are on TfL roads where improvements have been suggested but not carried out.
Camden Road
There was a consultation in 2004 to which CCC responded in detail. TfL replied, committing to many of the improvements and quoted LCDS. After the death in April 2011, Camden Council urged TfL to make the promised improvements. The is still no action on most improvements, (early November) letter from TfL says ‘significant challenges’ mostly relating to traffic flow. One area (junction with Royal College Street) due for implementation in 2012 (8 years!)
Kings Cross junction (Grays Inn Road, Pentonville Road, Euston Road York Way)
TfL commissioned from TRL a report on audits on pedestrian safety in March 2008; none of its recommendations were included in a subsequent consultation in May 2011, meeting none of the LCDS guidelines. CCC respond. Non-committal letter from TfL – “..we will review these junctions to determine whether there is sufficient room and it is safe to introduce new feeder lanes and ASLs for cyclists between the two lanes of traffic” No suggestion that it might be safer to remove a lane. No reference to LCDS.
Deputation to Camden Council
John Chamberlain will lead a deputation to the full council meeting on 7th November. This will be in support of questions from Councillors Simpson, De Souza and Braithwaite and a motion from Councillor Braithwaite concerning cyclists’ safety and the control of HGVs especially at major junctions and on TfL controlled roads.
The deputation will call on Camden to exert much more pressure on TfL to make their roads within the borough safer for vulnerable road users including cyclists and pedestrians. In particular LB Camden should:
- Make TfL conform to the LCDS (London Cycle Design Standards).
- Insist on application of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme to all Council contracts and developments within its control.
- Work with TfL on removal of gyratory systems such as those at Kings Cross and Swiss Cottage
Memo on TfL’s lack of adherence to LCDS
This memo provides a detailed description of the danger to cyclists at the junction of York Way/Euston Road/Grays Inn Road referring to the standards set out in LCDS (London Cycle Design Standards) and the actual situation for cyclists crossing between Grays Inn Road and York Way.
View memo in another window.
Copies have been sent to members of the Culture & Environment Scrutiny Committee that is going to do a report into the recent spate of serious accidents on main roads in the Borough. It has also been sent to local councillors.
Culture & Environment Scrutiny Committee
We have been invited to give evidence at their meeting on 16th November. Slides used in presentation.
Public meeting planned for January 2012
People in the Kings Cross area concerned about the danger for cyclists on their roads are planning a public meeting in January at central St Martins Kings Cross campus. It is hoped that this meeting will launch a campaign for gyratory removal.