Open Street Map Cycle Map Location
Click here to see the consultation leaflet.
LB Camden wants to reduce speed and improve pedestrian safety in relation to the redevelopment of Regent’s Place, at the junction of Hampstead Road and Drummond Street. They propose the following measures:
• Raise the road at the junction of Drummond Street and Stanhope Street, including the existing zebra crossing
• Extend the existing raised carriageway on Longford Street near the junction of Laxton Place
• Narrow the road in Longford Street between Laxton Place and Stanhope Street and remove the existing pedestrian refuge island
• Widen the footway in small section and plant trees along Drummond Street, between Hampstead Road and Stanhope Street.
• Re-arrange Pay and Display parking bays in Drummond Street, creating an additional three spaces.
CCC’s response
This response to the consultation from Camden on the proposal to reduce speeds and improve pedestrian safety is from Camden Cycling Campaign, the local borough group of London Cycling Campaign (LCC). We have over 600 members and represent the interests of cyclists living or working in the borough of Camden. We consulted our members by email on this issue and this response reflects the views of the membership.
We are supportive of this proposal for the following reasons:
– reducing speeds is one of the best ways of improving cyclists safety; in particular we support the new speed table at the junction of Drummond Street and Stanhope Street and the extension of the raised carriageway on Longford Street near the junction of Laxton Place. We hope that you plan to remove the pair of speed cushions on the east side of Laxton Place (cushions encourage cyclists to take up poor positions in the road).
– narrowing the road in Longford Street between Laxton Place and Stanhope Street and removing the existing pedestrian refuge island; the latter is a potential pinch point for cyclists and narrowing the road seems to be a better way of reducing speed.
Regarding speed tables: cyclists would prefer not to have any more tables with cobbled ramps because they tend to break up after a few years of use. (See for example, Sidmouth Street east of Regent Square). Although tables are uncomfortable for cyclists, we agreed after some debate that we would prefer sufficient ramping to really reduce vehicle speeds.
Cycle parking: the consultation doesn’t mention cycle parking; and there is virtually no cycle parking on Longford Street and Drummond Street west of Hampstead Road. Why add three new pay and display bays but no cycle parking, when Camden is supposed to be encouraging car use and encouraging cycle use?
Regarding car parking in general: why not have all parking bays at footway level so that the space may be used by pedestrians when car use declines?
Please would you acknowledge receipt of this response; if you prefer a written submission please let me know. We would be very happy to discuss any aspect of our response.
I will write to you separately regarding the existing piecemeal and sub-standard cycle lanes .
Existing Cycle Lanes
David Jenkins wrote as follows:
Thank you for your email. It would appear the cycle lanes have been overlooked, for which I apologise.
There seems to be a piecemeal route marked out along the length of Drummond Street and Longford Street between Hampstead Road and Albany Street. The sections where cycle lanes are marked are marked as mandatory and are only 1m wide alongside parking bays. There is also no traffic order to make the mandatory markings legal. All in all, not a very satisfactory arrangement. However, at least the route is within a 20mph Zone and is lightly trafficked.
In view of the light traffic and traffic calming, it wouldn’t seem appropriate to provide legal mandatory lanes and the road widths would not allow for them.
I’d like your thoughts on this and would suggest the there are two options:
1. provide advisory 1.5m wide lanes throughout, except where there are parking bays. Cycle symbols alone would seem appropriate alongside the bays (marked central to the bays and the carriageway centre line). Along Drummond Street we’d only be able to mark a lane on the north (west-bound) side. Along Longford Street it would only be possible on the south side between Laxton Place and Osnaburgh Street and on the north side between Osnaburgh Street and Albany Street.
2. Simply provide cycle symbols along the length of the route.
Let me know your thoughts and I can sketch up a design. We can then include any changes we agree on in the report for approval.
Our response
Following discussions in our committee, we conclude that the best option is the second; that is, to provide cycle symbols along the length of the route. Drummond Street-Longford Street is part of a potential east-west route north of and parallel to Euston Road and we’d like to have it marked as a route to Regents Park. Getting two-way cycling in Chester Gate is one of our permeability targets (and has been discussed with Jacqueline Saunders and others).
As you mentioned in your email the logos should be marked in the centre of the (half) carriageway and when passing parked cars, at least 1.5 metres away from them.
You mentioned the centre line. Might the absence of a centre line be a better option for street calming?