Open Street Map Cycle Map Location
Camden Council proposes to convert speed cushions to road humps at six locations in Sumatra Road.
They are also proposing alterations to the parking so that a few shared use bays near Solent Road Health Centre become Pay and Display only.
Click here to see the consultation leaflet.
CCC’s response
I am writing on behalf of 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 strongly support the proposal to change from cushions to road humps. It is very important for cyclist safety because speed cushions cause both cyclists and drivers of other vehicles to take up poor road positions, for example a cyclist may go too close to a car door, or a passing motorist may go too close to a cyclist. We would like to see replacement of speed cushions by road humps throughout Camden.
Cycle logos: Sumatra Road is marked with cycle logos in both directions. Unfortunately most of these are painted in the ‘door zone’ or close to the kerb at corners. We ask that the logos be repainted with their centres at a distance of 1.2 m from the parked cars. With this narrow road, pairs of logos shouldn’t be beside one another – that is, they should be staggered.
Rat runs: We consider that more should be done to reduce rat-running along Sumatra Road, which can make it unpleasant and dangerous for cyclists using it to avoid congestion and worse on West End Lane. We also understand that Sumatra Road residents are often bothered by rat-running motorists sounding their horns upon finding themselves delayed by on-coming traffic. We would therefore recommend either a midpoint closure or more radically making both ends of Sumatra Road no-entry for motor vehicles (as with Gloucester Avenue at the junction with Regent’s Park Road). We consider this would be justified both by the current misuse of Sumatra Road by motorists and the poor conditions for cyclists on West End Lane.
