TfL consultation: Overview, High-res Drawing, Visualisation
Camden Cyclists
14 December 2014
Response to TfL Consultation on Proposals for Improvements to Archway Gyratory
This response is from the Camden Cycling Campaign, the local borough group of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC). We have approximately 600 members and represent the interests of cyclists living or working in the borough of Camden. This response represents the views of our members.
Although the scheme does not fall within Camden, it is of importance to many cyclists who are resident or work in the borough. Our comments have been coordinated with those of ICAG (the Islington borough cycling group).
We support and commend the intention of TfL to make the Archway more pleasant for all. The plan does bring major benefits for pedestrians and for cyclists on some routes through the area, but unfortunately some other routes appear to be impossible to cycle without dismounting or mixing dangerously with HGVs and other traffic. Some routes also seem to involve waiting at too many traffic signals.
We are disappointed that the designs for the junctions at St John’s Way/Holloway Road and Archway Road/Tollhouse Way seem over-complex and designed to allow motor traffic to move at inappropriate speeds, putting cyclists and pedestrians at risk. The cycle movements on all five roads should be on protected cycle tracks and the two junctions mentioned above should be designed as simpler T junctions according to current best practice including the ‘hold the left’ feature to protect cyclists against the well-known left hook danger, as described in the London Cycle Design Standards (v2) and included in designs for the proposed E-W and N-S cycle Superhighways. Without such measures, the lives of cyclists will be put at risk.
In particular these routings seem dangerous or difficult for cyclists and could be made safe with segregated tracks and protected “T” junctions:
- Coming from Highgate Hill crossing Archway Rd to Archway Park/St John’s Way: requires cyclists to turn right across left turning traffic.
- Coming from St Johns Way to Junction Road or into the new plaza: requires cyclists to turn right across left turning traffic.
- Coming from Junction Rd to St Johns Way there is a left hook risk: requires cyclists to proceed straight across left turning traffic.
- Coming from Archway Station up Highgate Hill: requires cyclists to mix with traffic before joining the bike track again
- Coming down Highgate Hill: requires cyclists to mix with buses and traffic at Bus Stop C
- Coming from Archway Road to reach Holloway Road or Junction Road
- Mcdonald Rd should be two way for cycling
We would welcome the opportunity to participate in further discussion on design revisions before the project proceeds to implementation.
