The map below is an extract from Camden’s borough-wide cycle network and shows protected cycle routes in blue on Prince of Wales Road and the northern end of Royal College Street (C6). The C6 extension via Grafton Road to Hampstead Heath is coloured orange. Another cycle link along Gaisford Street and Anglers Lane is coloured a lighter shade of orange. A green polygon indicates the location of changes that enable cyclists using this link to cross over Kentish Town Road.
Recent changes
Since March 2022, the eastbound motor traffic on Prince of Wales Road (PoW) has been allowed to turn left onto Kentish Town Road (shown as a red arrow on the map above). We had resisted this on the grounds that it would create left hook risks for cyclists turning right. However, we do believe that motor traffic should use the main roads rather than cutting through small access roads such as Angler’s Lane. We also believe that more needs to be done to encourage people to use the C6 route down Castlehaven Road and Castle Road to access C6 on Royal College Street (so that they don’t use the right turn mentioned above).
Angler’s Lane becomes two-way for cycling
Photo 1: looking across Kentish Town Road into Angler’s Lane
Photo 2: Looking up Angler’s Lane from the junction with Raglan Street
The above change means that there is no longer any need for motor traffic to drive right through Angler’s Lane.
Angler’s Lane has been closed to motor vehicles between Raglan Street and Kentish Town Road (KTR). Cycling is enabled in both directions all the way through Angler’s Lane.
The motor traffic is northbound from PoW to Alma Street and two-way between Alma Street and Raglan Street.
Photo 1 shows the closure of Angler’s Lane at KTR and a refuge on KTR to help cyclists to turn right into Angler’s Lane.
Photo 2 shows the closure of Angler’s Lane at Raglan Street
The other related recent permeability gains
Photo 3: Gaisford at Kentish Town Road from east
Photo 4: Gaisford Street from Kentish Town Road
It had been a long battle to get two-way cycling through the one-way stub where Gaisford Street meets KTR. This was eventually enabled in Summer 2020.
You can read more about the summer 2020 permeability gains here.
In September 2017 the junction of Castlehaven Road- Grafton Road – PoW was modified to allow cycles to turn right out of Castlehaven Road into PoW. This enabled them to continue northbound through Angler’s Lane. And since the summer of 2020 they have been able to continue on into Gaisford Road.
The new two-way link Gaisford – Anglers – PoW
This is shown in light orange on the above map. It provides a new two-way cycle link between East Kentish Town and the protected cycle route on PoW. This is shorter and much more comfortable than the previous link via Islip Street and Holmes Road.
Using terminology from JAT (Junction Assessment Tool), we would describe the crossing over KTR as ‘suitable for most (70%) cyclists’ but not suitable for ‘new, young and old cyclists’.
Conclusions
We like the way this new essential link in the Camden cycle network has been constructed by means of a series of changes, each of which provides more choices for people who cycle.
However, we are still concerned about the left hook risk mentioned above. We therefore encourage Camden to do the following:
- expedite the implementation of the promised changes at the junction of PoW / Grafton Road/ Castlehaven Road
- immediately install very clear signage indicating a route to C6 in Royal College Street via Castlehaven Road and Castle Road
