2022 has been the third of three good years for the development of safe cycle infrastructure in Camden. The total length of protected cycle lanes has now reached almost 29km from about 8km prior to 2020 (see the map and graphs here). The new route on Haverstock Hill was this year’s most important addition to the cycle network. In addition, Camden has decided that the pop-up routes on Prince of Wales Road eastbound, York Way, Pancras Road and Chalk Farm Road will be made permanent, with stepped tracks and improved junctions. Work started this autumn on the Prince of Wales Road eastbound route.
The Camden Square LTN was completed at the end of 2021 enabling the C50 route to be built this year; although there have been no new LTNs in 2022, it has been a year of consolidation in which all of the earlier LTNs were declared permanent with plans for enhancement work. See the map and graphs here.
Camden now has 22 Healthy School Streets (all but three of them permanent) and has consulted on six more. See the map and graphs here.
When the pop-up lanes were installed, the signalised junctions were upgraded to provide low-level signals and early release for cyclists e.g. at England’s Lane junction on Haverstock Hill; more serious improvements were included in the C50 scheme and at the Southampton Row/Theobalds Road junction in Holborn.
Work on improving permeability for cycling has continued with 3 new schemes this year and all of the pop-up schemes made permanent. See the map and graphs here.
The West End Project (WEP) which returned Gower Street and Tottenham Court Road to two-way working reached completion this year.
| Haverstock Hill | C50 through Camden Square | Pop Ups made permanent | Greening in LTNs | Healthy School Streets | Holborn junctions | Permeability | WEP completion |
Haverstock Hill
North of Steele’s Road. Island removed and zebra added
SUBB near Steele’s Road
The wand-protected cycle route on Chalk Farm Road completed in April 2021 was extended up Haverstock Hill from Prince of Wales Road to Pond Street by August 2022. This provides an addition of over 2km (1 km in each direction) of protected lanes to the Camden Cycle Network which now covers about 28km (protected). See our detailed account of the Haverstock scheme.
The cycle lanes are mostly 2m wide only narrowing where the road is short of space. Double yellow lines and blips are marked throughout to make parking illegal.
Haverstock Hill is on a bus route but isn’t wide enough for bus stop bypasses. Shared-use bus boarders (SUBBs) are provided on the uphill side. A narrow marked strip of the cycle lane is allocated for bus passengers to stand on when getting on and off the bus.
But on the downhill side, the bus stop rectangle interrupts the cycle lane – and when a bus is at the stop, cyclists either can wait or ride round the bus.
All of the pedestrian crossings are now straight across and most of them are zebras.
C50 through Camden Square
Randolph Street at St Pancras Way junction
Royal College Street bus stop bypass with the right-turning lane in the distance
A new Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) for Camden Square was completed in December 2021. This was followed up by a set of improvements on the C50 alignment (from Cliff Villas to Randolph Road) – another 2km added to the Camden Cycle Network, mostly on roads with low traffic. The work involved the introduction of two-way cycling to Randolph Road and upgrades at four junctions. The LTN has resulted in a dramatic reduction in motor traffic both within the area and on the boundary roads.
The C50 route turns off Royal College Street into Randolph Road just beyond the bus stop bypass; a turning lane has been provided behind the island.
The junction of Agar Grove/St Pancras Way/ Randolph Road has been redesigned with a dedicated cycle stage on each of the four arms – the first in Camden.
A new Tiger Crossing has been built over Agar Grove at the junction with Stratford Villas. Our detailed account of the C50 scheme is here.
Pop Up Cycle routes made permanent
Prince of Wales Road at Queen’s Crescent
Prince of Wales Road at Maitland Park Road
Camden made the decision that the Pop-Up cycle routes on York Way, St Pancras Way, Chalk Farm Road and Prince of Wales Road eastbound will be made permanent with junction upgrades and installation of stepped tracks to replace the wand-protected lanes.
Work on improvements for Prince of Wales Road eastbound started in the autumn; the new section of stepped tracks now stretches from Haverstock Hill to Malden Road.
The new stepped track starts right from the junction with Maitland Park Road (rather than several 100 m on as did the pop-up tracks). Also the new stepped tracks run straight to the junction with Malden Road rather than narrowing at the last minute.
We are looking forward to a planned major upgrade to the junction with Grafton Road- Castlehaven Road as part of this work.
LTNs made permanent and associated greening
Greening at the Savernake Road closure
View of blended junction and Tiger crossing from Wilmot Place
The mini LTNs created in 2020 were made permanent and associated improvements are being implemented.
For example, rain gardens have been constructed around the Savernake Road and Hartland Road closures while planting is planned for Red Lion Street.
And an improved cycle route was constructed between Wilmot Place and Prowse Place across Royal College Street.
Camden also decided that the larger LTNs in Arlington Road and Queen’s Crescent LTN should be permanent.,
Healthy School Streets
Holmes Road viewed across Kentish Town Road.
Holmes Road at western end of the school street closure.
Three new Healthy School Streets were opened in 2022.
These included a scheme for St Patrick’s school in Holmes Road which has stopped a popular rat-run between Kentish Town Road and Grafton Road. This has a very favourable effect on motor traffic levels on the C6 route between Holmes Road and Prince of Wales Road; if made full time, this would complete the filtering for the Queen’s Crescent LTN.
Camden now has 22 Healthy School Street schemes, covering 27 schools; 19 schemes are permanent and 3 are trials.
Holborn junctions – one upgraded and another consulted on
Southampton Row cycle gate viewed from Theobalds Road
Following the fatal collision on 4 August 2021 which resulted in the death of Dr Marta Krawiec while cycling to work, Camden Council installed interim safety measures at the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road early in October 2021 and followed that up with the construction of a permanent scheme in August this year. This scheme included a ‘cycle gate’ on Southampton Row – the first one in Camden.
Camden has followed up with a consultation on changes to High Holborn, Drake Street and Procter Street to make the east and south sides of the Holborn gyratory safer for cycling.
Permeability improvements
Angler’s Lane from Kentish Town Road
This year’s outstanding example was the closure of Angler’s Lane to motor traffic to allow for two-way cycling. This was accomplished by allowing motor vehicles to turn left from Prince of Wales Road into Kentish Town Road instead of rat-running through Angler’s Lane. This change was made primarily in response to many requests for traffic reductions from local residents but it provides a convenient two-way link between the Bartholomew Road area via Gaisford Road and Prince of Wales Road.
Another important example was the introduction of two-way cycling in Randolph Road to provide a direct route for C50 between Agar Grove and Royal College Street.
The third change this year was the introduction of two-way cycling in Cressy Road between Constantine Road and Agincourt Road which together with other recent changes allowed a two-way cycling connection between Haverstock Hill and Hampstead Heath.
Completion of the West End Project
Alfred Place
Gower Street cycle tracks
The West End Project was consulted on in 2014 and the work started in Spring 2018 and has, at last, reached completion apart from some tidying up at Princes Circus. Tottenham Court Road is restricted to buses and cycles only Mon-Sat during the day, except for some short stretches e.g. between Torrington Place and Howland Street. The general motor traffic is on Gower Street and Bloomsbury Street together with stepped cycle tracks between Grafton Way and Princes Circus.
The work also included public realm improvements in Whitfield Gardens and the opening of a new park in Alfred Place in March 2022 for which Camden Council has received two awards.
