The drawing on the right shows that the Q3 cycle route runs down Fairhazel Gardens to the junction with Belsize Road (at the Belsize roundabout) and then continues on Loudoun Road. This junction is shown as a pink circle to indicate that a junction improvement (at Belsize Roundabout) is planned.
We would have expected the consultation to mention the presence of the cycle route and of the need to improve the cycle journey through Belsize Roundabout.
We are unable to find anything in the proposals that relates to safer cycling on this part of the Q3 route,
Camden’s propoals
- to improve crossing facilities* ‘for those who walk, wheel** and scoot’.
- to introduce SuDs (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) in Fairhazel Gardens, Loudoun Road, Hilgrove Road and Belsize Road
- to widen footways on Goldhurst Terrace at the junction with Fairhazel Gardens
- to add continuous crossings across Coleridge Gardens on Fairhazel Gardens
- Bat elsize Roundabout
- Add a raised zebra crossing with widened pavements on Loudoun Road, approaching the roundabout
- Relocate the zebra crossings on the both sides of Belsize Road to be closer to the junction with Fairhazel Gardens
- Raise the informal crossings over Fairfax Road
- Cycle parking:
- Add 2 cycle hangars and extending the dockless bike hire bay outside of Likewise Community Centre on Fairhazel Gardens
- Add new cycle stands on Fairhazel Gardens and Hilgrove Road
- New benches in Fairhazel and Loudoun and Fairfax Road Belsize Road
* crossing facilities seem to amount to a continuous footway at one junction plus two improved zebra crossings and one improved raised crossing over arms of Belsize Roundabout
** what does wheel mean in this context? How does it differe from cycling?
Motor vehicle counts
We have requested counts from camden Council. In the mean time here are some 10-year old counts.
The drawing on the right shows some traffic counts from 2015. These were combined with another set of counts on a Tuesday to produce the fllowing totals:
- Belsize Road 7497
- Hilgrove Road 5425
- Fairfax Road 1914
- Loudoun Road.2581
Fairhazel gardens PM peak counts:
- SB – 196 per hour
- NB – 340 per hour
Some sugested improvements
The motor traffic levels need to be reduced on Fairhazel Gardens and Loudoun Road. In a draft scheme (2016) it was proposed that Loudoun Road should be southbound only from South Hampstead station to Belsize Roundabout to (with northbound contraflow cycling). This change would reduce motor traffic on both Fairhazel Gardens and Loudoun Road.
We have in the past seen radical proposals for Belsize Roundabout (e.g. removing the island and closing Belsize Road (east) so as to convert it to a cross roads). But the least that can be done is to make a safe protected route for cycling between Fairhazel Gardens and Loudoun Road.
In the current situation, southbound cyclists from Fairhazel Gardens have to ride round the roundabout where there is very heavy motor traffic.
Parallel crossings could be used to provide a direct route as shown in the clip from the scheme drawing. This requires a two-way cycle track on the south side of Belsize Road – the island could be slimmed to make space.
A variant (without the parallel crossing over Fairhazel Gardens) could allow southbound cyclists from Fairhazel Gardens to head directly to the island and then over to the two-way cycle track and round the corner into Loudoun Road.
The removal of northbound motor traffic from Loudoun Road would also be beneficial – leaving more space for the two-way cycle track,
Consultation on Camden’s website
Scheme drawings here
CCC Response
To be written