Campaigning Highlights
Royal College Street August 2013
Pancras Road, July 2015
In August 2013, a new Royal College Street scheme replaced the old two-way track with two one-way tracks and doubled the available width. It won a London Transport Award; a cycle counter installed in April 2014 showed over 100% increase in cycles since before installation.
The Royal College Street southern extension with stepped tracks was completed in summer 2015 and included another cycle counter. The extension to Kentish Town Road opened in June 2016. Midland Road and the crossing to Judd Street were opened in May 2019 and the route was extended via Grafton Road to Gospel Oak in 2022. So now we have a continuous cycle route from Hampstead Heath to Blackfriars (branded as Cycleway 6).
Royal College Street northern extension, June 2016
Opening of Cycleway 6 May 2019
The Tavistock Place scheme started as a trial in December 2015. It won an LCC award in summer 2016. After two more consultations and a Public Inquiry in October 2017 a decision was made to keep the layout as is and improvements to the junctions as well as the eplacement of the orcas with kerbs are under way late autumn 2023.
Demo in favour of Tavistock Place trial, Nov 2015
Tavistock Place, June 2016
Campaigning Continues
Camden’s Draft Transport Strategy 2019-41 includes a Cycling Action Plan and a borough-wide cycle network. 2020 saw great progress with a tripling of the length of segregated lanes to 10km including the Prince of Wales Road cycle lanes as well as protected lanes on York Way and St Pancras Way. The wands on the eastbound lanes on PoW were replaced by stepped tracks in 2023; autumn 2023, work started on stepped tracks onYork Way. There has continued progress on permeability and the introduction of new modal filters has removed through traffic and made many more of Camden’s streets safe for cycling and walking.
Prince of Wales Road west of Malden Road
SUBB on York Way south of Handyside Street
The Gray’s Inn Cycle route and the Chalk Farm Road trial cycle lanes were both completed in 2021.
Junction of Gray’s Inn Road with Calthorpe Street – dedicated cycle signal
Chalk Farm Road looking SE from bus stop opposite Belmont Street
On the C50 route: from Camden Square across Murray Street
Haverstock Hill north of Steele’s Road
We have put in a lot of effort to support schemes under consultation. As well as using social media, we have made leaflets and little cards which we hand out to cyclists at junctions on the road under consideration. This started with the Tavistock Place scheme, continued with Gray’s Inn Road and was used more recently with Prince of Wales Road, Haverstock Hill and Camden Square.
In Summer 2022 Camden decided to start design work on the Cross Camden Cycleway. This is a pair of east-west routes, one along Pratt Street-Delancey Street- Prince Albert Road and the other further north (Chalk Farm Road to Wilmot Place via either Hawley Road or Clarence Way, linking to C50 via Rochester Road ).
Our proposal for “Clerkenwell Boulevard” was launched in summer 2013; this was also part of LCC’s proposal for “London Boulevard” – a route from Old Street to Tottenham Court Road. For a while, it was also under consideration by TfL in their StreetSpace proposals as the Holborn to Old Street route. The western end on Bloomsbury Way and Theobalds Road is part of the Holborn Livable Neighbourhood scheme which was awarded funding in 2019 which was put on hold during lockdown and has now been released and Camden is working on a design. Camden has been working on the dangerous junctions in Holborn, completing the Southampton Row-Theobalds Road junction in early 2022 and is now (late autumn 2023) constructing the Procter Street- High Holborn junction (consulted in autumn 2022).
Interaction with LB Camden (jointly with London Living Streets) and TfL
We have four joint meetings a year with a group of Camden Officers and London Living Streets to discuss the development of cycle and walking routes throughout the borough, how cycling and walking issues can be incorporated into local area schemes and how well they are addressed in built schemes. Councillor Julian Fulbrook (Camden’s Cycling Champion since summer 2015) is an important participant in these meetings. Additional ad-hoc meetings are arranged to discuss projects in detail. We also have occasional meetings with TfL officers.
We review and comment on major construction projects (especially regarding cycle storage and access) and because these can cause major problems on the neighbouring streets we often comment on the Construction Management Plan and ask for a place on the construction liaison group to represent the interests of cyclists (and pedestrians).
Campaigning Rides
Our most recent action was ‘Make The Lane’ in conjunction with Cycle Islington in which campaigners form a human barrier to traffic for people cycling on Old Street to highlight 8 years of inaction on one of most dangerous cycling corridors in London
Another major campaigning ride was in support of the proposals for CS11 which was to run from Brent Cross to the West End via Swiss Cottage and Regents Park. Eventually, this was put on hold due to opposition from Westminster Council (see below). In previous years we have led feeder rides to campaigning rides organised by LCC. In addition, we have had ‘inspection rides’ the most recent of which was led by Steven Edwards in the Gospel Oak area.
Bike Week
We have not got going again since Covid interrupted our activities. Before that, we held two regular events in Bike Week, a national event that usually takes place in June.
On Wednesday mornings, we provided a Free Cyclists’ Breakfast, run jointly with Camden Council (the 2019 event was the 22nd in succession).
And on one of the Sundays, we held the Ride all Round Camden e.g. See our write-up of the 2019 event
Social Rides
During the summer months we organise a ride each month. These usually include the popular Lea Valley Ride as well as other rides that take in parks and other destinations such as the Welsh Harp and Fulham Palace. Some of our routes are here. Many of these rides are short and aimed at families. We also lead feeder rides from Swiss Cottage and West Hampstead to the summer Ride London Circuit.
Monthly meetings, workshops and Cycle Buddies
We usually meet on the third Monday of each month at 7.30 pm online. Our AGM is in May. In other months we either have a speaker or we discuss whatever people are interested in, e.g. new and current campaigns.
The Kentish Town Bike Workshop is held on the second Monday of each month at Bartholomew Road Health Centre.
Camden Cycle Buddies puts new riders in touch with experienced riders to answer questions and build confidence. For more information do take a look at our website (www.camdencyclists.org.uk).
