Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cycling along Green Lanes
There is growing impatience and frustration about the Council’s lack of action on improving cycling and pedestrian safety on Green Lanes.* This mounting concern was covered in a recent piece in the Ham and High (see link below) about this and the growing discontent from cyclist about the safety of cycling along Green Lanes – either as a commuter, or just travelling to the local shops and services.
https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/25393803.cycling-campaigner-wants-pr...
As Trump would say…. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
* and elsewhere across the borough. All the cycle routes from surrounding boroughs stop abruptly at the Haringey border!
Cycling along Green Lanes has been described as 'hairy' (Image: Carla Francome) (Image: Carla Francome)
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charlie
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If ive got my liveliood and many hundreds of thousands tied up in an area im going to be proactive in defending my interests. Most of their punters probably drive so they probably want more parking not less. Fair enough i reckon.
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Permalink Reply by AndrewAW1
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Multiple studies have shown that business owners largely overestimate how many of their customers drive. It's also not as if people want all parking removed, there's parking at the bottom of the ladder roads
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Dangerous to who? As a pedestrian or when i drive they are no danger to me. When i cycle i go slowly given how busy it is... No danger. Alternatively, i find a better way to get to where I am going.
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Hi Charlie, not everyone has your confidence. If we want to see more people using cycles to get around, we need infrastructure that feels safe for everyone from 8-80. Green Lanes is a vital part of Haringey’s transport network, and much of it is unusable for a lot of people because it’s used for storage.
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The ltns now provide excellent alternatives to main roads. Why not be a bit creative and proactive and search out pleasant routes through parks and back roads? I cycle all round the area and hardly ever use a main road. True there are choke points under railway bridges which cant be avoided but with a little effort and imagination its very easy to avoid both green lanes and wightman. Id rather walk than ride wightman...
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Permalink Reply by L Baker
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Spot on thanks, such a good point. I cycled around London for decades until I became too disabled and always took side roads and avoided the main roads where possible. Most people did - having dedicated cycling routes can work well in some areas, but in others they seem to stop people thinking about alternative routes.
And there was a Red Route consultation recently for Green Lanes which would transform the area if it goes ahead. They have done on other busy London roads, like Upper Street and Holloway Road, which used to be chaotic but now are calmer with parking allowed on alternate sides of the road morning and evening - to deal with traffic flow.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Williams
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You can use back streets to an extent, but they are fragmented and involve constant zig-zagging, junctions, and dead ends. For longer journeys, direct routes matter. People shouldn't have to “treasure hunt” every time they get on a bike and waste time going round the houses. This is especially a problem in Haringey Green Lanes, as there are few alternative routes available for North-South journeys anyway due to the New River and railways. I'd love for the council to build a pedestrian-cycle bridge somewhere along Eade Road, but we shouldn't hold our breath.
I highly recommend reading DFT's advice Cycle Infrastructure Design booklet. They outline 5 core design principles for good route design.Coherent - planned and designed to allow people to reach their day to day destinations easily, along routes that connect, are simple to navigate and are of a consistently high quality.
Direct - Cycle routes should be at least as direct – and preferably more direct – than those available for private motor vehicles.
Safe - Not only must cycle infrastructure be safe, it should also be perceived to be safe so that more people feel able to cycle.
Comfortable - Comfortable conditions for cycling require routes with good quality, well maintained - smooth surfaces, adequate width for the volume of users, minimal stopping and starting and avoiding steep gradient
Attractive - should help to deliver public spaces that are well designed and finished in attractive materials and be places that people want to spend time using.
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There's already an unofficial LTN in The Gardens Roads...just cycle there now you've got it sewn up/
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Barbara, what you are saying doesn't make any sense. In fact, you've picked a uniquely bad example of using back roads to avoid a main road, as it's physically impossible not to join Green Lanes when passing through the Gardens. The entire southern length is blocked by the GOBLIN railway line, and for that matter, the entire eastern length is blocked by St Ann's Hospital.
There are plans to create pedestrian and cycle access through the southwest corner of St Ann's in the new residential area that's currently under construction. I think if that's completed, we will see more journeys through the gardens but there will still be people needing to use green lanes for north-south journeys.
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From what others are saying you are wrong about this..there are plenty of ways to cycle ...AND you'll be fitter with the extra circuit!
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No, unfortunately, it is not possible. You can see the area here on Google Maps.
Please also understand that people are cycling to get to places. So routes must be direct. If you’re trying to get to work, school, or the shops, nobody wants to add extra distance every single trip just for the sake of “fitness". Every day transport should be direct, safe, and convenient. -
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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Please also understand that people are cycling to get to places. So routes must be direct.
Mark is right.
If they think of cycling at all, some die-hard car-owners think of cycling solely as a recreational activity and not as a task, travel or commuter activity.
The car-owner minority is unwittingly supported in this view by our über-conservative, New Labour Council.
When some elements of the council tried to encourage cycling, they used images of racing cycles, more suitable for the velodrome, rather than regular City or Dutch bikes, currently unsuitable to Green Lanes.
With the current crew, there is net-zero prospect of improvement.
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