Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cycling Along Wightman - What We Found Out at Monday's Bike Breakfast
There was an enthusiastic response to Monday’s Bike Breakfast on Wightman Road organised by Living Wightman and Haringey Cyclists. The event was part of national bike week, an annual opportunity to promote cycling and show how getting on your bike can easily be a part of everyday life.
We were delighted that Joanne McCartney, London’s Deputy Mayor, Peray Ahmet, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for the Environment and Emine Ibrahim one of our local Harringay Councillors joined us to celebrate national bike week and came along to hear what a positive difference the bridge closure is making to cyclists from across Haringey.
What we Found Out
Well over 300 cyclists use Wightman between 7:30 am – 9:30 am each day to commute to work. This means 300+ less people driving to work or adding to crowds on public transport, benefiting everyone.
Haringey Cyclists pointed out
‘A safe, low-traffic Wightman Road could provide a key part of a strategic cycle route connecting Haringey with Barnet and Enfield to the north, Hackney and Islington to the south, and beyond.’
It was interesting to learn where people began their commute, here's where people started
Area |
% |
Hornsey/North Ladder |
42.6% |
Finsbury Park/South Ladder |
23.4% |
South Tottenham & Wood Green |
13.7% |
Enfield |
8.5% |
Barnet |
4.3% |
Muswell Hill |
2.1% |
Stoke Newington |
2.1 % |
Islington |
2.1% |
Waterloo |
2.1 % |
Equally interesting was where they cycled to
Area |
% |
City |
34.0% |
Islington |
14.9% |
East London |
12.8% |
West End |
12.8% |
Camden Town |
6.4% |
South London |
6.4% |
Ladder |
4.3% |
Euston |
4.3% |
Finsbury Park |
2.1% |
Wood Green |
2.1% |
Cyclists told us about their journey through Harringay. Our survey found that 96% of cyclists would prefer Wightman Road to remain a very low traffic road, as it is now, with 4% as yet undecided what the best solution going forward is. It was inspirational to hear stories from cyclist of how removing through motor traffic from this road has transformed their lives for the better.
Before the bridge works cyclists said they found Wightman Road dangerous and 72% said that the main benefit of the current arrangement is increased safety.
Tom one of the cyclists we surveyed said
‘Huge difference, every day. Despite travelling to and from central London every day, Wightman road was the obviously dangerous and threatening part of my journey in each direction. Cars would only pass dangerously close to me as I would cycle and drive concerningly close to me if they could not pass.’
Cyclists also mentioned that their cycle was far more quiet and pleasant, quicker and less polluted. They had noticed more children playing and cycling and the local community enjoying their street.
Even in the short time since the closure,16% of cyclists had shifted their journey from Green Lanes and 4% had shifted from public transport or driving to cycling their commute since the bridge works.
Our Vision
One reason for retaining a low traffic route, perhaps similar to the current configuration is that Wightman could then be promoted as a safe cycling route. It would become part of a 4mile+ safe cycle route through Alexandra Park along Wightman and through Finsbury park, linking Muswell Hill and Alexandra Park to Central London. More people locally and further afield would be encouraged to give up their car commute. This is one example of how Living Wightman’s vision is about improving the people’s lives locally and in other areas of Haringey and in other London boroughs too.
We’ve noticed dozens of children enjoying the chance to cycle safely along Wightman to school.
Whilst this has immediate benefits, it also lays the foundation for cycling into adulthood, by increasing confidence on the roads.
As one mother on Harringay Online has previously said
‘The Wightman closure has greatly improved our cycle ride to school. My kid is delighted at being able to ride on the road, there’s no way I would allow him/her to cycle on this road if it was open to traffic, even with my supervision.’
We appreciate that the traffic at peak times and during the weekends, especially on Green Lanes and Turnpike Lane is currently creating longer journey times for car and bus users. Living Wightman is also campaigning for solutions to reduce these. We believe it’s particularly important to get the buses moving. There has always been a problem with bus journey times in the area and the Harringay traffic review and our campaign presents us with an opportunity to improve these. We’re confident a lot can be done. Whilst traffic experts are the people who need to identify what will work best, the positive, wide ranging ideas generated by Justin Guest's post about possible solutions is also just what we need.
Meanwhile let’s recognise that the bridge works have taken hundreds of cyclists out of danger and encouraged our children to cycle and celebrate that.
Tags for Forum Posts: cycling, schools, traffic, wightman bridge closure, wightman road
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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The government's 2007 document "Manual for Streets" contains advice for designing and laying out new residential areas. Basically it says that all new residential streets should be cul de sacs so that the only vehicles on them are going to or from addresses on those streets (or to put it another way - residential streets are for residents). The Harringay ladder streets were designed in the 1880s with exactly the same sentiment but it wasn't necessary to make them cul de sacs because motor traffic didn't exist. So I think, Antoinette, that we fundamantally disagree, as you put it. The same document tries also to deal with the consequences of the dreadful messes that arise from the floods of traffic that blight residential streets which just happen to be open at both ends. Is there any wonder that so many residents' groups have found ways of keeping the blighters out. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/manual-for-streets
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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But we're not talking about "new" residential areas, we are talking about a huge urban conurbation that has grown organically over centuries. In effect, practically all London streets are "mixed use" not solely residential. In Haringey we have the added problem of physical barriers which restrict the flow of traffic - railways, canals, large parks etc. We wouldn't allow a private property developer to close a public footpath with a historic right of way. Why do we think it's alright to close off public highways for the sole benefit of residents?
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Permalink Reply by JoeW on
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Honestly I do admire the logical consistency but I'm afraid SDG will disregard your views as an "outlier" when coming to analyse the feedback from the Transport Study. They fly in the face of maybe 400 years of traffic planning.
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I found that manual recently too Dick, makes interesting reading. There's a bit where it talks about when traffic levels rise above 100 vehicles per hour people start regarding it as a "road to be crossed" rather than part of their habitat. The average level of traffic on the Ladder rungs is about 40% higher than that - the volume of traffic on Wightman itself is probably 16 times higher.
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So what is your suggestion to make cycling and walking possible and safe on these roads (which are the majority and aren't designed for rat running?
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Permalink Reply by Nick on
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The closure benefits a tiny minority while the rest of Harringay suffers hugely increased traffic, longer journey times, and more pollution.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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How can there be "more pollution" with such a massive drop off in traffic? I wish the maths work that JoeW put in was getting more of a look. I think if anything he's been conservative with his estimations so 210,000 vehicles a week, many of them also using Green Lanes.
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Because some of the traffic has been displaced to surrounding roads. Green Lanes in particular is now far more congested and slower moving than before.
Bus journeys have also been affected, so those relying on public transport have also been disadvantaged. Not everyone can or wants to ride a bike!
Wightman Road is a B road so cannot be a rat run. While it could be said the ladder roads are being used this way, looking at the traffic data shows that some of the ladder roads had fewer vehicles passing through than, say, Chesterfield Gardens, which is a not a through road.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Just to help you with some figures there, Nick. The count for Chesterfield Gardens was 800 vehicles a day. Only one Ladder road had fewer cars than that (unless you also include Atterbury Road with its eight houses).
As to Wightman Road's fate being sealed by it being a 'B' road, that's not a case I would argue. It was no more built to serve as a 'B' road than any of the other Ladder or Gardens roads were. Ex-Gardens resident Stephen has explained the planning mess-up that led to that designation.
There are arguments that could support a case against the complete closure of Wightman, but I'm afraid the mistaken happenstance of its classification and comparative traffic data between the Ladder and Gardens roads are certainly not amongst them.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Nick if you look at Chesterfield on the map you'll see it's the mid point of the Gardens. As the road leads no where but The Gardens I'd hazard a guess that the vehicles driving down there are doing so to access a Gardens property.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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Because instead of running their engines for ten minutes on a journey, vehicles are sitting in traffic for forty minutes, belching out pollution as they creep forward a few cars at a time. Honestly, have you walked along Green Lanes or Endymion Road recently? The air quality is pretty much awful at any time, very much worse than before - I have started taking massive detours when on foot to try and avoid breathing it in, but some people live on those roads and others have to use them for getting to and from work and school.
I'm all for trying to persuade people out of their cars, but it won't work if you can't guarantee the free movement of public transport. At the moment, it's simply not worth getting on a bus anywhere on Green Lanes - fine if, like me, you can walk it instead (and I may not be so keen on dark and wet winter evenings!) but hopeless if you don't have the option of walking or cycling, or need to move around for work.
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