Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Imagining Possible Futures for Wightman Road
With all the attention on the benefits and disbenefits of the current closure of Wightman Road , we haven’t yet spent much time thinking about what the future of Wightman Road might be. With both the current closure and traffic study, now is the ideal time for us to start that process.
I should perhaps begin by saying that I write in full knowledge of the problems caused by the current closure, including the significant impact on some businesses and longer queues at some ‘pinch points’ especially at ‘rush hour’. I’m also very aware that there is more traffic on some roads such as Hornsey High Street, Green Lanes and Turnpike Lane as well as other roads further afield. Alleviating those problems needs to remain uppermost in our minds.
It seems like the most discussed longer-term solution to Wightman Road’s woes locally is permanent closure. Could limiting access, in the current way be the best solution to the danger, pollution and noise caused by the traffic in the block of residential roads made up of Wightman and the ladder roads?
I was one of those who previously thought this was impractical. But now I’m beginning to question this assumption. I’ve been taken aback by seeing and hearing how significant a difference it’s making to people lives; small children cycling to school, cyclists calling out to each about how lovely it is, Wightman Roaders being able to open their windows for the first time, kids skateboarding, hearing birdsong, walking to the station actually being pleasant.
The dangerous pollution levels along Wightman Rd which breach EU limits presumably have been eliminated, taking significant numbers of people including children out of real danger. As others have said this option could also create a pleasant and safe cycling, jogging and walking route, not just for residents of the immediate area, but for a wider group of people across Haringey and beyond.
The other reason for my change of heart is that as time goes on, the level of negative impact gives cause for hope that it may be possible to find good mitigating solutions for the traffic and pollution dispacement. Does anyone have any ideas about what could be done in the surrounding area to help buses flow or/and avoid traffic queues? Can anything be done about the pollution in Turnpike Lane and Green Lanes? What else would we need to think about?
If permanent closure is not the answer, it will be gut-wrenching just to go back to the old status quo and I think the Council will have a fierce fight on its hands if it wants to do that. So what other possible solutions are there that might both allow for an improved quality of life but allow some traffic flow to other Haringey residents? I’ve read elsewhere on HoL about the idea of road-pricing, or limiting access to HGVs. What could we do to drastically reduce cross London traffic rat-running along Wightman and the Ladder roads, yet still permit some access to more local traffic?
Is permanent closure the only option or is there another way?
Tags for Forum Posts: harringay traffic study, traffic, wightman bridge closure, wightman road
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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The technology to do congestion charging is here. After opening up Wightman Rd again we could, with just a few cameras, charge people for using it. The problem for some will be that once you own a car, it's cheaper than other modes of transport because you don't directly pay for the roads.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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It's not that easy John. A London congestion charge zone was first mooted in the Smeed report in 1964 and it took until 1999 (35 years!) for Parliament to pass the Greater London Authority Act which gave the GLA the legal powers to make the zone and impose the charge. Even after that it was subject to endless challenges in court by, for instance, Westminster City Council.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Noooo not the A10. That would just poison us lot, the poorer cousins of N15/N17. Tottenham High Road is already at a standstill for much of its length through Seven Sisters beyond Bruce Grove. We did some tests of the air at 20 points around here last (?) month, the results should be back soon.
It's idling traffic that makes the most pollution, having it move at a steady 20mph is not nearly so dangerous.
There will be a review sometime "soon" of how the removal of the Tottnm Gyratory is working. I have a load of mostly small suggestions and some big ones which I've put in, what it needs is local expertise to go with walkabouts at peak times. So combine that when it happens with this fascinating Real Consultation™.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Alexander on
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Julia, you are right about all the current benefits both to Wightman Road residents and to residents on the other ladder roads. I would be very sad to go back to how things were before the closure – particularly as the traffic data has thrown up such horrific results in terms of vehicles using Wightman - I never expected it to be that bad (120,000 vehicles a week!). I think now with these results in their hand it would be a dereliction of duty if the council simply opened the road again in September without putting in some measures to reduce those numbers.
The fly in the ointment of course is the traffic problems that have occurred as a result of the closure and that would need Tfl and the council to look very closely at how to resolve them if a permanent closure could be considered. The junction at Wightman Road and Turnpike Lane could be reconfigured and the traffic light phasing could be juggled – there has to be a way to make this work.
When I say closure I don't mean that in its broadest sense. At the moment we have closure to through traffic running the whole length of Wightman but not a true closure in that traffic can still access any part of the ladder and Wightman. What we have now is a situation which makes using Wightman Road less attractive and less convenient.
Best case for Wightman would be to maintain the current "sectioning". Yes, its inconvenient for residents to get to Muswell Hill and Crouch End (me included) but it’s a trade off I would be prepared to live with for the vastly better quality of air, safety and life we are currently enjoying on Wightman.
Alternatively, take the parking off the pavement – I presume it was implemented to make the road more attractive to traffic and HGVs – let's change that. Cars parked back on the road would significantly narrow it. Perhaps alternate the parking in blocks on each side of the road to give a simple chicane effect – this would make the road far less attractive and make life for HGVs rat running through here difficult - hopefully they would soon get the message!
The traffic islands need to go – they are treacherous for cyclists as impatient drivers try to overtake them.
Narrow the road down at various points along its route – there are loads of ways to do this which still allow access for emergency vehicles.
Who remembers when the ladder roads were two way? I know there were problems but we avoided the area like the plague (we lived in Hackney at the time) because it was a nightmare trying to run the length of any road without having to back up. Perhaps that could be revisited but managed in a better way, passing places etc. Again, it's about making the area less desirable to through drivers.
Michael's map of other road closures/calming show that if there is the will it can happen and lessons need to be learned that simply making changes without considering the wider area and how that is affected isn't the way forward.
Above all we need to keep the discussions going, there are loads of great ideas coming up and different combinations may produce the solution.
The council needs to be brave and make some difficult but bold decisions – that will vastly improve the life of all Haringey and Harringay residents.
We simply can't go back to the way things were before and the council will have a fight on its hands if it things they can.
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Permalink Reply by AndrewAW1 on
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Are the traffic problems going to continue if roads are closed though. Green Lanes and Endymion Road are already looking a lot clearer than when the roads were first closed a few weeks ago.
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I've added all of the ideas up to and including Maggie's about Linden Road here
The Ladder looks pretty well hemmed in.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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That's great Michael. I love maps!
As a next stage, I wonder if it would be worth colour-coding those that we think might drive traffic on to Wightman Road/Ladder. Differentiating them from the others which don't really impact the area may help to isolate any issues.
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I'll give it a shot
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OK. I've colour coded those areas with a primary impact in blue. If you click on the area a little box should open with the rationale I've used for these. Please bear in mind that I'm not a driver so challenge where you think I might have got the wrong end of the stick
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Good job, though I'm not clear what the impact on the Ladder is of either the Woodlands Park or the Disraeli segment.
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I think guessing which closures are a problem for the ladder and colouring them differently is a mistake. Don't forget that there are many people coming from outside the M25 into places like Islington (local schools closed for snow in Hertfordshire anyone?) and so they have quite a bit of scope when it comes to their journey and so anything within Haringey is definitely a problem, as are the closures south of Finsbury Park.
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I suppose it's a question of what is in the scope of change and what isn't John. I agree that the problem starts at the north circular and beyond and also road closures etc. instituted by Hackney and Islington are major contributors but just getting local action from Haringey will be challenge enough for me!
The colour coding might/might not be helpful and I'm not at all precious about it so I'll go with what most people find most useful.
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