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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Last October I raised the issue that possible street closures in surrounding areas would displace traffic our way. 

One of the areas was Crouch End.

A consultation for those living/working in the area is in progress and one of the options being consulted on is the closure to through traffic (except for buses, emergency vehicles and cyclists) of one or more major roads, such as The Broadway.

A traffic survey for the Crouch End project suggests such a change might mean 2000 more vehicles a day in both directions for Wightman.

Harringay residents can make their views known via the questionnaire.

To complete the questionnaire go to:

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/roads-and-stre...

After the initial section you can opt to only complete the one on traffic. The deadline is 2 February.

Postscript navigation note: (For oversized lorry stuck on Warham, see P14, here.)

Tags for Forum Posts: liveable crouch end, liveable neighbourhoods, oversize hgvs on warham, traffic

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Excellent points 

Thanks for the heads up, Hugh.

It should always be borne in mind that there is a difference between "consultation" which Adrian assures us will continue, and participation.  Participation allows you to take in the process whereas consultation simply means "I will listen but non necessarily take any account of what you say".  It is the right to be listened to but then ignored...

Has anyone written to local MPs about this? David Lammy only yesterday talking in Parliament about how certain gentrification making life worse for the people who live there. This Is a classic example of gentrification to an already gentrified area making life worse for people who live outside it. 

In response to Peters post below, In fairness to the Mayor it is worth noting that The Draft London Plan (link below) talks about:‘Borough-led traffic reduction strategies’

The operative word here is reduction, not redistribution, which is what is being proposed. Of course this is not easy but, as noted elsewhere, this is ultimately the only real solution.The plan also describes a ‘Healthy Streets’ approach and states: 'The Healthy Streets Approach outlined in this plan puts improving health and reducing health inequalities at the heart of planning London’s public space.'

It also gives some useful guidance on what is thought to constitute a ‘Healthy Street’. Needless to say, Wightman Road does not comply with any of them. So it is worth making the point that these proposals are contrary to London-wide guidance. Although the plan is still a draft it is already being implemented by most planning departments.

Relocation of traffic from High Streets to Residential Roads is not part of the plan and this is a dangerous precedent for other areas.

https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/draft_london_plan_-sh...

I will complete the questionnaire with the above in mind.

The plan's intention is modal shift ie reduction. It is the same principles as were applied to Waltham Forest and which worked there. I'm not saying that all the potential elements of the plan are sensible or will all work to get that modal shift but knee jerk reactions against aren't going to get you traffic reduction anywhere.

Few if any of the people here are offering knee-jerk reactions. The responses are ones born from experience and knowledge gained from that experience.

To gain acceptance, reassuring platitudes need to be replaced by plans for immediate mitigation. 

And the experience of modal shift happening in such schemes also come from decades of research of lived experiences all over the world. Perhaps Wightman Road should be a special case - what mitigation would you suggest from your experience?

I’ve already said, all the potential solutions for Crouch End were suggested for Wightman and rejected due to traffic displacement to Crouch End. So the two areas need to be treated as one and the same solutions applied. 

For all the good intentions that I’m sure underpin it, I find the following from today’s Haringey Living Streets newsletter a little worrisome:

If Haringey is going to secure any future funding for Liveable Neighbourhood Schemes across the borough from TFL, we need to show that we can make the Crouch End Scheme a success.

What will success look like? Will it be measured on boroughwide impact or a more convenient set of criteria focussed on Crouch End? There are hints here of political pressure to present a project that looks good rather than one that satisfies the borough’s needs. 

Hugh, a successful scheme doesn’t simply displace traffic from CE to elsewhere. By TFLs criteria that would constitute a failure. I absolutely share your concerns about Wightman becoming worse but if it does (and personally I’m inclined to think it won’t but it will take 6months/1year to settle down) then the scheme is a failure. Simple as that. The main concern is that Haringey does not have a team of officers capable of delivering such a scheme. When tfl realise this (word is they already know) they will step in to guide the scheme alongside project centre.

Your post to my ears is simply the result of years of having to put up with poor engagement and unsatisfactory responses from a Council too eager to please commuters and traders at the expense of residents.

A project that looks good but doesn’t deliver modal shift and traffic reduction without causing displacement is a failure.

Worry about lots in Haringey and indeed worry about the current shambolic compromise on Wightman, but please  don’t worry about that sentence...

Talking about the traders' position on all of this, what exactly is it they want? The ability to park their Mercs, Porsches, 4x4s, SUVs and assorted other blingmobiles right outside their shops or is it delivery/loading issues? Or is it the handful of people who still window-shop by car (yes. that still happens in Harringay Green Lanes when it has pretty much died out in most of the rest of London)? 

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