In my last post on this subject which covered the first meeting, I wrote "This really is a great opportunity to make some significant quality of life enhancing changes to our neighbourhood."
That meeting was on 13th October. Last week, on 24th, there was a follow up meeting. We were presented with a summary of the first meeting interpreting what the consultants described as "what people think they want". (Yup, I picked them up on that one.).
You'll see the range of ideas covered is quite broad, but then we were encouraged to be broad. We were also told to think about plans for the Green Lanes Corridor, not just the road itself.
At last week's meeting we were presented with three plans. Copies of the diagrams representing them are attached below. In each case I was at pains to get a very clear articulation from the consultants of what the objective is for each plan. I have recorded these below. The plans are:
1. Duckett's Common
Primary objective: Though not clear from the diagram, the primary objective is "to create a safer" pedestrian crossing at Frobisher Road".
Secondary objective: To create more public space (in the area opposite the Queen's head, by moving the point that the feeder road from West Green Road joins Green Lanes).
2. Salisbury/Warham Street improvements
Primary objective: "a better shopping environment"
This plan involves widening pavements between Hewitt and Warham. Buses will be prioritised. This will have the effect of constricting the flow of all other traffic along Green Lanes.
3. Sainsbury's
Primary objective: Ease traffic flow (by eating in to the Arena Car park sufficiently so as to 'indent' the bus stop)
Secondary objectives:
a. to make it easier for pedestrians to move about (through shifting crossing opposite McDonalds to north of the Bridge and by improving the crossing at the Green Lanes end of Williamson Road).
b. to improve the entrance to Harringay
So that's yer £1.2m gone. At the first meeting expectations were raised that the safety, quality of life and health issues created by high levels of traffic in residential streets could be addressed.
This time round - who knows why - all options on that score have been closed down.
I'm aware that the Green Lanes crossing at Frobisher has been a key concern for local people fro a number of years. So that one gets a tick from me. But, actually the major money in that plan will be spent creating a public space. Very nice; laudable idea, but this is in in an area where we already have public spaces Duckett's Common and Green Gate Common. More would be nice but are not a priority at that particular point. And for that reason, newpublicspace, you're fired.
Wider pavements and stuff between Hewitt & Warham. Again nice, but not my priority.
Moving the bus stop in? I can live with that as a reflection of resident's priorities. Since the council messed up that end of Harringay we've needed something improved. This will help somewhat. And I can see the sense of easing/changing pedestrian movements in that area. Sure why not.
So in summary I see a couple of nuggets that reflect what residents have said in several surveys that they want, but I don't see these plans taken as a whole as reflecting the priorities of local people.
Ach, who cares.....only £1.2m......it's not our money......let's just let them spend it how they want, eh.
Anyway, let's try something new to comment on & discuss this issue:
Vote and comment on the plans and add your own ideas here
Tags for Forum Posts: consultation, green lanes corridor, harringay regeneration 2012-13, traffic
A group of residents have worked together and produced a petition asking the council to include dealing with Ladder rat-running within the scope of the current TfL funding. From 15th December council have to respond to residents' petitions by law.
Read about the petition here.
I am yet to be convinced by this not because I don't like what it offers to me, sure I'd love it in terms of rat traffic reduction and quieter Ladder roads. I don't like pushing our problems to our neighbours which is in essence what is being proposed, no matter how you market it. There are the same amount of journeys using less roads around us, does that not surely mean more congestion?
'convinced by this', refers Jono's ideas?
btw: the petition isn't proposing those ideas necessarily. It's just asking that the council include some way of dealing with rat-running
I completely agree Jono but as much as I ask Dave in the OAE to put 1 1/2 pints in my pint pot, it never fits and it never will much to my disappointment. I know there's no perfect or easy solution and I welcome any potential consultation with the council.
To correct your dissection of my analogy, we'd build more roads. We certainly don't want that, we want less volume of traffic all over.
@B2, you drink the pint while he waits and then he puts another half in when you're ready. That analogy even works for the traffic. Currently traffic volumes are "hidden" on ladder rung roads at peak times.
I've inclined to agree Birdy because I still feel very annoyed about the impact of the Gardens' closure all these years later, even though I perfectly understand why the people who live there wanted it done. Unless overall traffic is reduced, which seems unlikely, closing off roads just pushes the problem elsewhere and there is too much traffic everywhere already. I don't think the prospect of heavy traffic stops most people driving - look at Saturdays and Sundays on GL. Hmm - maybe we could close down Sainsubry's and the Arena estate...
I'd be happy to sign a petition to get rid of cars/traffic/sainsbury's, etc.
Probably planners would think this total fantasy and unlikely, but I'd certainly sign it nevertheless! I don't like to not to take action just because it seems or people say it's impossible so hope you do one!
In the meantime, it seems far more likely and realistic that planners should entertain action on these points: either those mentioned here, with variations as suggested to take care of your concerns.
@Maddy, more than 2/3rds of the traffic that uses the ladder is trying to get across the railway. They mostly go over by Finsbury Park or under at Turnpike Lane in the end, it's just a question of where they queue.
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