Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
West Green Road Red Route Report
Some may remember a consultation about introducing a red route and other changes along West Green Road with a broad goal of speeding up buses.
The council appear to have been sitting on the results for 2 years now, based on this entry in their 'forward plan'. (https://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/mgListPlanItems.aspx?PlanId=655)
As I understand, there were some controversial elements in the plan, which I won't go into personally, which I guess have made this decision tricky for whatever reason. However, it seems to mean that uncontroversial (I think?) elements, such as having a right turn lane and right filter phase on the lights at Belmont Road/West Green Road have not been done.
In the very earliest consultations about the West Green LTN (maybe 2022?) I and others had raised on the interactive map that this junction would become a problem. Whatever one's views on the LTNs generally are, I would have hoped that ensuring obstacles like this are cleared on the remaining through routes should have been a no-brainer but nothing is happening.
I would ask any councillors on here (I did not get any response to a direct email about this a while back) : why is there silence on this, and can some improvements (like this junction) be factored out and implemented if there are other sticking points?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Neil Ford
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Implemented by 2030? The council should send wardens down WGR to sort out the cars parked on double yellows. I can walk them through all the hot spots.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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which I guess have made this decision tricky for whatever reason.
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Due to the lack—and often the absence—of leadership, the default position is to avoid decisions or to tread quietly along the path of least resistance.
In practice this means no change and no action. Council employees have long dominated the Council. And possibly never more so than since last May when the election led to a Borough with no overall (political) control.
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There doesn’t seem to be any plan for active travel, tackling pollution, LTNs or improving buses. I’ve been to several meetings now and there is no plan, no process to develop a plan and no dates for any announcements or engagement. Depressing doesn’t begin to come close. Looks like Haringey and Harringay - are destined for 4 more years of inaction with more accidents, poor health and congestion.
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ACTIVE travel has been promoted fitfully by the municipal PR team but it has not enjoyed meaningful support from the Highwaymen.
Their paper on car-parking talked all around the subject, with something for everyone, especially present and future car-owners. Their big strategy paper lacked any sense of a coherent strategy, reflecting the chronic lack of political will.
At last count, there were 101 roads with official pavement-parking, evidence of Highways' loyalty to the car owners in our Borough. Labour always heard most clearly the voices of the car-owning minority.
The Highways Department is a bastion of conservatism. There has been active resistance to progress from this gatekeeper, through which any improvements would have to pass. As the delays, inaction and hand-wringing continue, traffic gets worse and our Borough falls further behind our neighbours.
Labour's previous Cabinet Members for Highways largely acted as mouthpieces for their "officers". Can the new Green Cabinet break the long-term log-jam?
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