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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I was just wondering this week how the other ladder roads are being affecting by the current Wightman closure.  Are any road benefiting more than others or suffering more traffic.  It would be really interesting to know as I have always thought that Wightman Road is the key to finding a solution the traffic issue on the ladder.

The traffic situation seems much calmer on Endymion both in the morning and evening and I walked down Green Lanes this morning about 7.30am and it didn't seem any more congested than normal (before the closure of WR). I appreciate that there are still issues with the traffic on Hornsey High Street coming down to Turnpike Lane.

Tags for Forum Posts: traffic, wightman bridge, wightman bridge closure

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Not sure how you interpret asking a question as putting words in your mouth....

Hello - not everyone is fit enough/ young enough/ cycle savvy enough to ride a bike on London roads John.  There are many of us for whom it's not an option. 

"The traffic HAS NOT GONE AWAY it has been displaced into surrounding areas causing HUGE problems within a 2-3 mile radius."  Not entirely sure that's right Sapphireblue - for example the good folk who live on Hornsey Park Road have seen a huge drop in traffic. They don't think it's a "nightmare". They think it's a lovely dream as their traffic really has gone away. 

But you're right, if you're heading to Crouch End from Green Lanes direction I'd imagine it's horrible. Clearly lots of happy winners as well as angry losers from this closure. For me, it's sort of balanced out, shorter journeys out but longer back.

I do share the concerns of those annoyed and inconvenienced by traffic movements in the centre of borough over the past few months, but it's inaccurate to say its all down to the Wightman Road closure. In fact the restriction of traffic is caused by a number of road closures. In the immediate vicinity traffic flow is restricted by closures or one-way flows throughout Hornsey Park, in the Gardens roads, on  Harringay Road and on Hermitage Road. Each has an effect on the problems we're all now facing. The Wightman closure is just one road on the list. I suspect that its closure alone is not the only or even the main cause. I wonder how the traffic would have flowed had the other closures been lifted for the interim along the closure of Wightman being made less restrictive

The Oddly named "Green Lanes Traffic Study" is looking at traffic flows throughout Harringay (including a short stretch of Green Lanes) and its impact on neighbouring areas. I'm sure they'll make some useful recommendations. A key principle is supposed to be equity in burden sharing and quality of life as it is affected by traffic flows. This might mean compromises all round such that traffic flows resume on all roads that are currently closed but it is better managed so as to be tolerable to all. 

Look if some are young and fit enough to use bicycles go ahead.  Many of us have a range of health issues and age issues that make it impossible.  I got a bike a few years ago -  rode it to Newington Green one day.  The gave it to the kids next door.  I was either going to cause an accident or the 141 was gonna run me down.  So don't keep telling me what I can do with a bike ffs. Bicycle riders can be very smug and righteous. 

Putting that aside I use buses or my car.  Before all the traffic filtered off Green Lanes,  dispersed over 20? ladder roads -  no huge problem for most ladder roads.  It's a myth that now Ladder residents are all happy with their nice quiet roads.  Not the ones I speak to.  It's driving them mad too.  Before,  they drove up their ladder Road and then left to Stroud Green,  right to WG to park round back of shopping city or easy driving to Crouch End,  Muswell Hill,  Ally Pally whatever.  Not anymore they're as trapped as the rest of us.  Worse.  They HAVE to go down to Green Lanes now.  No choice.  I at least can turn right out of Harringay Gdns and 500 metres later turn right into West Green Road to escape in one direction at least.  Imagine coming out of Warner,  smack bang into gridlocked Green Lanes.  Both ways. You'll be sitting there fuming for half an hour (or more),  unable to get anywhere.  Better for the ladder residents?  I don't think so,  the ones I know are going nuts. 

And then there's traffic noise and air pollution. . . anyone thought of that?  Nice up in Wightman Road is it?  Not in Green Lanes or any ladder or Gardens Road near it.  A heavy fugg of exhaust fumes lays over OUR roads.  Councillors I've spoken to seem to live on another planet.  THEY'RE  FIXING THE Bridge near to MANOR HOUSE! And they shut Wightman (and all the other ladder roads,  none of which are anywhere near that brdge.  The chaos caused is phenomenal. Whose bright idea was  it to close the WHOLE of Wightman  Rd.. I have to hold my hands up,  I didnt attend the public consultations.  I didnt hear a loud clamour of publicity about it. May  I was too busy or deaf.  But I'd  like another one now.  I've heard the councillors explanations.  I don't buy them.  This bridge closure is not good for ANYONE I know.  I mean really if you want to live in a quiet empty Road,  perhaps not to live in London and certainly you wouldn't choose Wightman Road as the place to buy/rent a property would you? And some people are talking as if it's all a minor inconvenience we have to put up with for 5 months. Hello! Its a nightmare.  5 months?  does anyone really believe they'll stick to the timetable,?  it'll  all be done in 5 months?  Planet cuckoo land...  Oh and they're doing a survey are they?  Oh that is reassuring.  I'll remember  that next time I'm  gridlocked above Turnpike Lane taking 45-60 mins to get home from Hornsey Library.  A journey that used to take 10-15 minutes. Good one that,  a survey... Oh that's alright then... 

Can you please go back and read the other threads where the "why did they close the whole road?" issue has been explained quite well?

Give me convenience or give me death eh?

That explains why West Green Road has even more traffic than it usually does, so yes we're all effected.  

The solution is again cycling infrastructure. No buses to run anyone down. 

Tris, it will surely comfort you to know that I have taken the trouble to look at the data. Sadly that means I will have to forgo the pleasure of a surprise.

I'm not jumping the gun at this stage and making any specific suggestions as to any solutions. I'm simply pointing out that the traffic issues in Harringay right now are not the results of a single traffic management act. They are the culmination of a series of acts.

The reason I referred to the traffic study is because it is being conducted by a group of experts and I expect them to come up with workable solutions for us all to discuss. It would be 'utterly daft' of us to pretend that we have the expertise to do so. It sounds like you agree with the basic principles on which the study is being run. 

No I'm not dodging anything, Tris. Read what I first wrote. 

This might mean compromises all round such that traffic flows resume on all roads that are currently closed but it is better managed so as to be tolerable to all. 

Nowhere have I suggested the re-opening any of the roads, including Wightman, without regard to the principle underpinning the study and only then when we have received and digested the opinions of the traffic experts currently working on the issue. I think my opinion on the future of Hermitage Road and on all the other roads is clear.

@ Tris -Would you agree that Wightman Rd is primarily residential ?

I wasn't sure what you meant. Presumably that it would be utterly daft to re-open Wightman Rd too ?

I could live with that

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