Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Wightman Road now feels far more dangerous to cross
I know the work hasn't finished yet and I've been trying to hold off passing judgment until the road updates are complete but I just cannot see how these changes are an improvement.
I used to cross the road a lot using the island by Mattison Road. I have a two year old with limited road sense and right now I'm heavily pregnant. Trying to cross the road with my son and bags is a total nightmare! Before I just needed to look one way at a time - now I need to check for traffic going both ways and coming out of Mattison Road too. I find it quite stressful!
I don't feel confident weaving between traffic when it slows for a chicane because your view is blocked and I worry that a moped might be weaving through so end up waiting for ages to cross. Motorists are too busy trying to navigate the road to also look out for pedestrians.
On top of that - all the queuing traffic makes the road feel busier, even if there are fewer cars and the amount of angry beeping I hear now has definitely gone up! (although I appreciate there are still temporary traffic lights further down so perhaps this will improve)
What options do we have to lobby the council to make further changes? I wrote to express my concerns about the 'informal crossing' points when they sent details of the road changes but that had no impact. I feel like a few zebra crossing at key points along the road could help - especially where lots of kids are crossing i.e. at Mattison or Pemberton near the school.
But what is most effective way to get the council to listen? Emails and complaints to local councils and councillors might elicit responses - but actual action?
And more to the point - does anyone else share this concern?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on
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From a post elsewhere in this thread:
I also find driving through Wightman much more stressful than before. I now prefer to get stuck in Green Lanes traffic than endure the stress of navigating the narrowings of the road with dangerously inadequate markings. There are too many of them and hardly visible, especially in the dark.
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Wholeheartedly agree with the markings thing.
I mentioned in another thread that I don’t think it’d fix everything, but for a perfect example of how unfinished this is just go and stand by Fairland Park at the top of Fairfax for five minutes...
Here, the physical infrastructure is in, but the pavement parking hasn’t yet been stopped and the road markings haven’t changed. It basically gives road users the worst of before and after.
The snarl ups there are much worse than anywhere else on the road, in my experience.
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Permalink Reply by TTTH on
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Hi Genevieve I feel your pain. I've also noticed that it has got worse on Alroy Road (on the southern end of Wightman Road) as well. This a straight road and cars accelerate along it from the junction with Endymion Road. Removing cars on one side as facilitated this further. We do not benefit from chicaning, however during the consultation I did question the lengths of roads between the chicanes on Wightman Road. Would this be sufficient to slow traffic or would vehicles simply accelerate between them? The latter seems to have happened so they need to remedy this. We may have a transport planner or consultant on Harringayonline who would be able to comment on this better. I note you have Mahama details however you can complain to Haringey Council directly about the situation and take it as high as the Ombudsman. I did that with the roundabout on Endymion road and had a successful outcome. I would definitely recommend it. Another successful way is to take it to the local paper, get the disability forum, primary schools and local councillors involved. Nothing better than direct action!
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I entirely agree with everyone. I think that there are too many of these , I also think that slowing the traffic as it is now is terrible for the environment and adds to the filth our children are already breathing.
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Permalink Reply by Pat on
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Horrible for cycling. I have started cycling on the pavement on certain stretches, especially going north bound by the railway bridge. I know I shouldn’t, but it’s a lot safer than getting hit by a car
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I have started cycling on the pavement
It's not a lot safer for PEDestrian residents who have a right to their unimPEDed FOOTpaths which, you may have noticed, have been stolen from us for years by parked four-wheelers. Admitting that you know you shouldn't does not absolve you from your two-wheeled trespass of our FOOTways. DON'T !
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I think you need typing lessons. You seem to keep getting caps lock stuck. Or maybe a new keyboard. Online rants will really make people change their minds. Also context. I cycle on the pavement on certain stretches but always make sure that I am not endangering any pedestrians. But please do rant away. Very helpful and makes me smile.
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I must say that I do not approve of cycling on pavements but safety comes first for both cyclist and pedestrians and most cyclist are careful when on pedestrian pavement, I am biased because my children ( one of which is a GP) tell me that sometimes they are forced on pedestrian pavement for safety reasons, and frankly I prefer that than dead bodies on the road. Maybe Haringey could spend money making cycling and walking safer rather than making driving more dangerous . The chicanes do not seem to have any sense at all except that maybe a bright light in the council wanted to leave his mark regardless of anything else. Haringey should take more attention to the pollution and noise pollution coming from motorbikes, that would be money better spent
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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The whole object of the Wightman road works was to make walking and cycling safer. Good intentions but, boy, did they get it wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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They do have the same option as the rest of us. They can walk any stretch they feel to be dangerous wheeling their cycles. It's not only motorists who should obey the law.
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Permalink Reply by DavidJ on
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Sure - but it is a symptom of an utter design failure that cyclists should feel the need to get off the road. How much did this all cost??
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If there is a pedestrian on the pavement. I do walk the bike when I have needed to go on the pavement. Going on the pavement is not ideal but is a last resort.
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