Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey Left Behind (Again) as Hackney Announce Plans for Segregated Cycle Track for Green Lanes
Image: geograph.org
While Haringey Council faffs around with its almost universally unpopular scheme to divert traffic from Crouch End to Harringay, Hackney Council is getting on with the real work of creating a transport system fit for the future.
Hackney Council has announced that it wants to transform its section of Green Lanes to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The proposals include adding a cycle track between Newington Green and Manor House, as well as narrowing roads to reduce traffic speed, "floating bus stops" and raised continuous pavements.
Hackney Transport chief Cllr Jon Burke said: "Green Lanes forms a key route for people travelling in the borough, but at the moment it's a hostile environment dominated by cars. We want to transform it for walking and cycling, so we can encourage more people to travel cheaply and sustainably, improving the quality of London's toxic air and reducing our reliance on polluting vehicles. I'd urge people to have their say on the proposals."
Subject to consultation, the scheme would be delivered in two phases. This consultation relates to the first phase of proposals between Petherton Road and Woodberry Grove.
Consultation on a second stage will take place later this year.
The Council says it is relying on funding bids for the project, so if it doesn't achieve full funding it would have to carry out the work in stages.
View the plans at consultation.hackney.gov.uk/streetscene/green-lanes.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rory on
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Does anyone know *why* Haringey Council appears to show such little regard for its residents in this regard compared to neighbouring councils? Is it historical? Does it not have personnel in place? It's very Labour which usually means it would be expected to be pro this sort of thing, but policies here seem more Tory laissez faire, business first. What's going on that it's so far behind?
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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They drive in from the home counties to claim the London Weighting. Also the local churches are very concerned that their parishioners are able to drive to worship...
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My impression, at least in the Green Lanes area is that for whatever reason the council is more concerned with trying to keep business owners happy than residents and business owners vastly over-estimate how much of their business comes from people who drive.
Over the years this has given rise to things such as proposals for 30 minutes free parking, removing the bus lane on Green Lanes to create parking, offering free parking to promote small businesses, etc
Why the priority is business owners rather than residents I have no idea.
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And re-allocating some residential parking on side streets off Turnpike Lane as short stay shoppers parking after complaints from Turnpike Lane traders about congestion, because encouraging more people to drive to Turnpike Lane will solve that problem for sure, definitely this time.
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I've tried to ask directly but I get no response after multiple emails over two months
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I for one think it's a shame that we are carving up our streets to accommodate cycle lanes but suspect I will be in a very small minority. The saddest thing is the need to remove the effect of harmful car emissions is totally offset by reducing the capacity of the roads with this pie in the sky thinking that everyone is suddenly going to switch to two wheeled commuting. I would prefer to see better traffic management to keep traffic moving and some concessions for two wheeled vehicles but we all know councils don't have anything but one agenda for motor vehicles, and that is to punish them and keep punishing.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest on
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If you have ever cycled you will understand the fear that a tonne and half of steel moving at 30+MPH instills in you as it whips past you on a sunny day. Add in rain, pot hols, a lack of daylight etc and let your imagination run riot. This is not about punishing cars, its about leveling the playing field some what.
I have talked to a number of (especially) women who are increasingly fearful on the road, and in several cases now cycling less. Unless we make these spaces safer no one is going to want to give up the advantage that tonne and half of warm, closeted, safety bagged, and crunch point designed steel offers them!
The key to this Godfrey is that we cannot all always do what we want with no regard to its impact on others- so if you are in a car and feeling mildly disadvantaged by proposals like this try to think what the person on two small wheels may be feeling as you ease past them.
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I was a cycle courier for 3 years so yes I understand how it feels to be vulnerable. And putting food on the table was dependant on me cycling in bad weather, around pot holes, in bad lighting etc.
Talking about safety, I find it absolutely incredible in this day an age you can obtain a bicycle and without any training, no accountability for ability, eyesight, suitability for being on a public highway, that you do not have to have a licence or insurance to ride on the road.
You can make an error in judgement and end up underneath a vehicle but no one will question whether it was the cyclists fault or not and even if it is proved the cyclist made an error, the fact they have no accountability is staggering.
In regards to your last point I always treat cyclist with as much respect as I can but it isn't always reciprocated. Every cyclist who ignores a red light is sending a signal, we don't respect our fellow road users, but expect to be respected themselves. This has to stop.
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The two basic reasons for this are that a bicycle is extremely unlikely to kill or seriously injure someone and that incidents are so rare that maintaining a database of bikes, owners, insurance, etc would cost far more than its benefits. I'm not sure whether any country in the world bothers with that.
You can make an error in judgement and end up underneath a vehicle but no one will question whether it was the cyclists fault or not and even if it is proved the cyclist made an error, the fact they have no accountability is staggering.
I'm not really sure what you mean here. It is very much questioned whether it is the cyclist's fault with court cases, inquests, etc. If it is the cyclist's fault then they are accountable just like a pedestrian or whoever would be.
A much more sensible option is to design out conflict.
As for your last comment, you seem to have forgotten to mention the lack of respect that car drivers show with speeding, jumping lights, parking on pavements, etc. Obviously these activities don't just show a lack of respect, they also result in far more deaths and serious injuries than cyclists jumping red lights.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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Bicycles in Belgium and their owners have to be registered and carry a metal identification plate. A simple computer database costs very little.
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Interesting, looks like they did used to have a scheme but it was abandoned in the 80s. I wonder why that was.
A database in itself is cheap. Making sure that it's up to date and accurate is not.
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Godfrey, I am with you on cycle lanes. They are a waste of money. What is not a waste of money is rigorously enforced 20mph speed limits in London, rules forbidding vehicles from over taking one another, banning of petrol driven 2 wheel vehicles and hefty fines.
The "switch to two wheeled commuting" is well advanced. More than half of journeys into the city of London were by cycle as early as 2010. The word you are looking for is micromobility.
Enjoy your traffic jam.
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