Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Time to improve area below dangerous Hornsey Railway bridge
If you have a moment and would like to help push for a permanent improvement under the Hornsey Railway bridge that would give us wider pavements, proper cycle lanes and slower traffic have a look at the Parkside Malvern Residents Association website where more details are posted and leave a message. Although driven by the above residents association this unpleasant underpass affects many of us on the Ladder travelling to Hornsey, Muswell Hill, Ally Pally, Crouch End etc. and vice versa of course. Thank you!
http://www.pmra.co.uk/2013/03/14/time-to-improve-area-below-dangero...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Between the bottom of Finsbury Park and the North Circular there are effectively five single lane crossings of the Great North Eastern Railway. Anything that looks like two lanes actually has a bus lane. A lot of the traffic we get on the ladder is actually headed east/west and just uses Wightman Rd to run alongside the railway until it can cross over. I notice that the traffic lights are phased very generously for coming under this bridge from Crouch End and making a right hand turn onto Wightman Rd and vice versa coming out. They could restrict a lot of the traffic just by changing the phasing on the lights, it does not require £800,000. I'd be very curious to see what impact the current lane narrowing is having.
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Permalink Reply by Charlotte on
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The impact of narrowing the lanes would be enormously positive. Nobody says that would have to be spent only that the money is available. Try to walk your kids under the railway bridge or cycle with them, or even try to do it on your own, and you will immediately understand why more room is required for pedestrians and cyclists. I have had horrific experiences and seen awful things too. The traffic travels far too fast - and there is only 50 yards of buslane which is only in use for 3 hours.
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I'm not disagreeing with your post. I have done all these things you suggest I do and mostly I prefer to go over the railway bridge at Hornsey station unless we're on bikes. In fact on bikes we just go straight across and through the tunnel at the top of Coburg Rd under the railway. You're right, it's nasty goin under this bridge if you're on a bike or a pedestrian but we do have alternatives and the traffic doesn't have many at all.
I honestly, honestly sympathise and would support choking off traffic here as it will cause traffic jams on the ladder (well, even worse ones) and that is the only thing that will stop people driving.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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None at all, as far as I can see John. Traffic seems to be flowing quite well. I see no need for two lanes east - west under the bridge as Turnpike Lane is reduced to a single lane immediately afterwards.
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Turnpike Lane is.... but as I said, there's a very generous allowance for turning right up Wightman Rd and a lot of traffic also turns left along Hornsey Park Rd.
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I live on the Ladder now and have the choice off going over the station, but carrying my bike over the station is quite a killer. Why should we (all Haringey residents) not be able to cycle safely under the railway bridge? Haringey and Boris argue for more cycling, but our roads must be made safer. Before buying a house on the Ladder I lived for 20 years in the Hornsey Park area and my son went to school at St Mary's infant school so we had to do the walk daily under the bridge. I would hate to do that now with the additional London Concrete lorries as I feel terrified each time I cycle there. If you are using your bike as a mode of transport rather than a weekend family outing then making the journey to Coburg Road each time you want to cross the railway doen't make sense and I certainly wouldn't want to do that in the dark! Anyway, I don't really want to argue about it. As my note said some of our fellow residents are trying to do something about it and were seeking comments on their website either way. So John M you might want to add a note of why you are pro the stretch of two lane traffic and John D you might want to add your comment. Appreciate your interest.
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Charlotte:
I don't know what I can add, except to reiterate that I support the idea of widening the pavements, and introducing cycle lanes if there is room. Going west under the bridge already leads to a single lane so no problem there. Most drivers going east fail to notice that the bus lane is in operation for restricted hours only and squeeze into a single file at all times of the day.
ps - Oh you meant add to the website. Done :)
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Thanks. I am not a member of the residents association and have never been. However, I was made aware of their efforts re the bridge and thought I would post on HOL. I shall draw attention to our discussion for their information. Best regards.
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Thank you very much for your comments. As far as I know there are no current plans for a cycle lane, but there should be one..... The current works could act as a case study for narrowing the road/slowing the car speed down so that someone doesn't have to loose their life first. Please check the link above. This residents group has done a fantastic job planting around the Turnpike Lane/Wightman/Hornsey Park junction so it would be great if we could help them on their initiatives to make the journey under the railway safer and less unpleasant.
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Well, now that I have been to have a look, I wonder if there isn’t a bit of exaggeration going on here. The pavements under the bridge are already wider than the average round here
( certainly wider than those on Wightman Rd.)Cycle lanes would ne nice though.
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Permalink Reply by Isabelle on
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I go under that bridge a lot and agree that it is a long creepy stretch, I walk/ride/drive so had the full experience. Cars don't always see cyclists and also often drive too fast, cyclists grow eyes on their backs or climb onto pavements, pedestrians navigate through falling drips while holding their breath because of car fumes etc – in fact I, who never run, actually trot along as fast as I can in order to make it quicker! I don't do this anywhere else. Very aware that vulnerable people could be run over or attacked with no one helping or witnessing the event.
But I disagree on most comments here about car lanes and traffic lights. The main issues are that a] cars are driven too aggressively and b] the under bridge is unsafe and unhealthy anyway, even without cars. Leave the traffic lights alone, they work fine and they're not the problem. And if you hate cars and drivers, you're on the wrong forum. Clean the bridge, seal it, brighten it, decorate it, add safety bollards or screens or else onto the pavements, force cars to slow down before and after the bridge… and we're there.
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