Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cycling Along Wightman - What We Found Out at Monday's Bike Breakfast
There was an enthusiastic response to Monday’s Bike Breakfast on Wightman Road organised by Living Wightman and Haringey Cyclists. The event was part of national bike week, an annual opportunity to promote cycling and show how getting on your bike can easily be a part of everyday life.
We were delighted that Joanne McCartney, London’s Deputy Mayor, Peray Ahmet, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for the Environment and Emine Ibrahim one of our local Harringay Councillors joined us to celebrate national bike week and came along to hear what a positive difference the bridge closure is making to cyclists from across Haringey.
What we Found Out
Well over 300 cyclists use Wightman between 7:30 am – 9:30 am each day to commute to work. This means 300+ less people driving to work or adding to crowds on public transport, benefiting everyone.
Haringey Cyclists pointed out
‘A safe, low-traffic Wightman Road could provide a key part of a strategic cycle route connecting Haringey with Barnet and Enfield to the north, Hackney and Islington to the south, and beyond.’
It was interesting to learn where people began their commute, here's where people started
Area |
% |
Hornsey/North Ladder |
42.6% |
Finsbury Park/South Ladder |
23.4% |
South Tottenham & Wood Green |
13.7% |
Enfield |
8.5% |
Barnet |
4.3% |
Muswell Hill |
2.1% |
Stoke Newington |
2.1 % |
Islington |
2.1% |
Waterloo |
2.1 % |
Equally interesting was where they cycled to
Area |
% |
City |
34.0% |
Islington |
14.9% |
East London |
12.8% |
West End |
12.8% |
Camden Town |
6.4% |
South London |
6.4% |
Ladder |
4.3% |
Euston |
4.3% |
Finsbury Park |
2.1% |
Wood Green |
2.1% |
Cyclists told us about their journey through Harringay. Our survey found that 96% of cyclists would prefer Wightman Road to remain a very low traffic road, as it is now, with 4% as yet undecided what the best solution going forward is. It was inspirational to hear stories from cyclist of how removing through motor traffic from this road has transformed their lives for the better.
Before the bridge works cyclists said they found Wightman Road dangerous and 72% said that the main benefit of the current arrangement is increased safety.
Tom one of the cyclists we surveyed said
‘Huge difference, every day. Despite travelling to and from central London every day, Wightman road was the obviously dangerous and threatening part of my journey in each direction. Cars would only pass dangerously close to me as I would cycle and drive concerningly close to me if they could not pass.’
Cyclists also mentioned that their cycle was far more quiet and pleasant, quicker and less polluted. They had noticed more children playing and cycling and the local community enjoying their street.
Even in the short time since the closure,16% of cyclists had shifted their journey from Green Lanes and 4% had shifted from public transport or driving to cycling their commute since the bridge works.
Our Vision
One reason for retaining a low traffic route, perhaps similar to the current configuration is that Wightman could then be promoted as a safe cycling route. It would become part of a 4mile+ safe cycle route through Alexandra Park along Wightman and through Finsbury park, linking Muswell Hill and Alexandra Park to Central London. More people locally and further afield would be encouraged to give up their car commute. This is one example of how Living Wightman’s vision is about improving the people’s lives locally and in other areas of Haringey and in other London boroughs too.
We’ve noticed dozens of children enjoying the chance to cycle safely along Wightman to school.
Whilst this has immediate benefits, it also lays the foundation for cycling into adulthood, by increasing confidence on the roads.
As one mother on Harringay Online has previously said
‘The Wightman closure has greatly improved our cycle ride to school. My kid is delighted at being able to ride on the road, there’s no way I would allow him/her to cycle on this road if it was open to traffic, even with my supervision.’
We appreciate that the traffic at peak times and during the weekends, especially on Green Lanes and Turnpike Lane is currently creating longer journey times for car and bus users. Living Wightman is also campaigning for solutions to reduce these. We believe it’s particularly important to get the buses moving. There has always been a problem with bus journey times in the area and the Harringay traffic review and our campaign presents us with an opportunity to improve these. We’re confident a lot can be done. Whilst traffic experts are the people who need to identify what will work best, the positive, wide ranging ideas generated by Justin Guest's post about possible solutions is also just what we need.
Meanwhile let’s recognise that the bridge works have taken hundreds of cyclists out of danger and encouraged our children to cycle and celebrate that.
Tags for Forum Posts: cycling, schools, traffic, wightman bridge closure, wightman road
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tom Mellor on
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And? That tells you nothing about their efficiency: https://67.media.tumblr.com/66537038fcbaad2f2f1f273af54e9db8/tumblr...
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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That isn't very sophisticated data. Unless you live on a bus stop all public transport users are pedestrians. In fact the pedestrian element of a public transport commute is pretty substantial for people in cities. My commute normally involves either a 5 minute walk to the bus stop or 20 minutes to the tube and then probably the same at the other end.
It's a question of what will most successfully bring about a change from private vehicle use. I would argue that public transport is probably the next stage in behaviour change for most car users so everything should be done to make it as attractive an option as possible.
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Ok but you have no data, so there is no argument either way. I'm not sure how you can tell how sophisticated it is from the photo though.
We've already have funding public transport quite a bit. We haven't done the same for cycling. It really is the form of transport that needs the most investment. Why would you say public transport, and in particular buses, are going to win people over from cars and not cycling? In my view there is no contest that for most journeys the bike is the superior tool. Cheaper, faster, more enjoyable, get exercise, and so on.
As has been said we have quite a high public transport usage and the system is struggling.
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Permalink Reply by linka on
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on this specific point: I meant a safe route along and/or escaping from Green Lanes in order to head south or southwest through Finsbury Park.
Travelling south along GL it's a hazard trying to turn right at any point, vehicle speeds increase beyond the Arena if space allows, cars are parked in the cycle lane before and after the borough boundary, the road narrows dangerously at the Finsbury pub and there is more parking on the road around the Manor House bus stops. Cycling NE on Seven Sisters road is similarly a nightmare, despite the road's width and red route status, due to the speeds and combination of large vehicles. This has always been the case, Wightman or no Wightman, but if cycle routes are being thought through, GL needs a lot of attention, beyond the shop parking.
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I know there is a big push to get Wightman traffic-free but I can't help feel cycling is being used as an excuse for that rather than looking at why the better route (GL) is unsafe. As others have stated here GL is unsafe and slow for public transport mainly due to the parking on the road and lack of proper lanes, it's a bit ridiculous everyone has to suffer so that a few people can park on the road.
As a cyclist myself, GL is easily the better route - both for commuting and obviously for actually visiting shops on GL. The hills and twists of Wightman make it a poor route, and as your survey confirms people are mostly only using it due to GL currently being a bit dangerous. I'd rather see proper bus/cycle lanes on GL and removal of all the unsafe and unsightly parking.
I'm not averse to having less traffic on Wightman, but I disagree with cycling being used as a tool to that aim - that aspect should focus on GL.
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I absolutely agree with this. The long-term solution to the area's traffic problems are going to have to involve people switching from cars to either walking or cycling - there's no other way to cut motor traffic, we need people to switch, it's not simply a displacement problem. If you're shopping or going out for a meal, you're going to have to go down GL and this is currently impossible for anyone other than a confident cyclist, and that still takes a lot of concentration to stay safe and is wholly unpleasant. This currently rules out cycling as a transport choice for many people visiting GL and it's no surprise that very few people cycle here.
Separately, removing through motor traffic from Wightman Road is a totally admirable aim, on the grounds that it's a residential area and the pollution/safety/quality of life arguments are sound. That it's helped cyclists is a useful side-effect, but only because GL is so terrible.
It'll be very interesting to see how the Enfield GL cycle route turns out. If it has anything like the effect on cycle traffic that the new segregated cycle superhighways on the Embankment and Blackfriars have had (a truly remarkable quantity of cyclists and a far more equal split of young/old men/women than you normally see - i.e. a proper cross-section of society), then there will be a very strong business case for looking at Harringay GL in a similar light. If I owned a shop, the prospect of significantly boosting the number of potential customers as well as making the street environment more pleasant has to be compelling.
Final point - if some kind of traffic filtering is done well on Wightman Road, this may well still permit residents to drive if need be, and may also improve e.g. emergency vehicle access by giving them a bypass route. Thinking rising bollards or similar. A win-win, surely?
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It's a surprisingly low number who've moved from Green Lanes, I guess in part due to the faff with the bridge and also due to it being a little less direct. It possibly suggests that cycle lanes on Green Lanes rather than Wightman could be a more sensible option.
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It's basically quite a bit slower what with hills/bridge faff. If I'm running late and headed anywhere east of Islington, Turnpike Lane to Manor House via GL is almost 5mins faster than going down Wightman and less effort!
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Permalink Reply by JoeW on
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The bridge faff will obviously disappear come September. I'm only a fair weather cyclist but the hills don't seem that bad too me - I can get up them on my 3-speed folding bike without getting off the saddle. And of course you get to cruise down the other side of the hills too!
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Permalink Reply by Paulie on
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@ Jez
I agree absolutely and am relieved that finally someone is saying what I have been saying!
Closing Wightman Road may be great for ladder and Crouch End folk but it's of no use whatsoever and indeed is positively disadvantageous to those of to the east of Harringay and beyond.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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We are also about to lose the Gospel Oak to Barking line for six months (it's already closed at weekends) which will put extra pressure on all the other public transport systems, not to mention the poor little W5, which can barely move at the moment.
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Tom, couldn't follow on from your post.
The link you gave goes to a graph with data on it so that's what I was referring to.
I'm not saying that it's one or the other. Cycling and public transport can coexist well and you see that in a lot of countries in Europe. I want more space on the roads for walking, public transport and cycling. You have to be realistic and accept that some people will not make the jump straight from using a car to cycling. Also, there are people who can't cycle, find it difficult or have a long commute.The source of the information about the role walking plays in commuting was a piece of research for, I think, the GLA or TfL. I have it some where and will try to post it. What it was trying to uncover was how people really do commute. If you ask someone how they get to work they will say driving, a bus, a tube etc. The research went into far greater detail and got participants to log their journeys from front door to work. That's where they found how little walking is factored to research around journeys.
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