New plans address the lack of pedestrian crossings on Seven Sisters Road. Pic: Pixabay
Segregated cycle paths, new bus lanes and extra pedestrian crossings are among a series of proposals put forward by Hackney town planners to improve a notorious accident hotspot in Green Lanes.
Seven Sisters road is often congested and is a hotspot for accidents and car crashes. In 2014 there were 1,020 road traffic accidents in the borough of Hackney, including seven deaths.
Cycling groups welcomed the proposals. Jono Kenyon, from the Hackney Cycling Campaign said: “We are pleased that this stretch of road is being considered for modernisation. It has long been a blight on the community with a poor safety record. It is good to see protected space for cycling as well as pavement widening being considered.
“We also insist that the junctions of Manor House as well as Amhurst Road are re-designed as part of wider plans to reduce casualties.”
It is estimated that 16.9 per cent of people in Hackney travel to work by bus, however the area of road where the works would take place homes eight bus stops which may be disrupted for the duration of the works.
Transport for London however stated that it was an open consultation still and they could not comment.
The plans are part of the regeneration of Woodberry Down housing estate which will result on the completion of 5,500 new homes.
Feryal Demirci, cabinet member at Hackney Council for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, said: “Hackney Council, Transport for London, and Berkeley Homes are currently consulting with the local community on the nature of these changes and to better understand the main problems residents experience with the road, with a view to bringing forward detailed options later this year for further consultation.”
The six plans are:
1. Changes to Traffic Lanes: Reducing the road from three to two lanes in both directions, with a bus lane running the length of the street. This would also involve increasing the width of the pavement for pedestrians or widening cycle or bus lanes. This idea would result in an increase in traffic congestion during rush hour.
2. Partial changes to Traffic Lanes: Reduce the road to two lanes in each direction, with a bus lane, however the road will still be three lanes at junctions to help traffic flows. This would likely result in less congestion than plan one, however would mean that there would be no segregated cycle lanes and the pavements would not be widened.
3. Increase the number of Pedestrian Crossings: Make improvements to existing crossings and increase the amount of crossings in order to make the road safer and easier to cross. There may be increased traffic delays with this idea.
4a. Introduce a Pedestrian Island Strip: In order to make it easier for pedestrians to cross the road and to provide a central island strip, which would be wider than the existing strip and increase safety. There may be a slight increase in traffic delays with this idea.
4b. Introduce a wide Pedestrian Island Strip: This idea is similar to option 4 but with a wider strip to accommodate small trees and planting. This idea would further reduce the potential to widen pavements for pedestrians. There may be a slight increase in traffic delays with this idea.
5.Segregated Cycle Lanes: This will mean cyclists will have their own dedicated space segregated from pedestrians and from vehicles. This idea would reduce the space available for pavement widening and may require reductions in the number of traffic lanes in each direction slightly increasing congestion during rush hour.
6. Increase width of Bus Lanes: In this idea, cyclists would share a lane with buses. The width of the bus lanes would be increased from 3m wide to 4.5m wide, so that buses can pass cyclists without having to move out of the bus lane, making cyclists feel safer. This idea would reduce the potential for widening the pavement for pedestrians. It may require reductions in the number of traffic lanes in places, increasing congestion during rush hour.
The developers have provided a feedback form that can be found at www.sevensistersroad.co.uk/ for locals to post feedback on the plans.
