Consultations open on major safety improvements at five dangerous London junctions
13 Jun 2019 12:24 PM
Plans are part of TfL's Safer Junctions programme, which is making life-saving changes to 73 junctions across the capital.
Transport for London (TfL) yesterday invited the public to have their say on proposals to make five of the capital's most dangerous junctions safer, as part of its Vision Zero commitment to eliminate death and serious injuries from London's roads.
The £7.2m planned improvements aim to reduce the number of collisions and make the junctions safer for everyone. They will also make junctions easier to use for people walking, cycling and travelling by public transport. The proposals include new road layouts, wider crossings, segregated cycle bypasses and closures of some roads to motor traffic.
Work is planned to start on the five junctions in the next 12 months, subject to consultation, and is being funded by TfL's £2.3bn Healthy Streets programme, which is making London's streets safer, more attractive, accessible and people-friendly places.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, yesterday said:
"We know that a disproportionate number of serious injuries and fatalities on London's roads occur at junctions, so it is vital we continue transforming junctions to make sure they are set up and designed around the safety of people walking and cycling. Not only will this investment reduce road danger but it will give more Londoners across our city the confidence to cycle and walk as part of their everyday routine."
Consultations have opened on the following junctions:
- Kingsland Road/Balls Pond Road: At Dalston Junction, upgraded, widened crossings and improved cycle facilities will provide a safer area for people walking and for those travelling by bike on the A10 towards the City. Footways will be widened, a pedestrian crossing will be raised and Kingsland Passage will be closed under the plans, creating an opportunity for urban realm improvements. Left-turning traffic will also be prevented from entering Dalston Lane reducing the danger to people cycling
- Kennington Park Road/Braganza Street: TfL plans to completely remove the two major conflict points for southbound vehicles at this junction. A banned left turn into Braganza Street will protect southbound cyclists from vehicles turning left across their path and changes to the operation of the traffic signals will mean that southbound road users do not pass through the junction at the same time as vehicles turning right. A cycle bypass is also proposed, as well as earlier green signals for people cycling
- East India Dock Road/Canton Street/Birchfield Street: TfL plans to simplify the current junction layout and reduce collisions by converting and relocating an existing staggered crossing to a wide straight across toucan crossing for people walking and cycling. Bus lane markings will be altered to make it safer for all road users. Birchfield Street will be closed at its junction with the A13 for all traffic except cyclists, completely removing the risk to cyclists from any turning traffic
- Edgware Road/Harrow Road: The pavement outside Edgware Road Underground Station will be extended and a left turn slip lane will be removed to improve conditions for the thousands of people who walk across the junction throughout the day. The plans also include introducing a 20mph speed limit on part of Edgware Road, giving people cycling an early start at the traffic lights and widening a bus lane
- Clapham Road/Union Road: Separate signal phasing for right-turning vehicles from Clapham Road into Union Road will completely remove the risk of conflict between right-turning motor traffic and northbound cyclists. Proposals also include an early traffic signal release, extended Advanced Stop Lines and wider footpaths for people walking. The junction sees more than 1,000 people cycling every hour during the morning peak
TfL is also proposing to introduce a 20mph speed limit on certain sections of the A3 Clapham Road and A23 Kennington Park Road corridors to provide a consistent speed limit for motorists along the route.
Penny Rees, Head of Network Sponsorship at TfL, yesterday said:
"We're seeing huge growth in the numbers of people walking and cycling where we are making it easier and safer to do so, and these junction improvements will continue this trend. These proposals are also part of our Vision Zero commitment to eliminate death and serious injuries from London's transport network."
Victoria Lebrec, Campaign Coordinator for RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, said: "As a victim of a life-changing crash at a junction in London, I'm encouraged that TfL are ramping up their safer junctions programme. 76 per cent of collisions occur at junctions in London and addressing the danger they pose will go a long way to ending death and serious injury on our roads - all of which are preventable."
The changes form part of TfL's Safer Junctions programme, which is reducing road danger at 73 dangerous junctions across London. TfL recently completed work at the 29th junction, at Euston Road, Midland Road and Judd Street where new pedestrian crossings have made it safer and easier to walk to St Pancras and King's Cross stations and to The British Library and people can now cycle safely from Kentish Town to Elephant and Castle along a mostly segregated cycle lane.
All locations in the Safer Junctions programme had higher than average collision rates and this improvement work is a vital part of the Vision Zero ambition to eliminate death and serious injury on London's roads.
People are encouraged to have their say on all the proposals here – https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk
The five junctions are part of TfL's Safer Junction programme. More information on TfL's work to improve junction safety can be found here: tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2017/april/new-roads-targeted-in-updated-safer-junctions-programme