Haverstock Hill and Rosslyn Hill Walking Safe and Healthy Streets scheme consultation extended
Camden council has extended the consultation on proposals for making the Haverstock Hill trial Safe and Healthy Streets scheme permanent, as well as proposing new measures in this area to improve conditions for walking as well as cycling.
The new proposals also include new urban greening and additional loading bays, disabled bays and paid for parking spaces near businesses in the area.
The council wants to ensure that its streets continue to support a strong recovery from the pandemic and provide a lasting legacy of greener, safer, healthier travel, in line with our Camden Transport Strategy, Climate Action Plan and Clean Air Action Plan.
“Camden's Safe and Healthy Streets programme bring big benefits for residents' quality of life in Camden - by keeping more people safe from road danger, reducing air pollution and cutting carbon emissions.
“In Camden, more than two-thirds of people do not have a car, and already more than 8 in 10 trips made by Camden residents are made by public transport, walking and cycling. But we know this can rise further if we make our streets as safe and as welcoming as possible.
“Segregated cycle lanes and enhancements for pedestrians are particularly important as we know that it makes people feel safer, while people who walk and cycle to the shops spend more in businesses than people who drive.
“As well as contributing to our vision of zero casualties on our roads, this scheme is part of our collective effort to cut the carbon out of transport, and slash air pollution on our way to World Health Organization standards.”
During the scheme’s trial period the council, in partnership Sustrans, has been undertaking a wide range of engagement activities with local residents, businesses, schools and those that travel on Haverstock Hill.
Councillor Harrison continued:
“To ensure that we listened to the views of as many different people and organisations during the scheme’s trial period, we partnered with Sustrans to undertake a comprehensive programme of engagement activities.
“This included pop up events for the public, and Royal Free Hospital staff, along with Dr Bike sessions and organised bike rides with local schools and pedestrian and access audits with Camden Disability Action.
“This valuable feedback, along with the results of the current consultation will greatly assist us in our final decision.”
The consultation, now open until Sunday 28 May, because of an issue with the council’s website, relates to the trialling of changes on Haverstock Hill and Rosslyn Hill to help make streets safer and healthier by improving junction layouts, extending the hours of operation of the bus lane, upgrading pedestrian crossing points and adding new cycle lanes to make getting around safer and easier, which the council is now proposing are made permanent.
The council are proposing to keep a number of the changes tested as well as additional proposals for improvements for the public realm, pedestrians, cycling, public transport and motor vehicles.
We have listened to car users, businesses and people making deliveries and are proposing more paid for parking bays and loading bays. The trial has already added more disabled bays but as part of this consultation we are suggesting more are added.
Councillor Harrison continued:
“Following the feedback received and lessons that we have learned during the trialling of the scheme, we are proposing to upgrade some of the features that we trialled but also make several further changes.
“The final decision on whether to go ahead with these proposals will be made based on evidence including our engagement and consultation responses, relevant policies, officer observations, and other data and information collected over the course of the trial.
“I would therefore urge residents, businesses and all other stakeholders to let us know their views on our plans for the scheme by responding to the consultation.”
Following an initial, full public consultation, the scheme was implemented under an 18-month Experimental Traffic Order, enabling the improvements to be implemented on a trial basis. This has allowed the Council to observe how the proposed changes are operating before carrying out a further full public consultation, after around twelve months of the scheme being in place.