London,
02
June
2020
|
10:01
Europe/London

Making travel safer in Camden

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created new road safety challenges in Camden.

The council is making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle locally, shop on their local high street, reach their local green spaces, schools and NHS sites, all while maintaining physical distancing.

It is also taking suggestions from the public on locations across the borough where further changes could be made to make local travel safer. A new interactive map is now available for people to share their ideas https://camdensafetravel.commonplace.is/

Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden
“Narrow pavements and traffic can make it difficult to keep to the 2m distance on some residential and high streets when exercising or making essential journeys.

“That’s why we have explored, and will now be implementing, measures at five more locations in the borough to make it easier and safer for people maintaining physical distancing while walking and cycling locally.”
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden

Apart from Kilburn High Road, where these measures are being implemented, a series of safety-based changes are being made at the following locations.

  1. Constantine Road/Savernake Road
  2. Sandall Road
  3. Wilmot Place
  4. Clarence Way and Hartland Road
  5. Goods Way cycle lane
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden
“We will be restricting through traffic on these residential streets by introducing a mixture of bollards and signage. This will make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists during the immediate period.

“Overall the number of vehicles using our roads is down but speeding has increased as a minority of irresponsible drivers take advantage of quieter roads.

“We are also looking to tackle future challenges caused by changes in the way that people travel once lockdown restrictions are eased. This includes a predicted rise in walking, cycling and car use with people less likely to choose public transport which will be operating with a greatly reduced capacity.

“I am pleased to share the new map setting out Camden’s ambitions for our cycle network. The map sets out where we would like to bring in pop-up cycle lanes to help people travel by bicycle in-borough as well as enabling more people to commute to their jobs in or through Camden. We hope to receive sufficient funding from TfL and the Department for Transport over the next few months to introduce the pop-up measures, which would sit alongside the permanent space for cycling Camden has worked over many years to introduce.”
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden

 We know that more people are expected to be cycling due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) with many people taking up cycling for the first time or being less experienced cycling on London’s busy roads. It is important that people travelling by bike are able to do so as safely and as comfortably as possible and so we are working to deliver a number of improvements to cycling across Camden in the upcoming months. We will begin by improving the existing cycle lanes on Goods Way between Kings Boulevard and Pancras Road by widening the lanes and adding “flexible wands” to separate cyclists from traffic.

More information on the measures at each of these locations is available on our website: https://www.camden.gov.uk/making-travel-safer-in-camden

You can tell us your own suggestions for other locations by using our dedicated website or by emailing us at: [email protected] or calling 020 7974 4444.