Connecting Hoxton Design Consultation
PACKAGE 3 - Ivy Street School Street
Objective: Cherishing & supporting Hoxton’s young and old
Current situation
Ivy Street is a narrow School Street (4.6m to 6.6m wide) with a shared surface used by both people walking and cycling. This has led to conflicts and several collisions, making the street unsafe, especially for children.
School Street
The street is busiest between:
–
School drop-off
–
School pick-up
The highest footfall is between 08:30–09:15. Two entrances to the school and the Family Centre are used at these times. Outside these hours, vehicles should only enter from the west, as removable bollards close the eastern end.
Cycling use
Although not an official cycle route, Ivy Street has become a popular cut-through for cyclists because:
A raised table at the junction with Hoxton Street makes it easy for cyclists to enter the street. However, cyclists often travel too fast, creating risks for families and schoolchildren.
Design proposal
The proposed improvements aim to create a safer, slower and more visible School Street by using planting, new paving and clearer entrances to the school and Family Centre.
Key design elements
- Northern Gateway improvements: Four new planting beds/rain gardens and two trees at the junction with Hoxton Street to slow cyclists and signal the entrance to Ivy Street.
- School entrances: Mark the school and Family Centre entrances with new pavement geometry.
- Threshold: Emphasise these entrances with a mosaic design, consistent with other social infrastructure improvements in Hoxton.
- Shared surface: Extend the shared surface area to include the second school entrance and limit double yellow lines to the edge of this zone.
- Physical presence: School staff may use a mobile sign, seat and bollard to create a clear, physical presence at the outer edge of each school entrance.
- Staff visibility: Encourage school staff to wear high-visibility jackets and consider hiring a School Crossing Patrol officer (lollipop person) to further signal the School Street and the need to slow down.
View drawings – Ivy Street: Existing condition and design proposal
Can’t see it? Download the Ivy Street existing and proposed layout (PDF).