Englefield Road - De Beauvoir area - Environmental and cycle improvements to CS1

Overview

This consultation seeks to gather your views on Hackney Council’s proposals to implement further improvements to the environment for cyclists and pedestrians on the Cycle Superhighway Route 1 (CS1) through the De Beauvoir area.

The proposals will create a new zebra crossing for pedestrians together with a parallel crossing for cyclists on Englefield Road at the junction of Culford Road.

Why are these changes being proposed?

The Council is committed to making Hackney’s roads safer for everyone living, working and visiting the borough. These changes aim to create an environment that will encourage more walking and cycling, improve air quality and reduce emissions within the local area.

Our Transport Strategy includes a Liveable Neighbourhoods Plan, which recognises that local streets are not just places to park vehicles or drive, walk and cycle on. They are places where we socialise and live our lives. An aspiration is to reclaim Hackney’s streets from motor traffic congestion and transform them into the most attractive and liveable neighbourhoods in London.

One key objective for this proposal is to create a safer, more pleasant environment for cycling on the CS1 route through the De Beauvoir area.

Back in autumn 2015 Transport for London (TfL) in partnership with Hackney Council consulted on a motor traffic reduction scheme in the De Beauvoir area that assists users of the CS1 route. These proposed modal filters have now been introduced.

One of the proposals that was not taken forward at that time was a zebra crossing on Englefield Road near the junction of Culford Road. From continued feedback from residents, and users of the CS1 route through this area, the Council has now reviewed the design and location which provides a safe crossing point for cyclists, as well as pedestrians, crossing Englefield Road. Please see the drawing attached for more detail.

Introducing this duel crossing point on Englefield Road at Culford Road will also allow the relocation of two of the existing modal filters to be moved to this new crossing point. Modal filters are closures to motorised traffic that still allow access for pedestrians and cyclists.

This new crossing and amending the existing road closures should lead to:

• a safer and more dedicated route, by providing better facilities, for cycling and walking
• improved route for motor traffic to circulate within the local area that avoids instances of vehicles having to make U-turns, whilst still deterring through traffic
• less congestion, fewer conflicts between drivers and cyclists and less driver aggression.

What are the proposals?

In summary, these proposals will provide a safe crossing point on Englefield Road for cyclists using the CS1 route as well as pedestrians, and will still discourage through traffic whilst improving access for residents in Culford Road, Culford Grove, and Ardleigh Road.

The drawings on pages 4 and 5 of the consultation document for download below show:

• A new zebra crossing for pedestrians together with a parallel crossing for cyclists on Englefield Road at Culford Road
• A closure to motorised vehicles on the northern side of Culford Road junction with Englefield Road to assist the parallel cycle crossing
• Removal of the modal filter at Culford Road & Culford Grove, reinstating the parking that was removed and removing the banned right turn from Culford Grove into Culford Road
• Removal of the modal filter at Ardleigh Road at the junction of Culford Road together with relocating the planters that will open up this road space to help vehicles turn at this point.

This public consultation is your opportunity to have your say on the proposed new crossing and rationalisation of the existing modal filters along CS1 in the De Beauvoir area.

Further improvements along the CS1 route on Balls Pond Road are also being proposed by the Council, separately from this consultation, that should have no direct impact on this new crossing.

Also, as you may be aware, TfL have also proposed introducing road closures on the A10 Kingsland Road at the junctions of Stamford Road and Tottenham Road. These closures are independent from this proposed crossing and we are awaiting further details from TfL on when these are likely to be introduced.

An example of an existing parallel crossing

What happens next?

Your feedback will help us to reach a decision on whether to proceed with these proposals. The results will be available at hackney.gov.uk/street-consultations

Should the Council agree to proceed with these proposals, a further statutory consultation will need to be carried out to make the legal Traffic Management Orders & Notices, and subject to this, residents will receive a letter to inform them about the start date for the scheme. Public notices advising the changes will also be displayed in the street at that time.