Micawber Street - Cycle Route Improvements

Overview

This consultation outlines proposals to improve Micawber Street for cyclists and pedestrians as part of Phase 2 of the Central London Cycle Grid (CLG) programme. We are now seeking your views on the proposals

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.

Hackney Council has partnered with other London authorities and Transport for London (TfL) to deliver the CLG, a network of cycle routes in Central London Zone 1 made up of Cycle Superhighway and Quietway routes. Quiteways form a network of joined up cycle routes on low-traffic roads throughout London.

To achieve a safer, more pleasant environment on the CLG in Hackney, a number of proposals were identified and consulted on in 2016. Those proposals have now been implemented for the section of the CLG that runs along Shepherdess Walk, Eagle Wharf Road, Poole Street, Penn Street, Hyde Road, Hoxton Street and Whiston Road.

The section of the CLG being consulted on in this document is Micawber Street, which forms part of the wider Quietway route that also runs along Shepherdess Walk, Murray Grove, New North Road, Crondall Street, Hoxton Street, Falkirk Street, Cremer Street, Geffrye Street, Dunloe Street, Yorkton Street and Goldsmiths Row. The Council is currently consulting on further improvements along this route. Visit consultation.hackney.gov.uk to get more information on the cycle improvement proposals along the CLG Phase 2 route.

Proposals for Micawber Street were originally identified as part of Phase 2 of the CLG route in the Hoxton and Haggerston area to reduce traffic volumes. Traffic surveys conducted in January 2018 show that “rat-running” through residential roads continues to occur along this part of the route.

With this in mind, the Council has been working on proposals to address this issue and to improve the environment for cycling and walking along Micawber Street.

The proposals aim to:

• Improve local air quality by making cycling and walking safer on Micawber Street and along the CLG route.
• Achieve better pedestrian facilities for residents and visitors in the area.
• Improve road safety for cyclists along this route, reducing traffic volumes and maintaining cycle accessibility. The new cycle lane would restrict the width of the westbound traffic lane, aiming to keep traffic speeds down.
• Improve the existing traffic calming features to maintain low speeds.

What are the proposals?

Please download the drawing here for details.

The proposals include:

• Introducing a two metre wide mandatory eastbound contraflow cycle lane on Micawber Street, between Shepherdess Walk and Wenlock Road.
• Early release signals (for cyclists) at the Micawber Street/Shepherdess Street/Murray Grove junction to allow cyclists to proceed before the main flow of traffic.
• New raised junction table on Taplow Street at its junction with Micawber Street.
• New raised junction table on Wenlock Road at its junction with Micawber Street.
• New ‘no entry’ signs with an exemption for cyclists and advanced two-way warning signs at the junction of Micawber Street and Wenlock Road.

Access for residents and businesses on Micawber Street will not change as a result of these proposals.

What happens next?

Your views will be taken into account as part of the detailed design process. We will publish the consultation responses as well as the decisions made, at consultation.hackney.gov.uk

To keep up to date with this and other plans, please visit hackney.gov.uk/street-consultations

Permanent works

If the scheme goes ahead, following consultation, we expect construction works to start in the beginning of 2020 with completion in eight weeks. Further information regarding the works will be sent out closer to the time.