Walford Road area - Environmental Improvements

Overview

This document seeks to gather your views on Hackney Council’s proposals for improving the environment for residents and general road users and controlling traffic flows in the Walford Road area.

Last year, as part of Cycle Superhighway Route 1 (CS1), three roads were closed to through traffic around Wordsworth Road. The Council has decided to retain the closures as they have succeeded in reducing traffic on the cycle route and improving air quality and road safety near the schools. This decision is consistent with the Council’s Transport Strategy which aims to improve air quality, create better neighbourhoods, promote cycling and stop rat running.

For more information about these road closures visit hackney.gov.uk/cycling.

However, it is clear that some roads, particularly Walford Road, Brighton Road and Nevill Road, are now suffering from increased traffic and aggressive driving. We therefore need to do more to reduce traffic on these streets and complement the existing closures.

Why your views matter

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

Our Transport Strategy includes a Liveable Neighbourhoods Plan which recognises that streets like Walford Road and Brighton Road are not just places to park vehicles or drive, walk and cycle on. They are the places where we live our lives and Hackney’s children play. We want to reclaim Hackney’s streets from motor traffic congestion and transform them into the most attractive and liveable neighbourhoods in London.This can only be achieved by reducing the dominance of the private vehicle. Two thirds of households in Hackney do not own a car, but the borough still suffers from poor air quality. Air pollution resulting from vehicle emissions is finally being recognised for the damage it inflicts upon the health of the city with nearly 10,000 Londoners dying early every year as a result (Kings College London, 2015). Even more disturbing is the direct impact it is having on our children’s health with evidence proving it is directly responsible for alarming rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses in our schools (GLA, 2008).

The Transport Strategy includes a number of actions that are relevant to this scheme:
• LN3: Improving air quality – Tackles poor air quality, reducing NO2 and PM10 emissions.
• LN15: Filtered Streets – Reduces motor traffic on residential streets by use of road closures to create safer walking and cycling conditions.
• C33: Area Based Filtered Permeability Reviews
– Undertakes area wide traffic reviews to stop rat running and continue rollout of filtered permeability schemes.
• C07: Design Principles for Cycling Infrastructure – Recognises that the majority of cycle journeys will take place on roads shared with motor vehicles in some way.

Residents have raised concerns about the volume of traffic and the difficulty to negotiate certain roads, especially Walford Road and Brighton Road, as well as concerns about safety of children crossing these roads, traffic congestion and anti-social behaviour as a result of driver confrontations.

The congestion created on these narrow streets causes issues when vehicles travelling in opposing directions meet. This encourages drivers to become aggressive
and scooter riders to mount and drive on the footway to pass other motor vehicles, significantly increasing the danger to pedestrians and cyclists.

The Council initially investigated the possibility ofimplementing points of ‘NO ENTRY’ at Walford Road junction with Nevill Road and at Brighton Road junction with the A10, the possibility of introducing one-way systems and the possibility of complete closures of
Walford Road and Brighton Road. These proposals have not been taken forward as it could mean large delivery vehicles getting stuck and having to reverse along the
lengths of the roads – putting all road users at risk.

A key objective is to create a safer, more pleasant environment for everyone using this area, especially for pedestrians and cyclists.

Reducing the volume of traffic through the area should lead to:

• less road danger and accidents
• reduction of through vehicular traffic eastbound and westbound
• less anti-social behaviour from inconsiderate parking and dangerous manoeuvres
• reduction of noise from vehicles
• less pollution along the roads closed and their surroundings from vehicles stuck in queueing traffic, waiting to pass
• quieter roads for residents, contributing to the objective of a liveable neighbourhood
• improvements for pedestrians with roads that are easier to cross
• reduction of ‘rat-running’ on many local roads, lowering vehicle speeds
• a safer environment for cyclists
• reduction of congestion, vehicular conflicts and driver
• aggression on Walford Road and Brighton Road
• an improved balance between pedestrians and other modes of transport to create a more attractive neighbourhood

What are the proposals?

Please refer to the attached drawings for details.

Taking the concerns discussed above on board, two options are being put forward for consultation.

Option A

Permanently closing:

• Barbauld Road at its junction with Albion Road

• Allen Road at its junction with Shakspeare Walk

This scheme would substantially reduce through traffic between Albion Road and the A10 and vice versa (including local traffic). Motor vehicles would be banned from entering or exiting Barbauld Road at its junction with Albion Road and at Allen Road at its junction with Shakspeare Walk.

This option is a wider intervention and would impact a broader area.

Option B

Permanently closing:

• Nevill Road between Osterley Road and Walford Road

• Clonbrock Road at its junction with Nevill Road

• Allen Road at its junction with Nevill Road

This scheme would substantially reduce through traffic in the east – west direction and vice versa, as well as north – south and vice versa along Nevill Road. Vehicles would still access Walford Road and Brighton Road via the A10. Access by motor vehicles to the section of Nevill Road between the closures would be via Walford Road and Brighton Road only.

This option is a more localised filtering scheme which would improve Walford Road, Brighton Road and Nevill Road.

How would they work?

For either option:

• ‘Motor vehicles prohibited’ signs would be installed a each of the junctions.
• Emergency vehicles would have access in both directions at each of the road closures at any time.
• Two-way movement would be maintained for cyclists at each of the junctions.
• Pedestrian crossings would be improved at each of the junctions.
• Adequate space for turning vehicles at the road closures would be provided. Reduction of parking spaces may be required to achieve this

FAQs

Please refer to the FAQs document below for further information.

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 http://www.hackney.gov.uk/street-consultations.

Should the Council agree to proceed with one of these options, a statutory consultation will be carried out and subject to the results residents will receive a letter to inform them about the start date for the scheme. Public notices advising the changes will be displayed in the street.