Yet another NHS worker killed while cycling in London. Yet another woman brutally killed by a turning lorry driver. The killing of Dr Marta Krawiec on Wednesday 4th August shows a callous disregard by the authorities to keeping Londoners safe. The junction where Marta was killed has seen numerous collisions and fatalities and back in 2014 the Coroner criticised the lack of urgency in removing the danger. Everyone knows the junction is dangerous but Londoners are left in harm’s way and Marta has paid the ultimate price.
The Mayor’s Transport Strategy states that “the success of London’s transport system in the future relies on the city becoming a place where people choose to walk and cycle” but also recognises that “safety concerns are the main reasons people give for not cycling more and for being unwilling to let their children walk unaccompanied.”
The Mayor is promoting cycling in a city that isn’t safe to people who won’t cycle because they know it isn’t safe. In my view, he should be diverting all money spent on promotional activity into creating safe infrastructure. Create Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, build protected cycle tracks on main roads & High Streets and tackle dangerous junctions. People cycle because its a cheap healthy and resilient mode of transport. Make it easy, convenient and safe then more people will cycle.
The junction where Marta was killed isn’t the only known dangerous junction waiting for realignment. The crossings on Holloway Road are known to be dangerous. At Palmer Place pedestrians are forced to cross the busy A1 without the benefit of pedestrians light controls but are expected to cross and hope not be be crushed by turning motor traffic. When will this be remedied?
Seven Sisters Road at the Nag’s Head is unpleasant and frightening to cycle on but any solution seems years away.
Another NHS colleague, Physiotherapist Stephanie Turner was killed by a turning lorry driver at the junction of Seven Sisters with Amhurst Road. We are still waiting for changes that might prevent this happening to another person.
Ardian Zagani was killed by a van driver while cycling to work. Plans to install protection for people cycling have been kicked into the long grass.
Deep Lee was crushed to death at Kings Cross by a lorry driven by Terence Gibbs. At Deep Lee’s inquest Mr Gibbs said that the King’s Cross junction, where two lanes in Gray’s Inn Road pinch into one in York Way, was “outdated” and yet it is still somewhere terrifying to cycle through.
Junction Road feeds a number of schools and links shopping areas of Tufnell Park with Archway. It is a desire line for local cycle trips as well as cycle commuting and a busy A road (A400). It needs protection for cycling and increased safe crossings for pedestrians. Islington Council offered plans 5 years ago but they were ill thought out and poorly presented. We still await decent plans to make the road safe.
The circumstances of Marta’s death are too horrible to contemplate. I am so sorry for the loss to her family, friends, colleagues and patients. I feel angry that the collision may have been predicted and prevented because the danger was known and plans exist to mitigate the danger but have not yet been implemented. I would like to hear from London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, to hear that he recognises the threat posed by London’s dangerous roads and junctions and a meaningful explanation of what is going to be done about them and when?
Please support the London Cycling Campaigns Petition calling for dangerous junctions to be fixed. No more excuses, no more delays. Sign here https://www.lcc.org.uk/news/dangerous-junctions-petition-after-holborn/
Tufnell Park Cycles 
