Tufnell Park Cycles to School Re-imagined
Islington and Camden Councils have reinterpreted our proposed safe route to school and submitted an application for Cycle to School Partnership funding. The Councils’ submission is being kept confidential but we have been given permission to publish this Islington Council briefing note.
The Tufnell Park Cycle Loop
Islington Council in conjunction with Camden Council are promoting the Tufnell Park Cycle Loop, a jointly sponsored project aimed at encouraging children in the area to cycle to school and operated / funded through the new Cycle to School Partnerships. The Loop covers an area to the north of the London Boroughs of both Islington & Camden and is primarily centred on the Tufnell Park area.
The submission that was provided to Transport for London is subject to funding approval and normal Islington resident consultation processes.
The Loop itself encompasses six local schools; four primary schools and two secondary schools, and will utilise a series of quieter roads to circumnavigate the area and access the schools. In addition to the schools; the Loop also encompasses a series of local features including parks and play areas; key places that children, parents and the school themselves will want to frequent.
The project was the initial brainchild of a local action group called ‘Tufnell Park Cycles to School’ and David Lincoln, a local resident and member of the group with the foresight to identify a cycling opportunity in the area and help promote cycling to school . The initial idea rapidly gained popularity and support from local parents and stakeholders alike; to the extent that the local authorities jointly applied to Transport for London for funding for the scheme.
Firstly, it aims to provide a safe and quiet route linking the schools; and thereby encourage both children and parents to make use of the route. In conjunction with this; a ‘Bike Bus’ is to be investigated; providing dedicated ‘stops’ along the loop. The Bike Bus is one of a series of ‘soft measures’ aimed to promote and encourage use of this route.
Secondly, the Loop provides an informal link to neighbouring cycle infrastructure.
The Loop itself covers part of the northwest section of the London Borough of Islington (the Junction and St George’s Wards) and the eastern section of the London Borough of Camden (the Kentish Town Ward) and covers a total length of approximately two miles.
The area itself is primarily made up of residential two-way ‘quieter’ roads containing various traffic calming measures and corresponding 20mph limits, the Loop utilising these roads as far as possible. The initial Loop does, however, need to cross a number of specific cycle barriers including the A400 Fortess Road and the A5200 Brecknock Road in order to access adjoining boroughs, both locations necessitating special attention in terms of collision mitigation measures. All junctions around the Loop are to be assessed as to cycle permeability and safety with a view to improvement where possible.
In addition, the busy signal-controlled junction at Tufnell Park Road, Dartmouth Park Hill, Brecknock Road, Fortess Road and Junction Road has also been reviewed; a junction that, if cycle facilities can be accommodated safely, could enable the use of Tufnell Park Road to be to be incorporated into the Loop. This would be a more direct and potentially easier and more accessible section than having to utilise the more complicated and hilly Dartmouth Park Hill section. Junction Road is also to be assessed as to its suitability as part of the Loop.
Proposals resulting from the study would utilise a variety of cycle safety measures based on current design philosophy, in order to encourage the use of the route and ensure greatly improved cycle safety for children.
The Cycle Loop would link six schools namely: Yerbury Primary School, Tufnell Park Primary School, The Bridge Secondary School and Holloway Secondary School in Islington. Acland Burghley School and Eleanor Palmer Primary School are located in Camden.
The Cycle Loop would provide a safer means for both existing and new cyclists to travel to school by using cycle safety measures implemented as result of this study.
The objectives of the Cycle Loop scheme are to increase the uptake of cycling as a viable means of travel to school by, but not restricted to, younger children primarily aged 4-11. This would increase the number of school run trips made by bicycle and also achieve resultant benefits in terms of congestion reduction, public health and air quality improvements.
The number of people cycling in Tufnell Park is growing but it appears that children and young people are missing from the cycling demographic.
Main Recommendations
The most crucial elements of the scheme is the provision of cycling features at junctions and main roads and A-roads, therefore it is recommended that the following key areas are investigated, developed, designed and delivered according to the preferred proposal options:
- Burghley Road signalised access to the 5-arm Tufnell Park Road junction
- The design and implementation of the 5-arm Tufnell Park Road junction: ‘Scramble Zone’ or Cycle only phase on each of the 5-arm junction. The ‘Scramble Zone’ is a completely new concept, which involves an all green phase for cyclists, this would need extensive further feasibility and safety auditing, which is why an alternative option of including individual cycle only phase has also been included.
- Provision of northbound mandatory cycle lane with light segregation by using Barcelona style ‘Armadillos’ on Junction Road leading up to proposed Station Road signalised junction
- Implementation of proposed traffic calming measures and complementary cycle safety measures on the ‘quieter’ borough roads;
- Design and implementation of the priority change at the junction of Tufnell Park Road and Dalmeny Road. This feature would have immediate benefits for existing cyclists who cycle north / south to connect to Camden and King’s Cross
- Design and implementation of the Brecknock Road / Anson Road Toucan crossing
Costs for Delivering the Cycle Loop
The estimated overall cost for the design and implementation of all of the preferred proposals options in each borough is:
- London Borough of Islington: £1,133,000 over three years
- London Borough of Camden: £611,500 over three years.
If this bid is successful all funding will come from Transport for London, for both Islington and Camden elements of the scheme. Transport for London are currently shortlisting all the submissions with a view to informing successful authorities in late March 2014.
Comments
Tufnell Park Cycles 