Councillor Claudia Webbe at one of the £2-a-week bike hangars

• COMMENTING on the provision of cycle hangars, Councillor Claudia Webbe claims that “Islington is committed to supporting more people to walk and cycle safely”, (£2-a-week a fair price for a bike hangar, March 8).

However, facilities for cyclists do not benefit pedestrians in any way. On the contrary, they often make it less pleasant and convenient for people walking and trying to access public transport.

The Archway scheme, far from creating a “safer pedestrian and cyclist-friendly public space”, has made the area much more hazardous for anyone on foot especially anyone who is less than able-bodied.

If you are elderly, Archway station is very convenient because it has only one short flight of steps down to the platform.

Previously, all the buses going towards Highgate stopped right outside the station and it was easy to change from one route to another. None of the buses now stops anywhere near the station.

When you get off the bus on the west side of Holloway Road you have to negotiate the crossing at busy Junction Road. In the past it was not so easy to reach the bus stop on the east side of the road but it is no easier now.

The bus stops on either side of Holloway Road are separated from the pavement by cycle lanes. Does Cllr Webbe really believe that cyclists are going to take any notice of pedestrians as they pedal furiously up the hill on one side or coast down at speed on the other?

There are several places where cycle lanes simply peter out as they reach Navigator Square and cyclists have no option but to cycle across the “pedestrianised” area.

Notably, there is a short stretch of cycle lane leading from Junction Road to the square right where pedestrians leaving the station are trying to cross the road.

It seems that cyclists can just go wherever they like and pedestrians have to dodge them if they can. It even seems to be acceptable for cyclists to ride down the ramp from the square and through the station entrance hall to access Junction Road.

Cycle hangars, of course, don’t benefit pedestrians at all. Single ones are the size of a small car, but where two are placed side by side they create a significant obstacle to people trying to cross the road safely.

They encroach on the pavement, damaging the kerb and rubbish collects beneath them. Other cycle parking facilities and hire bikes take up space on the pavement, creating yet another obstacle for pedestrians to negotiate.

It is about time that the council and those who promote cycling woke up to the fact that it is irresp­onsible to make cyclists and pedestrians share the same spaces.

If they really want to help pedestr­ians, they could start by repairing all the broken paving stones and pot­holes in pavements and keeping the streets free of rubbish.

MONICA HALL
Kingsdown Road, N19