Rod Gonggrijp: path has confused cyclists

CYCLE campaigners are urging people to get in touch with Transport for London (TfL) to call for bike paths on either side of Seven Sisters Road, after it today (Thursday) launched a consultation into its “experimental” cycle lane between Holloway Road and Finsbury Park.

Work began on the Cycleway 50 route in February last year and was completed in November – but critics of the bike path say it is “dangerous” as it forces cyclists to weave through traffic to get to the right side of the road from the left when crossing Holloway Road.

It was designed by TfL to make the treacherous route safer following 70 bike accidents around the Nag’s Head gyratory annually. When phase two is completed later this year, it will run from Camden Town Tube Station to Finsbury Park Tube Station with safer cycling around the Nag’s Head.

It was described as experimental – and therefore is deemed a trial – as both the north and south lanes are side by side down one side of the road. TfL are now inviting comments as they move into phase two of the cycle lane, due to be completed later this year, which will complete the route from Camden Road to Seven Sisters. It will eventually meet with an existing bike lane in York Way in King’s Cross.

Rod Gonggrijp of Crayford Road in Tufnell Park, said the experimental path had confused cyclists who were unsure how to get into it as they approach the Holloway Road junction from Camden Road before joining it on the right side of Seven Sisters Road.

“Asking people to cross the road before the junction at Holloway Road is quite dangerous. I wouldn’t have designed it like that, and of course the whole cycle lane is really built assuming people don’t turn left or right anyway.”

He also warned that the next phase of the Cycleway 50 would include Hillmarton Road, which he said needed to have bike lanes on it to prevent accidents.

 FREE, SIMPLE-TO CANCEL  30-DAY TRIAL OF AUDIBLE

A TfL spokesperson said there had been 210 people injured at the Nag’s Head gyratory between 2017 and 2020, including 31 cyclists and 54 pedestrians. They added: “The new cycle lane will provide a safe, segregated space for cyclists and give more room to pedestrians. Cycleway 50 will also connect to an existing cycle lane running from York Way to Royal College Street in Camden Town.

“There are currently no cycling facilities at Nag’s Head or links into any existing cycle routes, making it difficult for people to make longer trips by bike. By creating segregated spaces to cycle and connecting it to other cycle routes, we hope to encourage more people to give cycling a try. We also must improve road safety.”

Visit haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/c50-camden-finsbury-park to comment on the new bike route.