Camden Cycling Campaign notes on the A501 CRIM Tuesday 20th December 2005

In attendance:

• Samantha Shelley, Jamila Barrett, Warren Joao & Elizabeth Cowlin, from Hyder Consulting (last two effectively silent throughout; first two pleasant and receptive);
• Jerry Behl, Miguel Monteiro from TfL (Jerry vocal, affable, Miguel only stayed for the beginning);
• John Dinunzio & Anton, LCN+ (Anton effectively silent throughout);
• Doug Angus (Islington Cyclists' Action Group [ICAG]);
• Meade McCloughan (Camden Cycling Campaign);
• Andrew Bourke (Islington Council, who only stayed for the first third).

No-one from City Cyclists - Danny Williams was expected, didn't show up. Note that LCN+ were represented even though it isn't officially a LCN+ route.

We walked down from King's Cross Thameslink to Old Street then back to KX. Some advantages to walking - noticed the abundance of dropped kerb vehicle entrances on the north side of City Road - not ideal for cyclists, but difficult to get removed now, so I was told. (They wouldn't be allowed now - such drive ways have to be utilizable only in front gear - or something like that.)

Main issues:

1. Pentonville Road east bound from Caledonian Road to Penton Street: I emphasized the unpleasant and dangerous character of this - uphill, two narrow lanes, lots of heavy traffic. Asked for bus lane - Jerry said very unlikely. [Contrast with City Road stretch, where bus lanes de rigeur, and for the most part effective for cyclists.]
2. Asked for ASLs wherever they're not there (pretty inconsistently applied)
3. Colebrooke Row cycle crossing. Doug and I went into detail on the unsatisfactory character of this facility. ICAG have been asking for the exit from Colebrooke Row to be closed to motor traffic for ages. But nothing is going to happen at the Colebrooke Row end, not closure, not segregating southbound cyclists on the west side. However, the facilities in the centre of City Road and on the south side are going to be redone, to give more space for cyclists and pedestrians and make their paths more clearly distinct. So something.
4. Shepherdess Walk/Bath St: ICAG would like Bath St to be made two-way for cyclists, so that south-bound cyclists coming down Shepherdess Walk can continue straight down, rather than having to do the (completely unsigned) wiggle round Mora Street. This would require preventing the current right turn lane from Bath St into City Road. I don't see this happening unless someone establishes how this would work. Something for ICAG to investigate further. Signage would at least make the Mora Street wiggle more useful.
5. Wakely Street turning, where City Road west-bound becomes bus only: ghastly situation. We saw quite a few cyclists getting into tangles with vehicles turning left from City Road west bound into Wakely AND vehicles turning right from City Road east bound into same. Hairy! I recommended the use of the central hatched area towards and beyond the signalled pedestrian crossing for a cycle lane. Would have to be segregated on at least the north side. Also moving the give way for right turning vehicles back so that it is perpendicular to City Road. Also changing the signage at the beginning of the bus lane to make it clear that cyclists welcome (as with Penton Rise).
6. City Road/Goswell Road junction: asked for the bus lane to be made continuous and given priority over right turning traffic from Goswell Road. Jerry said the plan is to prevent this manoeuvre altogether.
7. Penton Rise turning, where Pentonville Road west-bound becomes buses and cycles only. No indication that cycles are to be deprived of use of this facility. However, it is quite awful. Like Wakely Street, but worse as there are two lanes on Pentonville Road for the traffic to whizz along (and for cyclists coming along the kerb to cross) and then three lanes in Penton Rise for it all to speed into. Good news: Penton Rise is to be cut to two lanes. Bad news: the outside lane on Pentonville Road very unlikely to be made into a bus lane, given traffic volumes proceeding through and likelihood of traffic backing up at the Claremont junction. Possibility of a cycle lane along the middle as with City Road/Wakely, but again would have to be (at least part-)segregated. I even asked for traffic calming!