Pancras Road - Proposed Walking and Cycling Improvements

Overview

Last year Camden Council implemented a number of changes on Royal College Street between Crowndale Road and Baynes Street to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians and to reduce traffic speeds.  The changes included providing wide protected cycle lanes for cyclists and better crossings for pedestrians.

In March 2013 the Mayor of London launched his vision for cycling in London.  A major element of the vision is the proposed new Central London Cycle Grid – a network of cycle routes through Central London, making it more attractive to people who don’t cycle and safer for the increasing numbers who do.  As part of the Cycle Grid, Camden Council would like to extend the cycle route on Royal College Street to the north to Kentish Town and to the south to Kings Cross, providing a safe and continuous protected cycle route.

Why your views matter

Pancras Road is a two-way road with no cycle lanes except two short sections providing access into Goldington Crescent and Midland Road.  Camden Council has developed a number of proposals to make Pancras Road safer and more attractive for everybody; this leaflet sets out these proposals.  As a local resident, business or group, this is your opportunity to let us know what you think.

There have been 7 accidents on Pancras Road within a 3 year period up until February 2014; six slight accidents and one serious.  Four of the accidents involved cyclists or pedestrians and one involved a motorcyclist.  All of the accidents except one occurred at junctions with side roads.  Speed surveys were taken and the average speed is 24.1mph, which is in excess of the 20mph speed limit.

To reduce the speed and number of accidents, the Council is proposing to narrow the carriageway and introduce 2m wide protected southbound and northbound cycle lanes. These cycle lanes will make Pancras Road easier to cycle along by providing a safe and direct cycle route. The narrower road will encourage drivers to drive at slower speeds, reducing accidents and making it safer for pedestrians.

We are also proposing to make Goldington Crescent more attractive by replacing the fire gate and bollards, and building a new footpath around the park on Pancras Road.  The existing zebra crossing would be moved closer to the Goldington Crescent junction providing a direct link between Goldington Crescent Gardens, and St Pancras Church.

In December 2013, we installed plastic barriers to trial the removal of a traffic lane on Pancras Road at the junction with Royal College Street to make it safer for southbound cyclists on Royal College Street. The trial showed that the removal of a traffic lane does not lead to significant traffic problems. We therefore propose to make this change permanent which provides space to create a new pavement next to Goldington Crescent Gardens.
 

We have also reviewed the number of bus stops in the area.  TfL Buses recommend that bus stops are found every 400m along a bus route.  The two stops between Chenies Place and the Crowndale Road shops are only around 100m away from the previous stop.  We are proposing to remove these middle stops, leaving 300m between the Crowndale Road and Chenies Place bus stops.  This will provide a more regular bus service, without the number 46 and 214 buses having to stop again as soon as they’ve left the previous stop.

The proposed changes are indicated on the two drawings that can be viewed below, and include the following:

The proposed protected cycle lane would be physically segregated from traffic to provide a safe and attractive environment to encourage people to cycle.  The types of segregation proposed include:

• Recycled plastic blocks (similar to those used on Royal College Street) would be installed at regular intervals to provide a safe area for cyclists. These blocks also make it easier for people to cross the street;
   
• The two bus stops at the southern end of Pancras Road by Chenies Place are also used as a place where the bus company changes drivers. Buses at this stop often wait several minutes and unconfident cyclists find them difficult to overtake. 
  - At the northbound bus stop we have enough room to allow cyclists to ride between the footpath and the bus stop, so we are proposing a “floating bus stop”.
  - At the southbound bus stop we have less space, so we are proposing a more compact version between the road and the footpath, similar to those currently on Royal College Street.