Camden Square Area Safe and Healthy Streets

Overview

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how people in Camden live, work and travel. Since the start of the pandemic many of us have been spending more time closer to home, making our neighbourhoods more important than ever. We want our streets to be safe spaces for you to walk and cycle, for children to get to and from school safely and healthily, for businesses to be able to flourish and for you to be breathing cleaner air.

As 69% of households in Camden do not own a car and public transport capacity remains much lower than before the pandemic, we know that safe and easy walking, cycling and scooting routes are more important than ever. Supporting and encouraging those who are able to walk and cycle, by creating safer streets will ensure that there is more space available on public transport and on our roads for those who need it the most.

Why your views matter

Many of the streets in the neighbourhood around Camden Square have benefited for many decades from measures that maintain access for motor vehicles but prevent motor vehicles from cutting through residential streets in the area to 'rat-run' between main roads. These restrictions have become part and parcel of everyday life in the streets between Agar Grove, Camden Road and Camden Park Road, meaning many streets in the area have low volumes of through traffic, already providing many safe and healthy streets. However, these existing measures around Camden Square mean that a large amount of motor vehicle traffic is instead using Murray Street. Murray Street is a residential street, which has no bus routes or dedicated pedestrian facilities such as zebra or signalised crossings, however the majority of vehicles using Murray Street use it as a quick route between Agar Grove and Camden Road; these vehicles do not stop or visit local businesses or provide services to local people and only serve to increase air pollution and congestion in the area.

To support more cycling and walking in the Camden Square area, a much needed upgrade to existing facilities is required. This includes the existing cycle route connecting Royal College Street and York Way, which is outdated and no longer in line with the current cycle standards. There is also a lack of suitable crossing facilities for pedestrians and cycles in the area, particularly on Agar Grove. The junction of St Pancras Way, Randolph Street and Agar Grove is also substandard, and unpleasant for those walking and cycling.

As part of our Safe and Healthy Street programme, we are proposing to make changes within the area by reducing traffic volumes, and encouraging more people to walk and cycle. These proposals align with discussions held previously with the Cantelowes Area Action Group and representatives of local resident groups on how to tackle high traffic volumes within the neighbourhood.

In line with new Department for Transport guidance, we are now consulting on all new Safe and Healthy Street schemes so that we can engage with local residents, businesses and stakeholders in changes happening on their streets. We want to know what you think about these proposals.

What happens next

As the consultation is now closed,your views, and those of everyone who contributes to this consultation, will be analysed and considered, alongside relevant data available on the scheme and in light of how the scheme aligns with our current policy objectives, in order to put forward recommendations on whether to proceed with the proposals. A summary of this analysis will be provided in the decision report, and will be made available on the Camden Council website in due course.

If you have any other ideas for improvements to make travel safer and healthier in this area, please go to Safe Travel Camden Map  to make some suggestions.