Walking and Cycling Improvements at Fortess Road/ Dartmouth Park Hill/ Junction Road/ Tufnell Park Road/ Brecknock Road signal junction

Overview

We are writing to seek your views on the Council’s proposal to improve the traffic signal junction outside Tufnell Park underground station where Fortess Road, Dartmouth Park Hill, Junction Road, Tufnell Park Road and Brecknock Road join.

The consultation document can be found HERE and proposed layout plan can be found HERE

Camden Council is proposing to improve this junction, which includes improving the crossings for pedestrians and providing some improvements for cyclists travelling through the junction. The proposals outlined in this leaflet are aimed to benefit everyone but especially pedestrians including school pupils who travel through this junction on their way to and from a number of schools in the area. The proposed layout plan illustrates the overall area the Council is proposing to introduce improvements.

The junction is on the highway boundary between Camden and Islington Councils. Camden officers have been in discussion with Islington officers and the proposals for improvements to the junction have been jointly agreed.

Current layout and issues

The junction at present is complex with a number of roads connecting to it and therefore multiple movements by motor vehicles being undertaken which makes it challenging to cross as a pedestrian and cyclist. There are some popular routes being used, for example pupils from nearby school on Burghley Road to travel daily to and from the bus stops on Tufnell Park Road. The underground station draws pedestrians from different directions, with some having to cross multiple roads to reach their destination and using the small narrow traffic islands whose function is to house the signal poles.

Officers also considered the safety record of the junction. In the three year period to the end December 2017, Thirteen traffic collisions occurred at the junction of which a majority (7) occurred where Junction Road and Brecknock Road join. The majority of collisions have involved vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and powered two wheelers). The collision data indicates that there is a need to improve safety at this junction.

Officers undertook site visits to the junction during busy times to understand how the junction is being used, where the footways are too narrow, where crossings are not clear or direct and where there is a lack of cycle infrastructure. The traffic data gathered for the junction indicated that the right turn from Junction Road into Dartmouth Park Hill was lightly used with less than 10 vehicles making the turn in each rush hour. Similarly the left turn from Brecknock Road into Fortess Road was also lightly used with less than 25 vehicles using this turn in each rush hour. Other turns were all fairly evenly used.  A number of options were explored and modelled using specialist signal software to assess the impact on the junction if these changes were made. These options included more measures for cycling but a number of these proved difficult given the interactions between different modes using the junction, the wider impact and impact on buses and pedestrians.

These options were discussed with Islington officers and an agreement was reached on one option that addressed some of the concerns raised but considered impact on the wider area and on delay to buses travelling through the junction. These agreed proposals are outlined below and illustrated in detail on the drawing overleaf. There will be no overall loss in marked parking bays as result of the proposals.  The proposals if approved will be delivered through funding allocated by Transport for London to Camden under its annual submission through the Local Implementation Plan (LIP).

PROPOSALS

The proposals for this junction includes the following major changes:

1. Widening the footway surrounding the entrance to the underground station, both on Tufnell Park Road and Brecknock Road, as well as the western footway of Dartmouth Park Hill (near Burghley Road where the school pupils congregate after school).
2. Removal of central islands on all roads at the junction. This allows for more road space to be given to mark a dedicated cycle lane on approach to the junction where cyclists are more vulnerable or in some cases to provide an additional traffic lane to reduce delay to buses.
3. Implementing two new diagonal crossings providing a direct link from east to west, from the school side to the bus stops on Tufnell Park Road and the underground station. These would allow pedestrians to cross in one stage instead of crossing two roads before reaching their destination.
4. Widening the existing crossings to accommodate more pedestrians to cross comfortably at the same time.
5. Extend double yellow lines on the western side by 16m up to 227/229 Brecknock Road to prevent vehicles parking at this location which will result in traffic congestion due to narrow width of carriageway
6. Banning the right turn from Junction Road into Dartmouth Park Hill.
7. Marking advanced cycle stoplines on all approaches including mandatory cycle feeder lanes on Junction Road and Tufnell Park Road.
8. Banning the left turn from Brecknock Road into Fortess Road.
9. Provision of a ‘Keep Clear’ road markings opposite Burghley Road to assist with cyclists turning right out of the side road.
10. Provision of pedestrian countdown timers and a pedestrian only stage allowing pedestrians to cross all roads whilst all other traffic is stopped.