Proposed redevelopment of Green Lanes

I guess a few on here will ride along the Harringay section of Green Lanes so may be interested in this. There's various proposals for this stretch (see the PDFs at this link http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/consultation-documents-issued-for-harringay-s-high-street )

One of the main ones from my reading seems to be to remove the North-South bus lane in order to widen the footways/provide extra car parking.

Seems a strange proposal on what is a road that's already full of traffic and not particularly in line with all the Go Dutch mantra that is around at the moment.
[URL="http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/consultation-documents-issued-for-harringay-s-high-street"][/URL]

I'll be interested to see whether TfL actually gives the approval for getting rid of that bus lane. I can remember a time before it was put in and - granted, traffic flows have changed since - but congestion down there in the AM peak was pretty awful (it is bad enough at most times of day without the lane in force, mind). There will be a material cost to TfL in paying for an extra bus on the schedule to compensate for the additional time taken to get through there.

If they do go ahead and take it out, the width of the new carriageways should at the very least take into account some extra space for the movement of cyclists. Northbound is already a gauntlet and, yes, southbound progress was improved by the extra space provided by the bus lane - even with cars parked in it outside of operational hours, there was some extra space for bicycles to squeeze down. As far as I can see that would disappear with the remodelling. Anyone who has the misfortune to have to cycle along Wood Green High Road at most times of the day will already have a taste of what that sort of road modelling can be like to navigate.

I already know cyclists who prefer to use Wightman Road rather than tackle Green Lanes - perhaps TfL are quietly hoping more cyclists can be encouraged to take this back route.

Anyone who has the misfortune to have to cycle along Wood Green High Road at most times of the day will already have a taste of what that sort of road modelling can be like to navigate.

I already know cyclists who prefer to use Wightman Road rather than tackle Green Lanes - perhaps TfL are quietly hoping more cyclists can be encouraged to take this back route.

^This exactly - sounds like an extension of the hell that is WoodGreen High road and it's total lack of cycling provision - such as 5 mtr cycle lanes directing you off the road into a bin..then the cycle lane runs out..token gesture, tick box exercise.

The speed gauntlet of Wightman road still outweighs trying to head along Green Lanes up to Wood Green at anytime of day without taking rush hour into account

rush hour on that road is like an unofficial critical mass, lots of cyclists going no where fast

I hope they don't squeeze cyclists off Green Lanes! It's my most direct route home! I think that in an ideal world there'd be LESS parking on Green Lanes because people seem to love pulling out as soon as there are no cars, regardless of whether there are cyclists or not. Also lots of three point turns in traffic for some reason. I think removing the parking would even this out, but then I'm sure it'd bring up all sorts of other problems.

Wightman road is still pretty sketchy though. If you are travelling SOuth to North its not so bad as the hills are in your favour. North to South is more difficult as you generally have to go slower which results in cars sticking to your tail end and trying to overtake on narrow gaps..... I alternate...

Cheers for the heads up Aggi, this is part of my commute too and the proposal is clearly worse for cyclists. It would be good to know whether the LCC have any comments.

Wightman road is still pretty sketchy though. If you are travelling SOuth to North its not so bad as the hills are in your favour. North to South is more difficult as you generally have to go slower which results in cars sticking to your tail end and trying to overtake on narrow gaps..... I alternate...

I agree.
I use Green Lanes daily, and its bad enough as it , let alone if they squeeze the traffic to two lanes. I also find Wightman Road N-S to be not worth the hassle, but use it S-N on the way home.

I sent an email to the LCC a couple of days ago, not heard anything back yet.

I'd agree that Wightman is pretty poor for N-S, I always seem to end up with a van trying to squeeze past me on the uphill parts so virtually always do Green Lanes.

The road narrowing proposal seems ideal for some proper cycling lanes, if as it seems TFL may be claiming, the loss of the bus lane won't make much difference to traffic times, but it looks like that's barely been considered.

i read the proposals the other night (my sister lives near there). i found the document vague and uncertain.

green lanes, is at the moment, a very dangerous shopping street.

it really does need improving.

i really hope they put it traffic calming.

I see the council have a drop in session arranged for Tuesday the 27th after work at the Paul Simon estate agent on that stretch of Green Lanes. There's no reason not to check it out on the way home (if you work office hours), ask questions and leave feedback. Especially if they have free tea.

I'm about to move to Palmers Green and have been trying to work out if there's a convenient way of avoiding the Haringey ladder section of Green Lanes and Wightman Road when travelling north and south?

Does anyone do this route regularly? The chances of getting doored or having someone walk out between cars on Green Lanes seems pretty high and I'd rather avoid it.

Using Green Lanes to travel south and Wightman/Hornsey Park Road to go north is about the best compromise for commuting, as Sweaty suggests. People - myself included - do the Harringay leg regularly without indicent - it is just a bit of a ballache.

If you're based east of Green Lanes and looking to travel into the City then Hedge Lane and straight down the A10 is an option - about the same distance, but you're trading off the gauntlet of Green Lanes against some pretty fast roads as far as Tottenham. The Great Cambridge Road has bus lanes, though. I do the Tottenham - City bit of the A10 very frequently and it is a breeze.

Palmers Green to the west end can be done through Hornsey/Crouch End/Archway/Camden, but there is a whacking great hill, and Kentish Town Road is not much different to Green Lanes for trapping cyclists like fly paper at rush hour.

Using Green Lanes to travel south and Wightman/Hornsey Park Road to go north is about the best compromise for commuting, as Sweaty suggests. People - myself included - do the Harringay leg regularly without indicent - it is just a bit of a ballache..

^this. GL from Finsbury Park to St Anne's Road at rush hour makes for an extremely good hazard perception exercise. Take it slowly until the road opens up a bit and then do a sprint up to Turnpike Lane as a reward.

Quick update:
The drop in session was packed so I didn't get an opportunity to chat with any of the officials attending. Most overheard rants were either about congestion (as this thread discusses) or about parking.

I met the Haringey branch of the LCC on Monday; this issue is very much on their radar and they have seen the council about it already. The proposals seem to have a long way to go until they become reality so I guess we'll see how it all pans out.

Good work, Woah Cats.

Thanks. Will give Wightman/Hornsey Park a go on the way home tonight.

I actually got taken out by a non-indicating, frosted windowed, left turning car on my first commute in yesterday but that was further up Green Lanes in Palmers Green. No damage done, fortunately.