Hackney Council are currently considering two options for improvement for Downham Road. Only one of the options presented is acceptable.
Option A:
- Forces cyclists, including school children. to share the roads with 6,000 motor vehicles.
- This disqualifies Option A as an acceptable option, and should not be put forwards for further discussion.
Option B:
- Provides safe, segregated cycle lanes.
- Retains the existing wide pavements
- Provides greening to the road
- Reduces the lane width for general traffic
We do not believe that Option A should be considered or put forward as a viable option.
- The Mayor committed to providing safe cycling provision to all Hackney schools in the 2022 elections.
- Option A does not adhere to the LTN 1/20 guidance, where roads with 6,000 motor vehicles/day should have segregated cycle lanes.
- Downham Road is a busy road with approximately 6,000 motor vehicles per day. A primary and a secondary school are located on Downham Road.
We are disappointed that Hackney Council have presented an option that would force cyclists, directly outside two schools, to ride in the carriageway with high volumes of motor traffic.
We have been here before. In recent years. The current proposals are akin to the unsatisfactory changes using cycling funds implemented on Whiston Road in 2016. We should only accept changes that improve cycling safety, either through more like those introduced on Richmond Road (filtering), or on Queensbridge Road (cycle lanes with pedestrian improvements and reduction in parking provision).
If two options are required, the choice should be between segregated cycle lanes and a filtered Downham Road.
