TfL is making major changes to the Archway gyratory as part of their Road Modernisation Plan. The work will radically transform Archway town centre by creating a new public space. A public consultation ran from 3rd November to 14th Dec 2014, with another, originally scheduled for autumn 2015, to follow in January 2016. The latter will focus on the changes to bus routes.
INFORMATION ON THE WORKS
To receive construction updates email STEngagement@tfl.gov.uk. To receive more detailed, weekly updates on planned road closures and key events, sign up by emailing freight@tfl.gov.uk. Contact the contractor’s Project Liaison Officer, Patrick Kelly, for any construction matters that require immediate attention (e.g. trip hazards or obstructed access to a local business) at Patrick.Kelly@ringwayjacobs.com. Download the planned works leaflets:
From 22nd March | From 18th April | From 5th May | From 27th May | From 27th June | From 17th September (road closures)
In reverse chronological order.
Gyratory Q&A
Posted 19/4/17
Islington Council has collated a comprehensive list of queries, grumbles, observations and suggestions from local residents and groups following the completion of the gyratory works. These have been presented to TfL and you can see their responses in a handy spreadsheet.
Despard Road Loading Bay
Posted 28/2/17
Several consequences of the gyratory makeover have proved contentious, including the removal of the loading bay outside the Charlotte Despard pub in Archway Road. TfL are now proposing a replacement bay in Despard Road (the recently paved area where the underpass used to emerge) with egress onto Archway Road, with the loss of three existing parking bays. Although TfL is conducting this consultation, Islington Council is the Highway Authority for Despard Road and will be responsible for final decisions affecting these proposals. There is a survey to elicit public response, but hurry if you want to comment as it closes on 10th March.
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Islington Update
Posted 4/2/17
The following email from Claudia Webb was circulated by LBI on 3/2/17:
Throughout Transport for London’s (TfL) work to transform Archway, your Islington Labour councillors have been putting residents and passengers first and demanding key changes on your behalf.

The removal of the gyratory will create a new public space and two-way traffic system, along with cycle lanes and improved pedestrian crossings. The works are expected to be completed by summer 2017 and will also allow new genuinely affordable homes to be built.

However, not everything with TfL’s works has gone smoothly, and your Islington Labour councillors have been pressing them for key improvements on your behalf.

I have been dealing with TfL and raising concerns about the works for months. For example, in December 2016, I wrote to the Mayor Sadiq Khan to express my frustration with TfL’s poor communication with the Council and local community about the Archway bus consultation report and its failure to take account of residents’ views. This included a failure to engage with the Council and plan for the implementation of the bus changes.

Following ongoing campaigning from Islington Labour, and specifically the representation made by your local ward councillors, TfL have agreed to -

  • Monitor and review putting bus stops at other locations, so that route destinations and stop locations work for passengers
  • Reroute certain buses to terminate at Whittington Hospital and/or St John’s Grove near Upper Holloway station
  • Introduce new clearer signage in the area to let passengers know about the changes
  • Deploy uniformed transport information helpers in the area, to help residents and visitors alike for the duration of the works and beyond
  • Introduce ‘live’ next bus information boards at Archway station, and countdown signs at a number of bus stops around Archway
  • Introduce a clean bus fleet at Archway as quickly as possible
  • Ensure bus drivers comply with Islington Council’s anti-engine idling agenda
  • Take action now to design out crime and anti-social behaviour, including rubbish at bus stop locations
  • Undertake traffic modelling once the works are complete and take corrective action as necessary
  • Undertake corrective measures and changes if traffic monitoring shows significant increases in traffic volumes on local roads
  • Allow residents to take ownership of the look and feel of the new public space
  • Monitor and review the information arrangements for cyclists whilst the public square is being built, and take action to eradicate any pedestrian and cyclist conflict once built
  • Provide a modest improvement to the Archway station façade
  • Support the Council on planting at Pauntley Street and additional trees and hedges to mitigate the effect of the bus stands
  • Consult on and implement a border of trees and other greenery at Vorley Road outside the children’s centre
  • Consult and reach a resolution on the Despard Road loading bay
  • We will continue to hold TfL to account and make sure that residents and passengers are put first. If you have any questions or issues you want us to take up with TfL, please do get in touch.
You can read more about the Archway improvements works on the TfL website.

Yours sincerely,
Cllr Claudia Webbe
Executive Member for Environment and Transport
Follow-Up
Caroline Russell secures TfL concessions
Posted 3/2/17
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On February 1st Islington councillor Caroline Russell walked around Archway with Nigel Hardy, Head of Road Space Management Sponsorship at TfL, and Deputy Mayor for Transport Val Shawcross. Their purpose was to discuss residents’ ideas for improvement to the new road layout, especially concerning bus arrangements. She was able to secure several ‘concessions’ from TfL; you can read the press release on the London Assembly website.
Two-Way Traffic
Posted 18/1/17
Work on the gyratory is nearing completion and the two-way system is now operational; let us know if you encounter any problems. Find details of the new traffic flow here.
Bus Consultation Meeting
Held at Hargrave Hall, 12th December 2016, 7.30pm
Posted 13/12/16
It was a packed, lively and productive meeting last night, focusing on the buses but obviously including other gyratory issues. Although (or maybe because) there were no TfL representatives, the three GLA politicians present committed, under the leadership of Jennette Arnold, to hold TfL to account both for their response to the bus consultation and their poor planning. At a meeting to be held soon after Christmas, key local people will be invited who will be able (yet again!) to offer alternative proposals that focus on connectivity, safety and air quality. No LBI Labour councillors were present as they were holding a Labour meeting (they sent two officers instead) but Caroline Russel (Green) and two councillors from Camden and Haringey were present. Click below for notes from the meeting.
Bus Consultation Results
A Response from Better Archway Forum
Posted 5/12/16
On 1st December, barely a fortnight before implementation of new bus routing at Archway, TfL published the results of their bus consultation from 10 months ago. Commendably, the organisation admits that 75% of respondents said they did not support the proposed changes. Add the partial opposition of 15% and the figure is actually 90%. Less commendably, TfL says it has decided to go ahead with the scheme, despite failing to explain why.

At a transport hub like Archway routes to specific destinations should have common stops as soon as they converge, and just before they diverge. This happens currently on Lower Highgate Hill and there was scope for further interchange improvement. That potential was a key reason for supporting change in the Archway layout. Instead TfL and Islington plan to sweep away all that convenience to create a giant, windswept public plaza. We know it will be windswept because the wind studies for the refurbished Archway Tower showed wind would be getting worse, not better as a result of the recladding. And shadow projections confirm that the tower causes near permanent shade.

Even stranger is the bizarre plan to stand buses on Archway Road, adding expensive empty mileage, rather than running to points of demand like the hospital and the Overground. A whole string of excuses to avoid that started with ‘The hospital don’t want it’, only to discover that neither Islington nor TfL had even bothered speaking to the hospital.

Now they tell us we might get a bus re-routed, e.g. to the hospital, but they’ve been thinking about that since May so should know by now. Given the approach so far to the convenience of Archway passengers there’s no guarantee of it, even though that re-routing would be more than workable for at least two if not three routes. With just days to go before implementation it looks like the public transport users and residents of Archway will have to spent yet more time and energy lobbying to repair this botch, when it could so easily be done right in the first place, especially if Islington backed the needs of the users. That has clearly not happened.

To add insult to injury neither TfL nor Islington will engage in any way about what they plan for their swanky new showpiece plaza. In the light of the current, last minute announcement, that should probably be setting more alarm bells ringing.
Implementation of Two-Way Traffic
Posted 2/12/16
TfL is distributing a letter to residents and business with information on the new two-way traffic system at Archway. Work is planned to take place between 21:00 on Saturday 17 December and 05:00 on Sunday 18 December. Having been originally scheduled for January 2017, the works to introduce the two-way traffic system are being brought forward to coincide with the current planned closures on Holloway Road and “help avoid more disruption in the area in future”.
Bus Consultation Results
Posted 1/12/16
Between 11 January and 29 February 2016 TfL ‘consulted’ on a set of proposed changes to bus services in Archway. Today (1/12/16) they published their results:
We received 818 responses to the consultation from both members of the public and stakeholders. Seventy-five per cent of people who responded said that they did not support the proposed changes. Twenty-three percent either supported or partially supported the proposals.

Having reviewed the detailed comments provided by respondents, we have decided to proceed with the proposed changes. These will be implemented in time for the change-over to the new two-way traffic system at Archway, which is expected to happen on the weekend of 17/18 December 2016. The new bus stands on Archway Road will be in use from Tuesday 6 December.

We have looked carefully at what those who opposed the changes told us. As a result, we are considering extending certain bus routes to serve locations such as Upper Holloway station and the Whittington Hospital.
You can read a report of the consultation process and another explaining TfL’s response to the issues raised:
TfL say their dedicated Archway webpage will shortly be updated with links to updated bus travel information:
Judicial Review Refused
Posted 14/6/16
The application for permission by Brad Duncan and others to judicially review the Archway Gyratory decision was refused by the High Court on 17/5/16. The claimants have 7 days from then to request that the Court’s decision be reconsidered by way of a court hearing. The judge’s reasons for refusing permission for a judicial review of TfL’s decision are as follows:
  1. There is no evidence that the data collection and modelling weren’t properly carried out and in accordance with good industry practice.
  2. There was no legitimate expectation of any further public consultation.
  3. It is lawful for TfL to take account of the Council’s wish that land should be released for development (and TfL has not thereby subordinated its decision-making powers to the Council’s wishes).
Bus Stands - Judicial Review
Posted 25/3/16
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“Last week an application was made to the High Court for judicial review of TfL's decision to relocate the Vorley Road bus stand to Archway Road as part of the Gyratory development. The High Court accepted the application and yesterday notice of the claim was served on TfL. The court will now consider the claim and I fully expect it will go to full review.

The relocation of the bus stands has caused a good amount of anger. It's clear that it has nothing to do with transport strategy but came about because Islington Council exploited an opportunity to impose their own agenda on TfL (i.e. selling the Vorley Road site for housing development and raising revenue). But TfL has no authority to make decisions on this basis.

Both before and after the original consultation TfL itself questioned the bus stand relocation but the Council said they would never agree to keep the bus stands at Vorley Road, making the original consultation a nonsense; the public was never told the bus stand relocation was non-negotiable. In fact the public was told a further consultation would be held regarding the buses in October last year, only for that to be delayed to January and when announced it excluded the bus stands.

TfL and Islington Council will disagree with the above (and the other issues I raised in the claim) but now the court will have a say. All those people and groups who have seemingly wasted their time trying to convince TfL and the Council that moving the bus stands to Archway Road is crazy and that there are better options if they do have to be moved, will hopefully now have the benefit of the court speaking for them.”
TfL Traffic Flow Documents
Posted 7/3/16
Kit Phua, who has been campaigning to reinstate the right turn from St. John’s Way amongst other things, has sent us the documents she has received from TfL showing traffic counts on local roads. The documents are all in Excel format, and can be downloaded here in a zipped folder (1.7MB). The counts were done on a weekday and a Saturday in December 2015, and the sites are as follows:
Site 1 - St. John’s Way / Cressida Road
Site 2 - St. John’s Way / Miranda Road
Site 3 - Archway Road / Pauntley Street
Site 4 - Highgate Hill / Waterlow Road
Site 5 - Highgate Hill / Magdala Avenue
Site 6 - Dartmouth Park Hill / Magdala Avenue
Site 7 - Vorley Road (outside children’s centre)
Site 8 - Bredgar Rd / Junction Rd
Site 9 - Bickerton Road / Junction Road
Site 10 - Junction Road / Pemberton Gardens
Site 11 - Junction Road / St. John’s Grove
Site 14 - Holloway Road / Fairbridge Road
Site 15 - Holloway Road / St. John’s Grove
Site 16 - St. John’s Way / Ashbrook Road
Site 17 - St. John’s Way / Prospero Road
Site 18 - Holloway Road / Hargrave Road
Site 20 - Hazellville Road
Site 21 - St. John’s Grove / Pemberton Gardens
Bus Consultation Results
Posted 1/3/16
The Bus Consultation is now closed; TfL say the result will be published after the Mayoral election, so sometime after 5th May. More details as we get them. See WHPARA’s survey submission.
TfL - Planned Works
Posted 23/2/16
Work on Archway Gyratory starts in earnest on Monday 29th February, to allow completion of the gas works at the Muswell Hill Road junction. TfL is circulating a timetable of planned works to nearby households and businesses.
TfL Explains
Posted 2/2/16
David Goudge, Customer Service Adviser at TfL, explains the contentious issues in an email to local residents.
Thank you once again for your email … regarding the scheme for the Archway Gyratory. We at Transport for London (TfL) have noted your comments. Our planners have given consideration to your particular concerns, and I am pleased to convey their conclusions.

Please be assured that most careful study was given by our planners to the preferred routes through the area for each mode of transport. This includes the route that has been chosen for cyclists travelling to and from Highgate Hill (B519). I acknowledge that the planned route shall entail taking the two-way cycle route through what will otherwise be a pedestrian only area (the southern end of Highgate Hill, beside the entrance to the Underground station). However, please note that the cycle route will be demarcated, and that pedestrians will be able to cross the cycle route almost directly on their desired path between the Underground station and the bus-stops for northbound services.

I have noted your additional, various concerns over the proposal to close the pedestrian subway beneath Archway Road near to Despard Road, over the arrangements for terminating buses, and over the right turn from St. John's Way. Please allow me to address these matters in turn.

With regard to subways, while some people are happy to continue using them, a growing number of people feel unsafe and are concerned about anti-social or criminal behaviour. They would prefer a surface crossing. We are currently reviewing subways across our road network, and our planners have developed a programme for replacing many of them. The Archway scheme provides an opportunity to replace the subway at Despard Road with a signalised level crossing, and to introduce an off-carriageway cycle track.

The benefits of replacing subways with surface level crossings are wide ranging, and relate to accessibility, crime, and convenience. Subways can be inaccessible to disabled people, due either to the presence of steps, or to a combination of poor lighting, absence of handrails, length of ramps, or general lack of maintenance. Subways can cause pedestrian detours and lengthen journeys on foot. These factors can result in some pedestrians seeking other routes to cross, or can deter people from walking.

Additionally, the design of subways precludes any natural surveillance, and this can act as a precursor to crime problems or fear of crime. Both outcomes can in turn reduce the number of journeys on foot. Subways provide a point of shelter which can result in anti-social and / or criminal behaviour, as well as a point for collecting wind-borne rubbish. Again, these factors make them unattractive to use.

The financial cost of replacement of a subway can be expensive, but it should be borne in mind that crossings can be cheaper and easier to maintain than subways.

We will replace the subway at Despard Road with a new signalised pedestrian crossing which will operate concurrently with the bus U-turn manoeuvre, maximising green man signal time for pedestrians. General traffic will be held on a red signal while both pedestrians and the bus U-turn receive a green signal.

The U-turn facility has been thoroughly assessed to make sure there is sufficient space for buses to perform a U-turn while ensuring the safety of pedestrians. A distance of 22 metres has been provided between the stop line from where buses will make the U-turn manoeuvre and the new pedestrian crossing.

Details of the subway proposal were included in the 2014 Archway consultation, and some respondents chose to comment on them:

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/betterjunctions/archway-junction/user_uploads/tfl-archway-consultation-report .

In respect of the bus terminal proposals, please note that the closure of the southwestern arm of the Gyratory (Lower Highgate Hill) and the associated road layout changes - including changing Vorley Road to become one-way clockwise - means that manoeuvres which are currently made would no longer be possible. Some buses could not access the bus stands on Vorley Road, while others would be required to access it by taking a much longer route, thus delaying journey times. The relocation of the bus stands is therefore intrinsically linked to the redevelopment of the Gyratory.

Relocation of the bus stands also supports the London Borough of Islington’s aspiration to build affordable housing and community facilities on the council owned site.

As you are probably aware, currently seven bus routes (4, 17, 41, 143, 390, C11, and W5) terminate at Archway. All use a site on Vorley Road to stand vehicles. Due to the road layout changes it has been necessary to move these bus stands to the following on street locations:

On Archway Road:
  • three routes (17, 143 and 390) would be accommodated on Archway Road northbound;
  • three routes (4, C11 and W5) would be accommodated on Archway Road southbound;
  • each stand would be 79 metres in length and provide space for up to six buses to stand.
On MacDonald Road:
  • one route (41) would stand on MacDonald Road near the Leisure Centre, providing space for up to three buses to stand.
The number of buses at one time on each of the stands will vary, but up to six buses would be permitted to park on each stand at any given time. It is expected that around 50 buses will use the bus stands over a period of an hour , with approximately half the buses using the stand on the northbound side of Archway Road and the remainder using the southbound side to stand.

Alternative locations for the proposed bus stands on Archway Road have been investigated. It is not possible to locate the stand closer to the Underground station / island as there would not be enough space for standing the buses on the southbound side. It is also not possible to locate the bus stand closer to the bridge, as this would cause too much delay and too much empty running for buses.

The six bus routes that are proposed to stand on Archway Road would turn around by making a U-turn at a new set of traffic signals. General traffic will be held on a red signal while both pedestrians and the bus U-turn receive a green signal.

These traffic signals will be co-ordinated with the other traffic signals around the gyratory, so that buses would turn around at the appropriate time, enabling the traffic along Archway Road to move as smoothly as possible.

Bus lanes would continue to be provided on Archway Road alongside the bus stands in both directions.

Please note that no passengers will alight or board at the bus stands on Archway Road. The first and last bus stops for these terminating bus routes will be located at the bus stops near the Underground station. Once buses make their last stop and drop off all passengers, they will continue and shall stand empty at their designated bus stand with their engines turned off.

With regard to the prohibition of the right hand turn from St. John’s Way southbound towards Highgate Hill or Archway Road northbound, our planners took into account the following considerations. They gave extensive investigation into allowing the right turn from St John’s Way into Archway Road. Despite multiple calculations, the right turn could not be accommodated in the design without significant impact to all users, including substantial journey time increases for general traffic and buses on St. John’s Way and Holloway Road. We anticipate this in itself may encourage motorists to look for alternative routes through local streets, creating traffic displacement. We have consequently restricted this movement.

The main issue with accommodating the right turn is a lack of space. In the present design it would encroach on northbound and southbound movements. All of the options investigated - including allowing the right turn only for buses - either do not meet acceptable design standards or impact the journey times and safety of multiple users including pedestrians, buses, and traffic. Designing a flexible layout has also been investigated, including options which do not take into account the space constraints such as location of building lines and the boundary wall of the park. However, these still do not resolve the performance and safety impacts as a result of allowing the right turn.

The right turn from St John’s Way is the lightest movement at the junction, with traffic counts showing that an average of just below two vehicles per minute currently make the right turn in the busiest morning peak hour and one vehicle per minute in the busiest evening peak hour. For comparison, the traffic flow on Archway Road in one direction (southbound) in the morning peak is approximately 14 vehicles per minute.

The majority of this traffic goes to Highgate Hill, although some goes to Archway Road. It is not possible to determine exactly how much of this traffic would re-route or use borough-controlled roads as alternative routes to Highgate Hill or Archway Road. These two vehicles per minute in the morning peak (or one in the evening peak) could choose from a number of routes: via Vorley Road, via Hazelville Road and Hornsey Lane, via Hornsey Road and Hornsey Lane or via Cressida Road. Each of the four routes is therefore likely to take a share of the two (or one) vehicles per minute. Alternatively some of this traffic might choose routes further away, by-passing the area altogether.
Bus Stand Protest
Posted 2/2/16
While changes to the gyratory are broadly welcomed, there are many local people who believe that some of the details, notably the bus stands, U-turns and no-right turn, could have a negative impact on the area. The group n19air have organised petitions and staged an event on Saturday 6th Feb at 9:30am on the Gyratory, hoping to alert the public and press to their cause.
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Gyratory Works Begin
Posted 29/1/16
Work on Archway Gyratory starts on Monday 1st February, and will last approximately 18 months. TfL says that roads in and around Archway will be busier than usual, particularly during peak hours, and temporary lane closures, parking and turning restrictions will be in place. Access to Archway Tube will be retained, but there may be changes to pedestrian crossings around its entrances. Buses may be delayed or stop short of their normal destination and some stops will be temporarily suspended.
Bus Consultation Opens
Posted 11/1/16, Updated 29/1/16.
The TfL Bus Consultation opened as promised on 11th January and letters have been sent out to N6 and N19 addresses. Many residents are reporting that they haven’t received one - let us know if you haven’t. You can download it here, and there are details of the consultation on the TfL website:
The web page has a link to their consultation survey, but you can access it directly from here by clicking the button below. Better Archway Forum has some advice on filling in the questionnaire (download it below). All documents are available from our Gyratory Documents page.
Contact Details
TfL have advised that to contact them about the bus consultation the best email address is consultations@tfl.gov.uk, as this ensures that correspondence is correctly logged and passed to the correct teams if one individual is on leave. Emails should be marked ‘Archway Bus Consultation’. The best phone number to use is Customer Services on 0343 222 1234. This ensures calls are logged and allows them to investigate individual issues and respond accordingly.
Bus Consultation Update
17/12/15
WHPARA, as well as Islington Council and other local groups, have been trying to elicit information from TfL, particularly about the bus consultation, for some time. The adage about stones and blood springs to mind, but they have just imparted a snippet of information by email to Martijn Cooijmans, of LBI, which he shares with us below:
TfL has now responded to our repeated questions about the Archway bus consultation:

“The public consultation regarding proposed changes to bus services as part of the Archway Gyratory scheme is now scheduled to take place in January 2016. The consultation will seek views on how bus routes will pass through the new road layout and which bus routes will serve which bus stops. The consultation will not cover the road layout itself or the position of bus stops and stands as these were the subject of the previous public consultation in late 2014.

Although scheme construction is scheduled to start in March 2016, with some enabling works planned for February 2016, permanent changes to bus routings and stands would not be implemented until late 2016 at the earliest. This will allow the results of the January public consultation to be fully analysed and a consultation report published in Summer 2016.”

I will let you know as soon as I know more; in particular the exact start and end date and TfL’s methods of engagement.

Regards,

Martijn
As this will be a TfL consultation, further questions about the bus consultation should be addressed directly to TfL at consultations@tfl.gov.uk.
Ward Partnership Meeting 30/9/15
2/10/15
Feelings are still running high on this topic as those of us who attended the recent public meeting, called by Hillrise and Junction Ward councillors, can attest. There is still hope. There are meetings to persuade TfL to reinstate the right turn on St. John’s Way, which is the key to enabling other changes, for instance to some of the proposed bus stands, to take place. There is still confusion, however, over the status of the forthcoming bus consultation, now scheduled for late November. In answer to my question about its remit and purpose the meeting was informed that it was ‘more of an information exercise’. The TFL spokesperson was shouted down before she could elaborate so we continue to press for clarification. More news as we get it. - DL
N19 Air
29/9/15
A group of local campaigners are asking TfL for a 7-10 second traffic light phase to facilitate a right turn at Archway gyratory. Their main concern is the possible increase in pollution outside the Archway Children’s Centre in Vorley Road when it becomes the only route from St. Johns Way to Highgate Hill. They have pamphleted the local area and ask you to sign their petition. You can find more information at n19air.wordpress.com.
TfL Answers FAQs
21/9/15
TfL have, apparently, been swamped by queries and complaints from local residents and other bodies, and have been moved to produce a document summarising the FAQs and giving their answers. You can download it here.
Residents Call on TfL to Put People Before Vehicles
18/9/15
A coalition of community groups in Archway N19 has called on Transport for London to put people before vehicles;
‘People clearly take priority in smarter areas like Upper Street,’ said chair of the Better Archway Forum, Kate Calvert.
 
‘But Archway has at least as many residents and given the tube station and 12 bus routes, far more pedestrians. It is important that they are acknowledged and planned for, particularly as that is a requirement of national legislation.’
 
Caroline Russell of Living Streets believes that TfL should be planning for the shift in transport use in London.
 
‘Islington is a borough where only a third of households even have access to a vehicle,’ she said. More and more housing is being built car free, particularly the type of development we are seeing at Archway with the conversion of the office blocks, the planned Peabody conversion of the old university campus, and the additional housing planned for the bus stand in Vorley Road, plus the development area on the Whittington site.
 
‘All of this will add significantly to the number of residents, and most of those people will be without a car. While the A1 has been an important service route, in Islington it is a residential road and should be treated as such throughout its length, not just in the smarter, south of the borough.’
 
Much of the funding for the changes comes from the cycling budget but local cyclists are concerned that the current proposals would leave them in danger of left hooks at junctions, and risk collisions with pedestrians. Commented Liz Reiner of the Islington Cyclists Action Group,
 
‘We are particularly concerned at the lack of space for those standing at the main southbound bus stop which is served by multiple, heavily used routes, resulting in large numbers of passengers milling around. The proposed cycle lane passes immediately behind the stop and is downhill, almost certainly resulting in near misses and collisions.’
 
Meanwhile residents on both sides of the junction and parents with children in the Archway Early Years Centre on Vorley Road are very concerned about the potential impact of traffic displacement. This would be the result of the proposed ban on right turns from St John’s Way on to the A1. Among the displaced vehicles would be two bus routes taking extra mileage along Junction Road before turning into Vorley Road. 
 
The nursery campaign group are concerned about high levels of air pollution on all major roads, and believe that the proposal to run 20 buses an hour past the nursery will result in readings above the permitted European Union limit.
 
Said parent Kiat Phua, ‘Transport for London has the power to increase or reduce air pollution through its planning decisions and it is important that the organisation is held responsible for the impact on public health and particularly the well-being of children, who we now know are permanently damaged by exposure to polluted air.’  
 
In Whitehall Park chair of the Whitehall Park Residents Dorothy Leng added that as well as the increase in air pollution, those living in the area are extremely worried about the increase in noise and danger on the area’s residential roads caused by the proposed ban of a righthand turn from St John’s Way.
 
‘The Department for Transport figures are clear that despite a doubling in the number of bikes and buses, there has been a 20% overall reduction in the number of vehicles on Archway Road between 2000 and 2014’ she said.
 
‘This means that there is scope to permit the righthand turn from St John’s Way on to the A1, which TfL says will take up 20% of the junction’s capacity.’
 
Dorothy adds that also causing grave concern to members is the potential for increased noise, pollution and danger if, as proposed, terminating bus routes were to run empty and then stand on Archway Road.
 
To address the concerns the community is calling on TfL to trial a new approach, prioritising the needs of the majority users of the roads and streets. In practical terms this means:
 
  1. Permitting an additional traffic light phase at the Archway junction, permitted buses to turn right to the A1 from St John’s Way to avoid displaced traffic.
  2. Creating straight across T crossings at all junctions to make crossing less frustrating and even dangerous.
  3. Extending 20mph from neighbouring streets across the whole junction including the red route
  4. Running all terminating buses to points of demand, ie northbound to the Whittington Hospital, and southbound to run to Upper Holloway Station and connections to the overland railway route and Archway Market.
  5. Routing all buses to the same destination so they leave from the same stop, and place all stops close together to enable easy changing from one route to another.
 
Notes
 
Archway gyratory was originally built in the 1970s to serve a giant one-way system with northbound traffic travelling through Highgate Village, and southbound down the then unwidened Archway Road. In the end the scheme was shelved, but the three gyratories were installed anyway, resulting in the demolition of Whittington Almshouses at Archway.
 
Archway User Numbers
 
Vehicles

Department for Transport traffic figures http://www.dft.gov.uk/traffic-counts/cp.php?la=Islington (reference point 73617), show that there has been a marked fall in traffic at Archway between 2000 and 2014.
 
The number of pedal cycles has risen from 46 to 104, an increase of more than 100%, and the number of buses from 85 to 180, again more than 100%.
 
At the same time there has been a 20% reduction in vehicle numbers with the total falling from 4,122 in 2000 to 3,361 in 2014. And the number of cars has fallen by 30% from 3,195 to 2,227.
 
TfL estimates that permitting the buses to turn right from the A1 would remove 20% of the capacity at the junction. However, as vehicle levels have fallen so markedly since the current layout was created, it is now possible for the new layout to cater to lower levels of through traffic.
 
Pedestrians
 
Tube passenger figures at http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/train-station-usage show 14,396 on a weekday morning, all ultimately accessing the station on foot. Annual figures are 8.94 million in 2014, up from 8.24m in 2009.
 
Combining those numbers with those for residents - 15,000 in the wards of Hillrise and Junction consider Archway their main centre, other shoppers from outside that catchment, particularly down Holloway Road and up Highgate Hill, and the pupils of the six secondary schools who use Archway as a travel hub, suggest total numbers up to and possibly in excess of 30,000 a day.
 
Legislation

The Traffic Management Act of 2004 explicitly includes pedestrians as well as vehicles.
 
Contacts
Archway Children's Centre Parents/Carers Group - Kiat Phua archway.spillover@gmail.com
Islington Cyclists Action Group - Liz Reiner lizreiner@yahoo.co.uk
Islington Living Street - Caroline Russell carolinerussell3@me.com
Highgate Society - Adrian Betham betham@hotmail.com
Better Archway Forum – Kate Calvert contact@betterarchway.org.uk
WHPARA - w-dorothy
N19 Air
9/9/15
A group of local campaigners are asking TfL for a 7-10 second traffic light phase to facilitate a right turn at Archway gyratory. Their main concern is the possible increase in pollution outside the Archway Children’s Centre in Vorley Road when it becomes the only route from St. Johns Way to Highgate Hill. They have pamphleted the local area and ask you to sign their petition. You can find more information at n19air.wordpress.com.
Feedback from LBI
8/6/15
In response to questions at the WHPARA meeting and emails from concerned residents:
1. Gyratory consultation 2014
The public consultation on the Archway gyratory proposals took place between 3 November and 14 December 2014. During this time, TfL carried out the following activities, as outlined in its consultation report:

  • 8,330 letters were distributed to addresses around Archway on 3 and 5 November 2014. The distribution area for the letter is bound by Dartmouth Park Hill to the west, Hornsey Lane to the north, Hornsey Rise / Hornsey Lane to the east, and the railway line to the south
  • 50,000 emails were sent to Oyster users in the Archway area who had signed up for news updates (the week of the launch)
  • Mobile and desktop display banners appeared on internet search engines (on launch day – 3 November 2015)
  • Letters and emails were sent to local, London wide and national stakeholders
  • Two public exhibitions were held at the Archway Methodist Church, attended by the TfL project team and Council representatives (on 18 and 27 November 2014)
  • Updates were posted on the TfL twitter account to alert/remind people about the consultation and the roadshow events, throughout the consultation period
  • Over 3,000 consultation leaflets were distributed to members of the public by TfL representatives
  • A press release was issued on the day of the launch
In addition, TfL and Council representatives attended the following stakeholder meetings to present the proposals and answer any queries:

  • Junction Ward Partnership meeting on 11 November 2014
  • Hillrise Ward Partnership meeting on 19 November 2014
  • Archway Town Centre Group meeting on 9 December 2014
2. TfL bus consultation 2015
The TfL bus consultation will run in October 2015. The consultation will be open to the public, including local residents who will able to comment on the changes. We are yet to find out how people are consulted and can respond to the consultation, and will write to you again once we have received this information.

3. Relocation bus stand
The bus stand occupies a Council-owned site on Vorley Road and has caused problems for the immediate area (where the children’s centre is located) for many years, particularly in terms of air quality and traffic safety. In response to these issues and also to support the Council’s aspiration to build affordable housing on the site, it is proposed to relocate the bus stand to a less sensitive location using the existing road space on Archway Road. Currently seven bus routes (4, 17, 41, 143, 390, C11 and W5) terminate in Archway, and all use a site on Vorley Road to stand buses. It is proposed to move these bus stands to the following locations:

On Archway Road:
  • Three routes (17, 143 and 390) would be accommodated on Archway Road northbound.
  • Three routes (4, C11 and W5) would be accommodated on Archway Road southbound.
Each stand would be 79 metres in length and provide space for up to six buses to stand.

On MacDonald Road:
  • One route (41) would stand on MacDonald Road near the leisure centre, providing space for up to three buses to stand.
4. Bus turn-around
The six bus routes that are proposed to stand on Archway Road would turn around by making a U-turn at a set of new traffic lights. Although this is not a common arrangement, it has been used elsewhere in London, for example on Waterloo Road near Waterloo Station.

5. Exit from Pauntley Street
Vehicles exiting from Pauntley Street will need to cross the bus lane to join the rest of the southbound traffic (this is not an uncommon arrangement). TfL will consider installing keep clear markings at this location.

I hope this answers your questions, but please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or my colleague Hayley McNicol (CC) if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Martijn Cooijmans
Team Leader Planning and Projects (East-West)
Planning & Development
Islington Council
4th Floor, Laycock Wing, Municipal Offices, 222 Upper Street, N1 1XR
Tel: 020 7527 2776
WHPARA Meeting - Some Outcomes
14/7/15
The meeting organised by WHPARA on 2nd July was well attended, with at least fifty people turning up to voice their views. Kate Calvert and Adrian Betham spoke on the bus stands issue as well as the more general impact of the scheme, sharing the information they have garnered over the last couple of years. Several people voiced strong indignation that they knew nothing of the plans; they were encouraged to sign up to the WHPARA mailing list and check our website, which has been carrying news of the gyratory for the last 18 months. Martijn Cooijmans was there as a representative of Islington Council, and took most of the flak. There was no representative from TfL.

Below are some, hopefully useful, things that came out of the meeting. More to follow.
Letter to Boris Johnson from Brad Duncan, local resident
Petition 2
30/6/15
Many local people are concerned that the rerouting of traffic in the new road plan will bring increased traffic to local roads, increasing congestion and pollution, especially around Archway Children’s Centre, Girdlestone Estate and Whitehall Park Conservation Area. One such group of parents with children at the Archway Children’s Centre have produced an online petition, as well as plans showing the probable impact of the scheme and a possible alternative to the no-right-turn onto St. John’s Way. The petition organiser is Kiat Phua, who can be contacted at archway.spillover@gmail.com.
Bus Stands
8/6/15
TfL has announced that they will be holding a public consultation in the autumn on the bus stand proposals relating to the abolition of the gyratory. Several people in the area have contacted us, alarmed at the belief that the use of the lower Archway Road for bus stands would involve knocking down walls and the destruction of trees around Pauntley Street. LBI has told us that the intention has always been as indicated in the TfL plan i.e. to use the existing bus lane as a standing point for buses. They say there will be no construction work involved, apart from the erection of screening, such as a hedge, and the installation of toilet facilities. They have also informed us that buses will only use the stand during service (daytime) hours, returning to their garage overnight, and that there will be only one bus (the 390, the only night bus terminating in Archway) standing overnight.
WHPARA is holding an open meeting on the subject so that we can get greater clarity over what the current bus proposals mean in detail, and to continue to press for changes to the TfL plan. Speakers will include Adrian Betham and Kate Calvert, who are campaigning to change TfL’s mind about the plans, and we’ve also invited representatives from LBI. This is an opportunity to get better informed and make our voices heard, so pass it on to your neighbours and come along if you can - we’re hoping for a good turnout.
Thursday 2nd July, 7.30pm
St. Andrew's Church, Whitehall Park, N19
Consultation Report
25/3/15
TfL have processed the responses to the recent public consultation, and have sent the email below:
Dear Sir or Madam

Last year we consulted on proposals to improve Archway gyratory for cyclists and pedestrians and create a new public space. The consultation ran from 3 November until 14 December 2014. Thank you to all those who took part in our consultation. We received a total of 1,028 direct responses to the consultation. The majority of respondents agreed that the proposals would deliver improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

A report on the results is available on our website at www.tfl.gov.uk/archway-gyratory.

In response to comments received during the consultation, TfL is considering the following changes to the proposals:
  • Addition of a segregated route for southbound cyclists from Highgate Hill to Johns Way following concerns of the left turn conflict for cyclists at the junction of Tollhouse Way and Archway Road. To fully segregate the southbound route, the pedestrian crossings at the Archway Road and Tollhouse Way junction will be converted to shared toucan crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Improving the northbound cycling provision when leaving the new public space with a new section of cycle track between the public space and the junction of MacDonald Road.
  • In addition to the southbound cycle track, creating a northbound segregated cycle track from St Johns Way for cyclists travelling northbound to the junction of Tollhouse Way and Archway Road.
  • Widening of footway outside the Girdlestone Nursery on Vorley Road.
Next Steps

TfL will work with Islington Council to agree a final design, before seeking relevant approvals. We will publish details of the final scheme on our website and update all those who responded to the consultation and who provided contact details. We will also undertake further consultation for changes to bus services necessary to deliver improvements at Archway.

Subject to approval, construction is anticipated to start in March 2016 and is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete. Monitoring work would also be undertaken to assess any impacts of the changes, for example on local roads, and mitigation measures would be identified if required.

Yours sincerely

sig
Oliver Birtill
Consultation Team
Transport for London
Ward Partnership Meeting 25/2/15
Dorothy Leng, our chair, attended the Hillrise Ward Partnership Meeting on 25/2/15, which included a discussion of the state of the gyratory plans. She reports below:
Over 1,000 responses were submitted to TfL’s recent consultation on the plans to abolish the gyratory and create a more pedestrian and cycle-friendly system with a new public square at the centre. The main comments raised were:
  1. No right turn at St John’s Way
  2. The relocation of bus stops and the creation of bus stands
  3. The decrease in junction capacity
  4. The level of cycle provision
  5. Uses for the public space
The consultation report is due to be published in March and the decision whether to proceed with the scheme will also be taken then. Depending on the decision, works could start in early 2016, providing the work on the Upper Holloway bridge is completed by then.

We know that meetings have taken place since the consultation closed with TfL, and bodies such as Islington Cycle Action Group and Better Archway Forum, who are pressing for further improvements, have had some success. However, TfL are still resisting the right turn on to St John’s Way, even for buses.

The project is now being handled at GLA level, so if you still wish to highlight your concerns the people to write to are Caroline Pigeon, chair of the GLA Transport Committee, at caroline.pidgeon@london.gov.uk, and transport committee member Darren Johnson at darren.johnson@london.gov.uk.
 
From TfL 7/5/14:
“Transport for London (TfL) has extensively discussed the Archway scheme with the London Borough of Islington, and these discussions are continuing to ensure we can put out to consultation the best scheme possible. Due to the complexity of the road layout around Archway, additional design work is underway to ensure a viable option is developed that meets stakeholder aspirations. Until this further work is investigated in more detail, we are unable to confirm how the revised highway layout in Archway would work or how traffic flow in this area might be managed. We would certainly include detailed information on these issues in future consultation on the scheme at Archway however. We currently plan to undertake consultation on the Archway scheme by the end of this year.”
 
Petition
Local resident Liz Lawson has started a petition to persuade TfL to modify some of its proposals. It remains open, even though the initial consultation deadline has passed, and addresses the following issues:
  1. TfL proposes to move 6 bus routes from the Vorley Rd stand to new stands on both sides of Archway Rd (A1), with buses turning across the A1 to change direction. This would increase congestion, noise and pollution levels for all local residents.
  2. TfL proposes to prevent traffic in St John’s Way from turning right, at Archway Rd and also at the junction between Macdonald Rd and Highgate Hill. This would create ‘rat runs’ down residential roads on both sides of Archway Roadd as cars and lorries try to reach the A1.
 
Recommendations
Islington Cyclists’ Action Group has many recommendations for improvement on the current plans. See their website.
Thanks for the following recommendations from Better Archway Forum, which WHPARA broadly supports.
The plan focuses on “improvements to Archway gyratory for pedestrians and cyclists”. This is good but is not enough on its own to encourage people to come to Archway to shop, as a destination, or as a pleasant and convenient place to change bus or tube, which is what is needed to get the improved footfall for local businesses and keep the town centre successful and active. Additionally, the potential increase in displaced traffic will be a problem for affected residents, especially if the no right turn is implemented and the bus garage moved. We have also identified possible further improvements for cyclists.

Here are a few key changes that would address almost all the remaining issues:

  • Allow a right turn out of St John’s Way by first turning left into Holloway Road, and then looping back at what is now the pedestrian part at the south of the green triangle to re-join the main traffic flow north (the pedestrian area having been moved to a shorter route at the north side of the triangle.) This mini gyratory is a little convoluted but infinitely preferable to routing more traffic through the residential areas of the Girdlestone Estate and Cressida Road and would allow the 210 to join the 271 and 143 at bus stop E on the north of Archway island so there is a single pick-up point for services to Highgate village.
  • Move stop D (currently on Lower Highgate Hill) not to the top of Holloway Road as proposed but to Archway Island by the opticians, ie much more easily reached from the tube station, and combine with stop V from Junction Road so that passengers can catch all northbound routes from the same point.
  • Rather than running buses empty, say to Archway Road, use the mileage to take terminating routes to points of demand ie southbound to Upper Holloway Station and Archway Market (routes W5 and 143), and northbound to the Hospital (routes 390, 41 and 17).
  • Protect the Girdlestone Estate from noise by creating a division between Macdonald Road and Vorley Road, so stopping through traffic except for cyclists. This would leave space for deliveries and short-term parking, and the cycle route could be extended across the estate towards Hampstead Heath and beyond.
  • Add a northbound cycle lane for the full length of the Archway Road dual carriageway rather than forcing cyclists to share with buses – not ideal on such a steep hill.
  • Add the same southbound given that there is sufficient carriageway.
  • Ensure that pedestrian crossings cannot be blocked by traffic as happens now, especially on the crossing from St John’s Way to the island, thereby creating a serious safety hazard.
  • Ensure that the new ‘square’ created between the Archway Tower and the island is enhanced by quality paving, furniture, and planting to offset both noise and pollution.
  • Ensure that the new system is not blighted by unnecessary traffic signage.
  • Monitor the levels of noxious gases, especially at the junction of St Johns’s Way/A1 where the traffic will now be flowing in both directions.
 
Stacks Image 12970

No Right Turn

The proposed no-right-turn from St. John's Way on to Archway Road will have an impact on local traffic. Below, Martijn Cooijmans explains the reasoning in an email to Cllr David Poyser.
In response to your query about likely traffic displacement associated with the Archway gyratory proposals as part of Transport for London’s (TfL) currently consultation, I have set out below why it is proposed to ban the turn from St John’s Way in to Archway Road and Highgate Hill (the main reason for the traffic displacement in Hillrise Ward) and what the likely impact on local streets would be.

The gyratory was introduced in the 1960s to improve the operation of the road system for vehicle traffic. It does this very efficiently, although, as we know, it creates an eyesore for the area and creates problems for other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore ‘removing’ this efficient (for traffic) gyratory system and introducing a more traditional two-way road system is a challenge in terms of providing sufficient capacity for general traffic.

The St John’s Way/Archway Road junction would become the critical junction once the A1 would be directed via the northeast side of the island (as per the proposals that TfL is currently consulting on); traffic from all main approaches to Archway would have to move through this junction. To prevent delaying traffic on these approaches (including St John’s Way) too much, an attempt has been made to make this junction as efficient as possible, giving as much as possible green time to traffic approaching the junction. Under the current design the movement through the junction would operate in two stages. In the first stage traffic along the A1 between Holloway Road and Archway Road would run in both directions. When these movements would be held (at a red signal) traffic would move between Junction Road and St John’s Way and vice versa. Pedestrian would be able to cross in stages without impacting on the operation of traffic as described. This gives vehicular traffic quite a lot of green time and therefore keeps delays on the approaches to a minimum. The only exception is the AM peak hour in which there is expected to be a delay of up to five minutes on Holloway Road northbound.

Ideally the design would have included a right-turn movement from St John’s Way into Archway Road and Highgate Hill to retain this traffic on the main road network. However, allowing the right-turn at this junction would require holding all other traffic for longer at a red signal, creating significant delays and queuing on all approaches to Archway. This in itself might encourage motorists to look for alternative routes through local streets, creating traffic displacement. The right-turn movement from St John’s Way is therefore banned in the current design. As this movement is the lightest movement at the junction in terms of vehicle numbers, it was proposed to ban this turn and not any of the other more heavily used movements through the junction.

TfL undertook one week’s traffic counts at the gyratory last year to understand what movements people make through the area. It showed that an average of just below two vehicles per minute currently make the right turn in the busiest morning peak hour and one vehicle per minute in the busiest evening peak hour (for comparison, the traffic flow on Archway Road in one direction (southbound) in the morning peak is approximately 14 vehicles per minute). The majority of this traffic goes to Highgate Hill, although some goes to Archway Road. It is not possible to determine exactly how much of this traffic would use Cressida Road or any of the other alternative routes to Highgate Hill or Archway Road. However, these two vehicles per minute in the morning peak (or one in the evening peak) could choose from a number of routes: via Vorley Road, via Hazelville Road and Hornsey Lane, via Hornsey Road and Hornsey Lane or via Cressida Road. Each of the four routes is therefore likely to take a share of the two (or one) vehicles per minute. Alternatively some of this traffic might choose routes further away, by-passing the area altogether.

We are proposing that the Council allocate some of the annual TfL Local Implementation Plan (LIP) grant to improvements to local streets to help mitigate against additional traffic in the affected streets. This can be used for traffic calming measures and other measures people may feel would reduce the impact of the additional vehicles.

We have undertaken traffic counts on the potentially affected side streets over the last few years to understand what the current volume of traffic on these streets is. One of the options on how to deal with any impact of traffic displacement would be to repeat the traffic counts after the proposals have been implemented (if they were to go ahead) to establish which roads are most affected and based on this introduce any mitigating measures.

Lastly, in terms of your suggestion for signage to inform motorists of the banned turn early on, this is something we can look at as part of the work to mitigate the impacts of traffic in the short term.

I hope this is clear, but please feel free to call me if you would like me to clarify anything or if you have any further questions.


Martijn Cooijmans is Team Leader Planning and Projects (East-West) Planning & Development Islington Council 4th Floor, Laycock Wing, Municipal Offices, 222 Upper Street, N1 1XR.
Stacks Image 13066
Possible rat runs resulting from the no right turn. Click to enlarge/download.