Forum topic: Before the CE consultation ends on Friday, please request proper pedestrian crossings at Green Lanes/Hedge Lane junction

The Cycle Enfield A105 statutory consultation runs until Friday. If you haven't done so already, this is your chance to complain about the failure to include a pedestrian phase on the traffic lights at the Green Lanes/Hedge Lane/Bourne Hill junction.

In my view it is dereliction of duty to not have proper pedestrian crossing facilities at this junction. Anyone crossing any of the arms of the junction here will know what I'm talking about. There is very little time to cross and there is a great deal of red light running by irresponsible drivers, the most dangerous being drivers accelerating up Hedge Lane and turning left through a red light, during the few seconds that pedestrians have before the Green Lanes traffic gets a green light.

Last week a four-year old was very seriously injured somewhere in the vicinity of this junction - I don't know the exact circumstances, perhaps someone can provide details?

My understanding is that TfL refuse to include a pedestrian phase because it would lead to traffic tailbacks, particularly on Hedge Lane. There have been previous campaigns and questions to the Mayor of London, but they have all come to nothing.

If the choice is between inconveniencing car drivers and significantly reducing the likelihood of injuries and deaths of pedestrians, I know where i would put my money.

Regardless of whether you support or oppose cycle lanes, please submit an objection about this particular aspect of this particular junction. This consultation provides an opportunity to do so.

Click here to go to the comment form

This is the wording that I used when I objected last week:

6 What is the specific location to which your objection refers?

The intersection of Green Lanes, Hedge Lane and Bourne Hill

7 Please describe the nature of your objection?

I consider that the proposed treatment of this junction does not provide an adequate level of safety for pedestrians crossing any of the four arms of the junction. The opportunity should be taken to add a pedestrian phase to the traffic lights on all arms.

The proposals as they stand would possibly make the junction slightly less hazardous for pedestrians than it is, because it appears that vehicle stop lines would be further back, which might reduce the amount of red light running, which is endemic to this junction. However, both the current and proposed configurations are seriously unsatisfactory from the point of view of pedestrian safety. The short all-red period is in practice even shorter, as cars frequently go through red lights and as soon as the red/amber signal is shown many drivers start off at high acceleration without consideration for pedestrians. A particular danger is posed by cars turning left out of Hedge Lane into Green Lanes. Sight lines for both drivers and pedestrians are inadequate when pedestrians are crossing Green Lanes from east to west (from the antiques shop towards St John's Church) and red-light running by cars turning left is very common. Red-light running often occurs at high speeds, because cars have been accelerating towards the lights in order to avoid being stopped.

I understand that the hit-and-run accident involving life-threatening injuries to a young child on 22nd July reportedly occurred at or near this junction. There are no alternative controlled crossing points for pedestrians in the near vicinity, even under the Cycle Enfield proposals. Even though this is away from the main centre of Palmers Green, there are many pedestrians who need to cross here, including visitors to St Monica's Church and the Intimate Theatre, or bus passengers wishing to board the W6 towards Edmonton.

I appreciate that Hedge Lane/Bourne Hill carries a considerable amount of traffic and that road engineers are concerned about tailbacks at this junction. However, it is my strong view that subjecting drivers to a few minutes of delay is a small price to pay for increased safety for pedestrians at what any reasonable person could see is a hazardous junction.