Forum topic: PALMER GREEN'S NORTH CIRCULAR IS DANGEROUS TO PEDESTRIANS!!!

There is not much said on this website about the pedestrian dangerous North Circular in Palmers Green, proof that the majority of people just do not use their legs enough even to walk part of the way to their destination, not even for a light shopping given as there are shops on both side of the North Circular.

I am sure that if more residents chose to become pedestrians for most of their journeys within the area of Palmers Green and a little beyond then they would have long made their complaints to Enfield Council about the significant dangers of crossing the North Circular.

My theory is that most people choose not to cross the North Circular on foot because they are afraid of this road as its aspect is indeed imitating, and in reality a very dangerous road to all pedestrians. It discriminates against every single pedestrian and more notably to the elderly, those with health issues, people with children particularly when doing the school run given that there are schools nearby.

The Pedestrian Lights are dated. It is void of Pedestrian Lights for each Pedestrian Crossing,....... Void of Pedestrian Timers (interestingly, these timers had been introduced on much smaller roads within other boroughs with great success) ), Void of any Traffic Arrows Signals for vehicles turning into the road for pedestrians reassurance.

Centrally, Enfield Council in their programme for reducing the very high volumes of pollution in the borough and encouraging people to change their bad travelling habits have decided to stop short of the North Circular when it came to applying Cycles Lanes and making it safe to pedestrians, clearly because of the expense involved, a hindrance to all positive progress even when safety is involved.

Given the high volume of cars passing through the North Circular in PG constantly , it is without doubt along with Green Lanes the North Circular is a huge contributor of the Air and Noise Pollution for the whole of PG and yet Enfield Council have chosen to remain oblivious.

On reflection, even those thorny plants Enfield Council seems to favours, and planted on the centre bay and side bays of the North Circular in PG, have now mostly dwindled and died from the stress of the pollution so those planting areas now lay of essential Evergreen Plants that would in essence help combat a least a percentage of the pollution and soften the look of the North Circular to the human eye.

Recent Scientist findings have establish that persons deceased from various names of Dementia, their brains had contained high proportion of pollution, which sheds light on why dementia is on the increase.

Centrally, a safe North Circular for Pedestrians and Cyclist alike will radically change peoples travelling habits and help unify the shops on both sides of the North Circular.

If the North Circular which by the way is in the Borough of Enfield is not addressed by Enfield Council their scheme for making the Borough environmentally healthy will all be in vain.

Much as I'd like to see the back of the North Circular it would take an administrative earthquake to bring about the sort of changes Chrystalla G. is proposing. Personally I think of it, along with the A10 and similar roads, as a railway equivalent: fenced off along much of its length, high speed, not fit for walkers, bikers nor, in an ideal world, residents. In fact along much of its length houses are a long way back.

Crucially the air quality must be dreadful; cyclist as I am, I wouldn't bike along it.

In fact the real issue is the way we move people and goods around London. My view is that much more 'stuff' should travel in an out by rail, and what can't be distributed by rail controlled to a much greater extent. Moving people? Much more could be done by tram, bus and bike.

Keep that speed and those emissions down.

More when others have had a go.

I absolutely agree with every word this lady has said on the subject of pedestrian crossing & The North Circular Road which brings so much danger to all, Enfield Council know the dangers and are in a position to make it safer and easier to cross.

I find it outrageous that Enfield Council know how many deaths there has been trying to cross The North Circular Road. they have no compassion nor care to make positive changes, it feels that we the public have to keep complaining to Enfield Council and they still do nothing and they do not have the respect to answer our needs.

The experience I had in the past with Councils that they do not like the public to tell them how to do their job nor do they listen to any of our suggestions to changes, as I have sent loads of emails and no one has got back to me, they just do not care!!!

We need people employed in councils to be more enthusiastic about our community PG, and to have that get up and go spirit, rather then stay indoors behind their desk, otherwise look for jobs that are more suitable as their are others who would love to care about us and our community!

I am just disgusted that taxpayers & council taxpayers have to keep on and on begging councils for so many changes to improve our lives! and then were told their is no money, as it probably all goes towards paying so many in Management that are not needed.

We are seeing million pound homes being built in PG which is great for the area and makes the are look more sophisticated, but the PG library is so uninviting no ambiance, less books and does not feel like a library, whoever made the changes should of asked the residents what they would of liked, as the council always gets it wrong! obviously people working in the council who do not live in the area, do not care what they give us, and how the residents will feel with new changes not run by them, but the residents who do live in the area PG do care! so in future ask for our suggestions its called being in a democracy country and not being controlled by the council.

We want to see Enfield Council make improvements for the better in PG and all through Green Lanes! and always ask our suggestions and views we matter!

I don't think you can blame Enfield Council for the pedestrian problems at the Clockhouse Junction on the North Circ, as it's part of the strategic road network for London and is the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL).

I agree that crossing the North Circ along Green Lanes is unpleasant and hazardous for pedestrians and I tend to catch the bus for this reason even when I'd rather walk. However, I think that realistically the layout of the junction now is the best for pedestrians - if you always wait for the green man you can be (almost) sure that you won't be hit by a vehicle. It would be nice if we didn't have to cross in three legs and wait for so long, but the fact of the matter is that with the current levels of traffic along the North Circ changing this would lead to unacceptably long delays - for drivers, that is, it's OK for pedestrians to have to wait, as they are much lower down the official pecking order.

For the same reason TfL are refusing to have green man pedestrian lights at the Green Lanes/Bourne Hill/Hedge Lane junction.

A big problem at the Green Lanes/North Circ intersection is the ridiculous speed of the traffic going across the junction, especially West-East, as to my eye at any rate it appears that the traffic lanes are narrower to the East. It would only take a slight miscalculation by one driver for a serious accident to occur. And it's extremely unpleasant as a pedestrian to have to stand so close to lorries zooming past at 40 or 50mph. I strongly believe that there should be a lower speed limit at the junction, 30mph or even 20mph, and some way of enforcing it.

I'm sure some people will say that there should be an underpass at Clockhouse. It would be safer, but the "severance" effect between the north and south parts of Palmers Green would be terrible. We wouldn't want another Cambridge Roundabout inflicted on us, involving a large amount of demolition.

Talking about the Cambridge Roundabout reminds me that it's named after the big pub that was demolished for road widening. Think how many other pubs have been sacrificed to the great god roads - the Crooked Billet, Cooks Ferry Inn, Manor Cottage, Green Man - and no doubt others further west. It's ironic that the only pub that survived was the Cock - probably the least attractive of all both outside and in (though I never went in the Cooks Ferry) - and that hasn't survived as a pub.

In all respects the North Circ is a complete pain. A lot of it is very ugly, especially between Fore Street and Walthamstow. The noise is horrendous - another reason to have a lower speed limit. And the air quality must be seriously bad, yet they're building new flats along it and there are kids at Bowes and Broomfield schools who have to breathe it in all day. Perhaps a big tree planting programme would help with both noise and air quality.

From the bridge before the "Gas works" until just past PG the North Circular road is already a 30 mph limit. That we all think it is a 50 strikes me as a problem of enforcement - it is not part of the average speed camera enforcement area (running from said bridge and all the way to the A40 and beyond). I think it is inevitable that it will eventually come me under some speed control.

If the London Borough of Enfield is to succeed in its endeavour at tackling and reducing Air and Noise Pollution and making the areas main roads safe to all Pedestrians and Cyclist, which will encourage a healthier and more enjoyable way to travel, then the North Circular's main crossing in Palmers Green of Green Lanes must be addressed and improved by Enfield Council.

(On reflection, the previous London Mayor's awareness of the consequence of Air and Noise Pollution in our city, chose to make cycling in London I suppose fashionable, hence the increase in cyclists in London, however it has since lead to the lost of life of many a cyclist, subsequently blacking their families lives forever and all because the Government was reluctant to be seen having enough public money to spent on making the dangerous roads of London safe for cyclist and pedestrians alike, negligence !).

Sadly, with the cyclist death toll increasing and Pollution burdening the NHS with its victims, they have made a conscious and indeed a wise decision by opening the public purse and spending the money on road improvements, at last, but Enfield Council has unwisely chosen not to bother spending it on improvements for The North Circular of Green Lanes in PG

Therefore, if Enfield Council is genuinely committed to making the whole of Enfield safe for cyclist and pedestrians alike then its a job worth doing properly and not in half measures.

There is nothing complicated about addressing and making improvements on the North Circular's meeting point of Green Lanes in Palmers Green.

Points given below for the improvement of the North Circular on Green Lanes in Palmers Green.

1. Enfield Council should initiate the replacements of all the Traffic Lights by way of introducing up to date pedestrian lights for each crossing with Minute Timers and Arrow Signals with an extra minute crossing time for all pedestrians, (the drivers journeys are not more vital and urgent then the pedestrians journeys).

2. Enfield agreeing to adhere to the introduction of the Ban of Large Vehicles during day time hours on Green Lanes and the Crossing of the North Circular of Green Lanes.

3. A Congestion Charge should apply for certain hours during the day for non PG residential private use of vehicles, using PG's Green Lanes and accessing The North Circular of Green Lanes ( they could do what many of us chose to do when out shopping or going to work and that is use public transport or wake up early and use their legs, deemed to be a good form of exercise, and of course it is free! I write as somebody who can drive ).

4. Removal of all those unsightly Grey Railing on the PG Green Lanes North Circular, which just make the whole vicinity of the crossing look deeply gloomy, to be replaced with decent Black Railings for a more attractive and restful look to the area.

5. The planting areas of the North Circular of Green Lanes PG is now in much need of Mother Natures Vegetation to combat the problematic pollution and bring some beauty to the area. However, instead of those thorny shrubs so favoured by Enfield Council's Staff which most have since been eliminated by the Pollution on the North Circular, more suitably ' I have been informed', for busy traffic areas are the various large and robust Evergreen Grasses, and a few additional trees in the centre bays.

6. Should the above points be addressed then the Green Lanes Cycle lane could be extended to the North Circular on the Green Lanes route all the way to the boundary line with Haringey, unifying Palmers Green.

There is nothing complicated about the above points I made, however the Staff at Enfield Council have become known for not appreciating and indeed ignoring sound advice given by the public, not comprehending that complains and advice given to them is become we really care for our area and that is something to be encouraged. In addition, Staff at Enfield Council seem to forget that they are also members of the public along with their families and friends who stand to benefit from the improvements required in PG, as PG is the portal to many a destination.