Ditch the Archway Roundabout

[Philip Benstead]

Ditch the Archway Roundabout

Over the weekend, there has been a big effort by Better Archway Forum to put up posters in a lot of shop windows. The 2 blocks on Junction road from Absolute Print to the tube are pretty much saturated. There is a scattering of posters on the other side including MAP, Yildiz, Bean and Bread. In addition many of the local residential streets have been leafleted and leaflets have been delivered to the leafleters who are doing the remaining streets.

If you think that any junctions anywhere in Islington need to be made safe for cyclists then please come on March 1st.  This is the junction that all politicians are focused on and we won't be able to get other junctions sorted until the Archway Gyratory is removed.  Due to the work of The Times, the cycling bloggers, the Go Dutch campaign and upcoming Mayoral and GLA elections, cycling has become a political issue. ICAG's Chris Ashby made the comment last week that this event at Archway was exactly the kind of thing ICAG should be doing.  Chris Ashby, Keith Macfarlane and Anita Frizzarin are all going to be leafleting the Archway tube this week. (I'd like to leaflet the cycle lane that runs through Whittington Park one night this week around 6 to 6.30pm, if someone will do it with me).

You might think there is nothing left for armchair activists to do. Au contraire!

If are a facebook user, if you are coming, please say so on the event page.  Whether you are going or not, please go through your fb friends list and go to the event page and invite all your friends that live around north Islington or who cycle from Highgate, Muswell Hill, East Finchley, Fortis Green etc.  I found a few people who I had forgotten lived locally until I went through my list. Also fb will let you create a list of 'locals' now for similar occasions! If you haven't got time right now, then simply like our fb page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Islington-Cyclists-Action-Group/303491069704880.

If you are a twitter user, please tweet the icag webpage and we'll retweet you. 
http://www.icag.org.uk/2012/ride-for-a-liveable-archway/

If you don't use fb or twitter, then please just forward the event using email (ideally using the share button) on.
http://www.icag.org.uk/2012/ride-for-a-liveable-archway/

Links to everything related, including the press release are attached to the above page.

I have been asked to cirulate this by the LCC.  It is not my work

[Biggsy]

I don't mind the gyratory, personally, but the high traffic speed there must be intimidating for cyclists who can't accelerate so quickly.

I just wish motorists would slow down, or be made to slow down, at these kind of junctions, then we could ALL enjoy them, instead of having some "cyclist-friendly" alternative that ends up poxy and encourages segregation.

The LCC support segregation, so I'm not going to support them.

[Adam]

I've only been round the Archway at weekends, when it seemed fairly busy, but it was quite easy to get round.  I assume in the rush hour, traffic is jammed solid.

[cygnet]

I appreciate it's not your work, but that is appalling written.

• It's too late - 1st March 6.15pm passed before the post.
• The REALLY USEFUL information: http://www.icag.org.uk/2012/ride-for-a-liveable-archway/ is buried in the 7th (SEVENTH!) paragraph. It should be line two to capture the interest

Both may improve turn-out in future.

[phil d]

I don't mind the gyratory, personally, but the high traffic speed there must be intimidating for cyclists who can't accelerate so quickly.

I just wish motorists would slow down, or be made to slow down, at these kind of junctions, then we could ALL enjoy them, instead of having some "cyclist-friendly" alternative that ends up poxy and encourages segregation.

The LCC support segregation, so I'm not going to support them.

I think "enjoy" might be a bit strong.  Unless you have a rather unusual sense of fun!   

I don't know the junction, though - must be 40 years since I've been there.

[Biggsy]

No, "enjoy" is not too strong because a wide smooth surface without sharp turns and many stops is enjoyable to cycle on.  It's the usual fun of riding a bike.  It's just those motorised things that spoil it.  So let's reduce the number and speed of the motors instead of having narrower paths for cyclists with sharper turns, more stops, and poorer surfaces.

Even if the LCC call for better cycling facilities than I've described, we'll really end up with what I've described over much of London when the authorities make their crappy token gestures in response to the pressure.

[jane]

I used to love riding round the old  Elephant and Castle double roundabout before they put the traffic lights in.