Events, News

Sun 28 May at 9:15am: Feeder Ride from Chestnuts Park to join London FreeCycle

Date and time: Sunday, 28 May 2023 09:15 – 16:00 BST

Start point: Chestnuts Park Cafe – 300 St Ann’s Road London N15 5RP

Join our feeder ride from Chestnuts Park cafe at 09:15 for a safely 7-mile marshalled ride to join the London FreeCycle ride taking place in Central London.

We will ride via Cycleway 1 (C1, formerly CS1) to Bank (Cornhill), from where riders can enjoy an 8-mile car-free route around central London.

You are welcome to ride back with us at 3pm from Cornhill to Chestnuts, or make your own way home by bike or train.

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 20 miles. For the feeder rides, please have at least one adult accompanying every two children.

The FreeCycle route passes some of London’s most famous landmarks, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Somerset House, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.

This year’s event will also include two Festival Zones, located at Bank and St Paul’s, where riders can stop for mechanical help, food and drink and enjoy activities such as music, games and face painting! 

For the ride back to Chestnuts Park, we will gather at Cornhill near Bank Station at 3pm and ride back to Chestnuts Park.

Please ensure that your bikes are in good condition, with pumped-up tyres, and that you have sufficient drinks and snacks to keep energy levels up. If, after registering, you find that you are unable to come, please cancel your place so that others can come.

General Information

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

The ride is at a leisurely pace. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, who we will encourage to be near the front of the group.

Accompanied sensible children, who are able to ride 20 miles in total, are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. We will definitely be on roads with other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children under 18.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • suncream
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Events, News

Feeder Ride from Finsbury Park to join Earth Day Ride + The Big One

Date and time: Saturday, 22 Apr 2023 09:00 – 16:00 BST

Start point: Finsbury Park – by southernmost gate opposite Finsbury Rd. 271 Seven Sisters Road London N4 2DE

Join our feeder ride from Finsbury Park southernmost gate (near Lidl) at 09:00 for a safely marshalled ride to join the Earth Day Ride taking place in Central London. We will ride via Swiss Cottage to Marble Arch London W1H 7EJ joining other feeder rides. The ride from Finsbury Park to Marble Arch is about 7 miles. [PLEASE NOTE: Finsbury Park Run is also at 9:00 on Sat 22 April and is likely to be busy, so please take great care if cycling on the main carriageway inside the park]

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 20 miles. For the feeder rides, please have at least one adult accompanying every two children.

If you would prefer a shorter ride, you are welcome to join us at Marble Arch at 11:15am for the central London part of the ride – taking in iconic landmarks in central London at a gentle pace. It will be led and marshalled to keep everyone safe, covering about 5 miles, so it’s suitable for kids. We will ride to Westminster to join the XR The Big One Protest. Children and vulnerable adults are welcome and will be the responsibility of their parents or carers throughout the ride.

After the main ride, we will gather at Speakers Corner near Marble Arch at 3pm and ride back to Finsbury Park. You can leave earlier and ride back on your own.

Please ensure that your bikes are in good condition, with pumped-up tyres, and that you have sufficient drinks and snacks to keep energy levels up. If, after registering, you find that you are unable to come, please cancel your place so that others can come.

General Information

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

The ride is at a leisurely pace. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, who we will encourage to be near the front of the group.

The ride distance is about 7 miles from Finsbury Park to Marble Arch, then around 5 miles in central London and 7 miles back to Finsbury Park.

Accompanied sensible children, who are able to ride 20 miles in total, are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. We will definitely be on roads with other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children under 18.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Events, News

Kidical Mass 12 March ride report

Haringey’s children have high rates of overweight and obesity. Almost a quarter of reception children and 38% of Year 6 children in Haringey are overweight or obese according to the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) classification. This is in line with the findings of London’s Child Obesity Task Force who found that nearly 40 per cent of all London’s children are overweight or obese. These shocking figures will foretell ill-health in the future.

Many children don’t get enough exercise as part of their daily routine. Parents perceive London’s streets as dangerous, polluted, noisy and unwelcoming; perhaps they don’t have enough knowledge of local safe routes where children can cycle safely for fun and exercise. . 

That is why London Cycling Campaign organises KidicalMass. These communal cycle rides are fully marshalled and allow families to discover London at a slow pace. Last Sunday’s ride started at one of London’s most child-friendly spaces, Granary Square.

We then cycled past the British Library, where a traffic light engineer kindly put the light on green to let 500+ people cross safely over Euston Road. Along the route there was some exciting architecture to admire, such as the One Blackfriars tower and the Young/Old Vic theatres. It wasn’t just the stunning architecture that caught the eye, with many cyclists taking the opportunity to dress up for the ride.

Having arrived at Union Street, the London Fire Brigade were delighted to find so many children outside their headquarters, and swiftly brought out their fire engine to entertain the kids. 

Please consider joining the next ride on Sunday 14th May. Our local cycle campaign will arrange a feeder ride, so you don’t have to face the traffic alone.

Don’t worry too much about your child, they’ll probably be stronger than you! Yesterday 6 year old Oli cycled from Haringey to Union Street and back, without gears. He will turn 7 this week and his father is now confident that money on a new bike is well spent. My 9 year old daughter managed the whole ride too; what appealed most to her was being able to listen to different kind of music along the route. 

These rides are fun as well as safe, with plenty of entertainment all the way. KidicalMass is a great way to give children a chance to exercise and to show parents that cycling in London can be fun! 

Written by Anke Böhme and Angela Hobsbaum, photos and videos from Ben House, Yiannis Chronakis and Anke Böhme


Haringey Big Walk Ride 26-09-2021
Events, News

Lordship Rec to Markfield Park walk+wheel+ride – 11am Sun 30 April

Join us on this short (2 mile) family-friendly community walk + wheel + cycle ride from Lordship Rec skatepark+BMX area to Markfield Park

Date and time: Sun, 30 April 2023, 11:00 – 13:00 BST

Start point: Location Lordship Rec Skateboard+BMX area by the Shell Theatre Freedom Road London N17 6HG

This is a safely marshalled group walk and wheel and cycle ride for everyone, including families with children. We will set off from Lordship Recreation ground skatepark + BMX area (by the Shell Theatre) through St Ann’s to Markfield Park N15 6UL.

We will proceed slowly and you are welcome to join on foot, scooter, balance bike, mobility scooter, wheelchair or cycle.

We’ll finish by the cafe in Markfield Park, where the Beam Engine Museum will be open. Markfield Park sits beside the River Lea where the Moselle River flows into it – a convenient point to take the towpath north or south and explore the river, after our ride.

This event is organised by Haringey Cycling Campaign, together with Haringey Living Streets, to enable people of all ages to explore enjoyable ways of getting around Haringey.

This is the third in our series of events on the last Sunday of the month. Look out for our next one on Sun 30 April!

General Information, particularly if attending by bike

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

This is an easy 2 mile ride at a leisurely pace, which should be suitable for less experienced riders. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, so we encourage families with younger riders to be near the front of the ride.

Accompanied sensible children are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. The cycle ride will take place on roads that may have other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children. As much of this ride as possible takes place in parks and on newly quietened roads.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign and Enfield Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Book free cycle training for adults and children here.

Photo credit for banner photo: Asimina Giagoudaki

Events, News

Sun 12 March: Join Haringey feeder to Kidical Mass

We are planning a marshalled feeder ride from Haringey Sun 12 March at 9:30am from Finsbury Park cafe (by the lake) and then ride to join the main Kidical Mass at 11am at Granary Square.

We will also arrange a meeting point for those who would like to join a marshalled ride back to Haringey from Blackfriars after the mass ride.

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 15 miles.  Register here to join the feeder ride.

For families with younger children, there is the option of joining the main Kidical Mass ride at Granary Square by taking the train to Kings Cross and afterwards from Blackfriars.

Events, News

Walk + wheel + cycle ride 26 February report

In our mass-motorised world, cyclists are typically marginalized, both physically and culturally. In the popular mind, we are a tribe, sharing characters and outlooks and bearing a grudge against motorists. Our ride on 26 February, the third of our family rides, challenged that view – not with hostility but with happiness.

It wasn’t difficult to get into the happy spirit: blue skies and sunbeams always lift the biker’s heart. With babies in carriers, walkers guiding tots on balance bikes and big kids bowling along, all adjusting to a communal pace, there was a compelling atmosphere of cooperation that contrasted with the competition we feel on most urban roads.

But notable too was the accommodating behaviour of the motorists. Perhaps it was the sight of oldies alongside infants, novices with veterans, serious cyclists with fair-weather ones. Maybe it was the confidence motorists drew from those pedalling being so visible, for we were many and multi-coloured, a conspicuous caravan of travellers, with no risk of collision.

So it was mutually liberating: motorists didn’t feel apprehensive, cyclists didn’t feel threatened. Parents had brought kids, kids had brought friends, friends had brought fluffy toys and together we were a formidable but friendly presence. 

Non-cyclists often need to change their perception of cycling: it’s not a sport, typically it’s a means of transport as indispensable as any form of travel. But on days like 26 February it’s just for leisure – a pleasure to be treasured in such clement weather among such good company.

As we pedalled out of Lordship Rec and through Tottenham, there was no question of motorists overlooking us or, as they often do, consigning us to the gutter. Add to that the conspicuous safety of the parks, cycle lanes and LTNs we used on the carefully curated route and it meant those pedalling and those driving were altogether free of fear of conflict.

Wheelspin by wheelspin a statement was being made; the physical revolutions of those wheels were a tangible illustration of the active travel revolution we are all aiming for.

To quote the book title of veteran cycle campaigner Carlton Reid, ‘The roads were not built for cars’. Rides like this by ordinary people on an ordinary day will demonstrate that to everyone. Then, with stresses reduced and pollutants diluted, we can all breathe a little easier. Phew.

Events, News

Sun 5 Mar: Join Haringey feeder to the Women’s Freedom Ride

Meeting points Haringey:

Turnpike Lane Station: gather at 9:15, to set off at 9:30am
exact meeting point: Corner of Carlingford Rd and Green Lanes: https://what3words.com/jukebox.submit.market

Finsbury Park: gather at 9:30, to set off at 9:45am
exact meeting point: just inside the southernmost gate, near Lidl, opposite Finsbury Park Rd: https://what3words.com/starts.logic.normal.

You will also find feeder rides from other parts of London if you want to invite friends and family to join from other parts of London.

Who’s coming to the LCC Women’s Freedom Ride on Sunday 5 March? It’s a ride to celebrate #InternationalWomensDay and call for a London where all women feel safe to cycle!

Currently less than a third of London’s cycle trips are by women and we think that should change. The ride is open to all who identify as women or non-binary and their allies. You can dress up (or not), there will be music, and it will be amazing! Starts in Central London at 11.30am, Sunday 5 March. Find out more & register below

Celebrating our ride last year

Stats on women in cycling:
According to the most recent UK travel data, men currently cycle more often and further than women in all age brackets.
• Men make more than 3x the number of trips by bike each year than women and cycle on average 4x further.
• The biggest gender disparity is for women aged70+, and girls between 17-20 years old. For these groups men of the same ages cycle over 8x more.
• Less than half of women surveyed felt confident when riding a bicycle compared to almost three quarters of men.
• Contrast this with women in the Netherlands.They have excellent cycling infrastructure, and women cycle more than men do.
• The Near Miss Project found women in the UK experience a higher rate of ‘near misses’ while cycling than men, reporting around 50% more close passes per mile

Events, News

Walk + ride Sun 26 Feb 11am Lordship Rec

Everyone is welcome on our next free walk + wheel + ride!
✅ walk + wheel+ ride
When: Sunday 26th Feb @ 11am
Where: Lordship Rec skateboard/BMX area by the Shell Theatre
To: Alexandra Palace Farmers Market
⬇️ register

⬇️ register

This is a marshalled group walk and wheel and cycle ride for everyone, including families with children. We will set off from Lordship Recreation ground skatepark + BMX area (by the Shell Theatre) and going through parts of Wood Green to to Alexandra Palace Farmers Market.

We will proceed slowly and you are welcome to join in on foot, wheelchair, bike or balance bike.

We will show you a less well-known, quieter route under the railway line, that avoids using Turnpike Lane and Hornsey High Street.

Poster for walk + ride
Campaigning, News

Response to David Lammy MP’s statement on LTNs

19/12/2022

Dear Rt Hon David Lammy

We are writing in response to your article in the Haringey Community Press (15/12/22). 

We understand you have received complaints about the new low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Haringey.

We hope you have also had letters of support? 

This is a letter of support from all the groups listed below, representing several thousand members in Haringey, who have been campaigning long and hard for these measures to make it safer to walk and cycle across the borough. 

We can understand your concerns about the temporary displacement of traffic. Hopefully the recent Imperial report will reassure you that in time traffic and pollution will decrease. Also we urge you to keep in mind that the majority of Haringey residents do not own a car, especially those from lower income families in the east of the borough as compared with the west, yet areas like Tottenham are blighted with traffic and road casualties as seen in TFLs Strategic Network Analysis

We know you have been strongly committed to action on reducing traffic as you stated at the climate rally (COP26) LTNs are one of the very few proven methods to achieve the necessary decarbonisation of transport. Our neighbours (Islington, Hackney and Camden) are ahead of us on measures to reduce car use and enable modal shift – so this is a long awaited action from Haringey Council. It is a change that must occur. 

We urge you to support the fact that: 

  • It takes 9 months for the schemes to bed in and for behaviours to transition towards healthier ones – our council need all the support they can get to hold their nerve during this time. We support adjustments to the schemes based on the data/evidence once it is in.
  • People will threaten to not vote for you and a small minority might not but in the long term, all will benefit and will not want a return to what was there before and the silent majority will applaud you for backing green measures. 
  • We need 24/7 bus lanes (Green Lanes, West Green Road, Tottenham High Road) as the most immediate intervention. We need to support more return to public transport over private car use. Enabling sustainable, cheap travel for all does mean rebalancing road space.
  • ‘Traffic flow’ is not the measure by which we must measure success. Modal shift is the real measure of meaningful change – politicians need to be brave enough to say this. 
  • We need a local regeneration, place-making movement that focuses on 15 min cities (whereby public transport, shops and services are reachable within 15 mins of walking or cycling). We want vibrant local communities, but these need designing and funding. Your help to bring energy and a sense of purpose to this business transformation would be of great and long term benefit. 

Our coalition for safer streets made a recent press statement. You can read more about our vision here

We are concerned that amongst genuine concerns, there are some ‘bad faith actors’, working across boroughs, attacking any measures to reduce car use and tackle climate change and air pollution in our city. 

We invite you to walk or ride with us in 2023 across the three new connected LTN areas, so we can show you that it is now possible to commute from Enfield to Haringey on a bike – this previously felt too dangerous for most people. 

Finally, through the LTNs, our council is – at long last – acting on the pressing and urgent issues of our time: climate change, nature loss, toxic air pollution, road user reprioritization, and road safety. 

Yours faithfully, 

Haringey Coalition for Safer Streets 

Haringey Living Streets 
Haringey Cycling Campaign
haringeycleanairgroup@gmail.com
Haringey Climate Forum
Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth
Extinction Rebellion Haringey
Haringey Labour Climate Action

Campaigning, News

Press Statement: Haringey’s people-friendly streets trial already starting to show benefits

A statement from:

Haringey Living Streets, Haringey Cycling Campaign, Haringey Clean Air Group, Haringey Climate Forum, Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth, Muswell Hill and Hornsey Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion Haringey, Haringey Labour Climate Action

‘For many years Haringey residents have been calling on Haringey Council to take action on climate change, air pollution and road danger. We live in a borough where the majority of residents don’t have access to a car, yet our streets have been blighted by high levels of through traffic.’ Haringey Living Streets 

‘The new low traffic schemes are a big change for some and it will take time to adjust. But Rachel Aldred’s report on Waltham Forest (2020) highlights that these schemes work, and they will play an important role in creating healthier streets in our community.’ Haringey Cycling Campaign 

Summary

Haringey is taking action on the things that should concern us all – road safety, air pollution, carbon emissions, community severance and regeneration, health outcomes, inactivity and retail vibrancy. Trialling measures to reduce through traffic in our communities is the right thing to do if we are to tackle the sources of road danger and poor air quality that impacts all of us but most especially our children’s current and future health. These trials were put in after public consultation, and with the support of successful candidates at the last local elections. Similar schemes have demonstrated successful outcomes in our neighbouring boroughs, with less traffic, better air quality and safer streets. But change is hard, and changing habits can take time. The strength of feeling around this issue is such that Haringey’s trials are attracting opposition from people who have already been unsuccessful in opposing such measures in our neighbouring boroughs.

It’s important that reasonable objections are heard, and adjustments made if necessary. That is the point of a trial. Long-term trials also allow for the proper collection of monitoring data that will give us real insight into traffic and other impacts. Trials in other boroughs have been vindicated by the data. We all know that traffic has blighted Haringey’s streets for many years and is not a new thing. But the other point of a trial is to see the positives. This is why scheme opponents don’t want trials to continue, so the schemes don’t settle down and we don’t all have the opportunity to experience whether we are prepared to live with some of the downsides in order to have neighbourhood streets that are cleaner, healthier and safer. Positive change takes time, but we are already seeing positive impacts of the trials. An increasing number of residents are taking to social media to explain the positives they’re experiencing – including seeing thronging local markets and kids cycling on roads where it would have been unthinkable before. Others have posted on social media their experiences of the benefits of the trials. Decisions on trial schemes should be made on the basis of community engagement and the evidence of their effectiveness. If this trial scheme works like it has done elsewhere, we will have cleaner air, safer streets and better opportunities for healthy travel without a car. And we all want more of that, don’t we?

A response to concerns raised: 

Recently, Haringey’s Council meeting was disrupted by groups opposed to new and proposed Streets for People. Opposing groups are marching to a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 6 December. The main findings of similar schemes and studies need reiterating:   

  1. Congestion on main roads decreases over time
    See the recent Imperial College report and Rachel Aldred’s study of mini Holland in Waltham Forest
  2. Local businesses benefit from increased pedestrianisation and low traffic neighbourhoods, all businesses can access neighbourhoods
    See TFL economic report
    See the study by Small99
    Note, we support the need for local regeneration funding to be coupled with the introduction of new filtered neighbourhoods. 
  3. Haringey Council are focusing on the East of the borough first to address social inequalitiesLow traffic neighbourhoods seek to address social inequality issues. Using the bus and cycling is cheaper than owning a car and 60% of people in social housing in Haringey do not own a vehicle. We need to do much more to enable safe and efficient travel by foot, bus, cycle and train. Last year, 27 450 people were killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads.1… Children in the most deprived 20% of areas are six times more likely to be injured than those in the least deprived 20%3
  4. Bus efficiency
    We need cheap travel for more people. Walkers need buses. Bus efficiency is also impacted by too many cars on the road or parking in bus lanes (some of it illegal). Bus lanes need to be 24/7 and red routes are needed to reduce parking in bus lanes. This is an urgent issue as walkers and people unable to cycle need buses to be efficient and this will enable more to make the choice of bus over private car. 

See FAQs on the Harringay Ladder Healthy Streets website for more detail on supporting evidence for change. https://www.hlhs.org.uk/faqs

Why is this an essential change?

Road transport is the biggest carbon emitting sector and councils are mandated to decarbonise our roads. There is now cross party support for this vital change see Gear Change and the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy. Filtering neighbourhoods is the most cost effective and efficient way of creating a network of routes to enable active travel and encourage modal shift. The combined effect of Bounds Green, Bruce Grove and St Ann’s ‘Streets for People’ means safer travel from Enfield into Haringey and beyond – this is a breakthrough for transport in North London. Residents of outer boroughs can also use the new ULEZ  scrappage scheme to trade in old cars (up to £2000) for e-bikes. They also open up new routes for walkers. All can be part of a positive change that must occur. Francesca from St Ann’s said:  My neighbours often see us on #bikes. When chatting, they said they’d love to ride to work, but haven’t yet taken the plunge. I spoke to them today & they said once the #LTNs were implemented and they decided to give it a go! And even though it’s winter, they love it!’ 

Main roads also need cycle lanes, separate bus lanes and wide unobstructed pavements; this is the eventual goal to improve road safety. This week alone there have been two cyclists injured in serious collisions in the roads around Finsbury Park illustrating the need for segregated cycle lanes. Vision Zero is a different way of approaching traffic safety – it means planners must now try to eliminate road deaths and life changing injuries whilst also increasing safe and clean mobility for all. Safety concerns deter 66% of people from cycling (71% of women) and make it very difficult for children and young people to walk and to learn to ride and commute to school by cycling.  In the absence of segregated lanes on main roads, filtered neighbourhoods provide safe routes as stated by a father from Haringey: ‘I’m a local dad with 7 year old twins. On Saturday, I cycled with them through the St Ann’s and Bruce Grove/West Green LTNs. I don’t own a car, but I’ve never been able to cycle easily with them before – I’m on the road, but it’s not safe for them to be. We normally just cycle in parks or on the pavement, but it’s really difficult as you either have to be on the pavement with them (which annoys people) or be on the road and have a really stressful journey with parked cars in between you. I’ve been dreading them getting to the age when they have to go on the busy roads – as an experienced cyclist I find it really scary in Haringey. So the LTNs have created a space where they feel confident and happy to cycle, and we can all travel together.’ Many residents have waited a long time for these changes and are hugely relieved. They have suffered for many years with excessive cut-through traffic. Given 90% of people live in neighbourhood roads this is a significant improvement that will help revitalise communities. The streets increasingly provide a more peaceful refuge where children can walk and cycle to school safely, communities can more comfortably gather out on the street and where local residents can jog or skate without feeling threatened. With these long awaited interventions our borough has made a big step in progressing to carbon net zero. Active travel will lead to better health for people and our living environment. Walking and cycling develop better heart, lung, overall physical and mental health to the extent that GPs are now prescribing active travel. It’s a vital and urgent change that will, in the long term, benefit all. And is already underway with new data showing a 40% increase in cycling on pre-pandemic levels and 90% at weekends. Walking up, with the proportion of journeys on foot up from 35%. A resident of Bounds Green said: ‘I am beginning to find I feel safer walking to and from jobs without having to worry about someone speeding down the roads when in one of the LTNs.’ And Ranger Duke, a local small business owner, said ‘I am starting to feel more confident in obtaining a small fleet of suitable and hard wearing cargo bikes to get the team around Haringey!’

Haringey Living Streets 
Haringey Cycling Campaign
haringeycleanairgroup@gmail.com
Haringey Climate Forum
Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth
Muswell Hill and Hornsey Friends of the Earth 
Extinction Rebellion Haringey
Haringey Labour Climate Action