Islington council look to close Clerkenwell Road and Old Street to through traffic

It's been revealed that Islington Council are looking at plans which will see Clerkenwell Road and Old Street closed to through traffic in a bid to improve cycle and pedestrian safety in the area.

However, islington Council have yet to decide where the displaced traffic will be redirected to

It is also unclear as to how the new cycle route will link-up up to neighbouring boroughs, with Hackney in the east and Camden in the west.

According to Cllr Claudia Webbe, in the 5 years up to February 2018, there were 193 collisions along the Clerkenwell Road/ Old Street corridor, which resulted in 210 casualties, of which 24 were classed as serious and 186 as slight. She stated that as a result the council is looking to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users in the area.

It is believed that as well as cycles, buses will still be able to use both Clerkenwell Road and Old Street, however the route would be closed to other road users.

Five years ago Transport for London awarded Islington Council £900,000 to improve safety from the Farringdon Road junction and the Old Street roundabout, however, these improvements have been subject to delay, which has sparked anger from the cycling community in the area.

It is estimated that approximately 1,000 cyclists use the busy corridor during peak hours.

In the last 5 years three cyclists have lost limbs after being involved serious accidents, all of which involved lorries. Sean Howes, a spokesperson for Active Travel Now, said: “Too many have been harmed on Islington’s roads and unless Islington Council act, more will be.” According to the Islington Gazette a consultation is set to begin in September with construction set to be complete by December 2021