Press Release: Connect2 at Finsbury Park offers poor value

PRESS RELEASE

Connect2 at Finsbury Park offers poor value

Islington Cyclists’ Action Group

date 15 April 2011

for immediate use

Cycle campaigners say that a proposed scheme to improve cycle and walking at Finsbury Park offers poor value for money to the National Lottery ticket buyers who are paying for it. Local councillors say the scheme is better than nothing. Islington Cyclists’ Action Group (ICAG) does not agree.

Islington Council is currently consulting local residents on the Connect2 proposals until 26th April.

The guidelines to the Connect2 project say ”Connect2 will create a new way of living, where people, and not cars, are at the heart of travelling within communities throughout the UK. … Connect2 will clearly give the message that walkers and cyclists are welcome. Only when people feel welcome will we really change the way people travel within their communities. “

So ICAG is calling for:

*A 20mph limit on all roads around station to make walkers and cyclists safer.

*Wider crossings with gently raised surfaces to help slow traffic around the station.

*Two-way cycling through the station forecourt

*The removal of the gyratory route around Rock Street

All of the above have been blocked by Transport for London (TfL). Cycle campaigners believe that TfL came to the project with a closed mind.

The Finsbury Park station is used by thousands of football fans visiting the nearby Arsenal stadium as well as by local people and commuters. ICAG warns that the current proposals will lead to conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. The Connect2 plans create a shared walking and cycling space between St Thomas’ Road and Seven Sisters Road and convert the narrow pavement alongside Station Place into a shared path for cyclists going in both directions and pedestrians.

Cyclists will also have to use 4 toucan crossings just to get from St Thomas’ Rd to Stroud Green Road. “Having to use 4 crossings reminds cyclists of their lowly position on the transport planning hierarchy,” ICAG’s coordinator, Alison Dines said.

“Funding for cycling and walking infrastructure has become a rare commodity. Sustrans should be spending National Lottery money where it can really make a difference and unfortunately that’s not at Finsbury Park and might not be in London”, said Alison Dines.

The Islington Connect2 Route is one of 79 schemes UK-wide funded by £50m of money from the Big Lottery Fund of which £600,000 is earmarked for Finsbury Park.

ICAG has setup an action page on their website for those people that might want to object at http://cycleislington.uk/posts/connect2-action.

NOTE FOR JOURNALISTS

For more details, please contact:

ICAG co-ordinator Alison Dines on 020 7226 7012

secretary John Ackers on 020 7690 7263

Sustrans press office can be reached at:

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-sustrans/media

Islington Council press office can be reached at: http://www.islington.gov.uk/council/councilnews/pressoffice/mediaoffice.asp

Islington Council’s page on the Connect2 scheme:

http://www.islington.gov.uk/transport/greentravel/connect2.asp