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In partnership with Islington Council, Transport for London has completed the transformation of Archway into a safer, more pleasant and accessible town centre for cyclists and pedestrians.
The £12.6m Archway project began in February 2016 and includes the replacement of the traffic dominated and outdated one-way gyratory with two-way traffic, which has allowed for the creation of a new public space with new safer cycle lanes and improved crossings.
Deputy mayor for transport Val Shawcross said:“These major changes have made a real difference to Archway by making walking, cycling and public transport an easy and safe choice for everyone living and working in the area. With a new pedestrian area, a segregated cycle route and improved crossings, it will substantially improve the local environment, and help attract more people to businesses in the area. Working with councils like Islington, these are the kind of improvements we want to see rolled out across all parts of London, allowing more Londoners to cycle and walk, and improving quality of life for everyone.”
Sustrans senior policy officer Nicholas Sanderson added: "We welcome the Mayor, Transport for London and Islington’s work to make Archway a better place. What was an expanse of black tarmac with traffic whizzing through is now an open, public and accessible space for people. With green trees, places to socialise and safe routes to cycle through, it is a more vibrant and attractive place for the whole community to enjoy.”
As part of his draft Transport Strategy, the Mayor of London recently announced his intention to increase the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80 per cent of journeys by 2041. The strategy sets out a long-term ambition to transform the Capital’s transport network and deliver a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city for all Londoners. Transformational projects like the removal of Archway gyratory form a key part of achieving this ambition.
A key focus of the Mayor’s draft Transport Strategy is TfL’s £2.1bn Healthy Streets Approach. Currently, more than 40 per cent of Londoners do not achieve the recommended 150 minutes of activity a week, and 28 per cent do less than 30 minutes a week. Analysis by City Hall shows that if every Londoner walked or cycled for 20 minutes a day, it would save the NHS £1.7bn in treatment costs over the next 25 years.
