A1000 Experimental Cycle Route consultation – Enhancement

Introduction

In late 2020, the council installed a ‘pop-up’ cycle lane and a bus lane scheme on the A1000 from just south of North Finchley Town Centre to the borough boundary with Haringey. This was in response to Covid-19 impacts on the public and the immediate need to make travel safer during the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition to the Covid-19 response, the measures also contributed to our other strategies such as The Long-Term Transport Strategy which addresses the councils long-term transport plans in terms of managing the growing number of commuters using Barnet’s roads.

Following feedback from central Government on all Covid-19 related transport schemes, the Government’s requirements are that a thorough consultation should take place on such schemes prior to making them permanent or if a council decides to alter or remove them. This is something we support and therefore we are planning an extensive engagement and consultation exercise which will be carried out commencing in September 2022. The engagement with the public will be used to help make an informed decision on the future of the A1000 scheme in January 2023.

What we are proposing

In the meantime, and following feedback that we received over the past eighteen months, we have listened to the views of the local community and have made several amendments to the scheme. Ahead of the consultation and engagement outlined above there are further adjustments to the design, based on that feedback, that we would like to make.

The new proposals are as follows:

Location: Between Sandringham Gardens and Summers Lane

• remove the existing southbound cycle lane and place southbound cyclists onto a shared footway
• remove the existing double yellow lines and revert back to unrestricted parking as per pre-cycle lane implementation.

Location: Between Summers Lane and Squires Lane (near Finchley Lido)

• remove the existing northbound segregated cycle lane and the southbound Bus & Cycle lane
• install northbound and southbound mandatory cycle lanes
• revert traffic lanes to pre cycle lane implementation to include one northbound traffic lane and two southbound traffic lanes.

Location: Flyover between Squires Lane and Strawberry Vale

• we are considering options to relocate cyclists to a shared footways or to revert to a ‘with flow’ cycle route, incorporating carriageway markings. The flyover will revert to 2no general traffic lanes in each direction.

Location: Between Fortis Green and Baronsmere Road:

• remove the southbound segregated cycle lane between the bus stop outside Costa Coffee and no. 40 High Road
• proposed Pay and Display parking bays between the bus stop outside Costa Coffee and no. 42 High Road.

Location: Between East Finchley Station and Haringey Borough boundary

• extension of the 20mph speed limit southwards up to the borough boundary with Haringey.

Your views are important to us

The above changes will be made under a new Experimental Traffic Order from 21 March 2022 for a minimum period of six months. This allows us to trial these changes so that we can see how they work prior to making a decision whether or not to continue the measures permanently, with or without further modifications and in accordance with the wider consultation outlined above. Those elements of the cycle lane not mentioned will remain in place within the new Experimental Traffic Order. This consultation is separate to the proposed wider engagement and consultation exercise we are propping to commence in Summer 2022 which will inform our final decision on the A1000 scheme

The standard process for introducing ETMOs is that if anybody would like to make any specific comments relating to the new ETMOs they will need to do so within the first six months of the statutory consultation period.

How to have your say:

We are keen to hear your views on our proposals and encourage you to have your say by completing our online questionnaire.

If you would like to request a paper questionnaire or another format, please:

• email: highwayscorrespondence@barnet.gov.uk or telephone 020 8359 3281
• alternatively you can write to us at Highways, London Borough of Barnet, 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London, NW9 4EW.

If you would like someone to help you complete the questionnaire or need more information, please contact us using one of the above methods.

What happens after the consultation closes?

The council will use the consultation findings to inform our final decision. We will publish the results of the consultation, our decision and how we are acting on the results of the consultation on this web page.