Appendix C: Liveable Crouch End inbox emails during trial period PRE-TRIAL WEEK I heard about cyclists, and cycle lanes, but cyclists are the minority, as you have to be incredibly fit to cycle around Muswell Hill. They already have Ally Pally and residential roads they can use without a problem. What about the elderly and disabled, or the people who need a car to shop. People with families and people like myself caring for elderly parents. I am very concerned that, as is often the way with trials, this could well become permanent, along with other 'trial' measures that will not only have an adverse impact generally, but could make life more difficult for people like myself with very limited mobility who rely absolutely on a car for getting around. Last January, after receiving a card about the project, I emailed Liveable Crouch End expressing my concern that the emphasis on walking, cycling and public transport would mean that the needs of people with disabilities who use a car from necessity would be overlooked. Several times this year I’ve needed to drive sick members of my family to the door of the doctor, to Archway to vist The Whittington Hospital, into Crouch End and to Finsbury Park. Those journeys have all involved turning left out of my road. ,to pedestrians, to people with chest illnesses and to the elderly. more pollution due to congestion I am also concerned about the increase in pollution that will occur in this area particularly in the areas I walk to e.g. the Park Road/Priory Road intersection and along Hornsey High Street. The pollution is high already but with even more traffic forced into two roads the pollution will get higher.= leading to increased illness for those in the area. The increased traffic flow in Park Avenue South will lead to more noise, a reduction in air quality and create a general nuisance for residents in what is - and should remain – a largely quiet residential road. Park Road > It should be noted that traffic in Park Road is already frequently at a standstill during peak usage times and these proposals will only exacerbate problems of noise and air pollution. It is obvious to anyone living in the area that will be affected by this so called experiment that it will cause an increase in air pollution air pollution will simply be moved to other roads I would therefore be grateful if you could ensure that air quality readings from before, during and after the trial period are taken of the roads in and around Crouch End, that are most likely to be affected by the proposed changes. Environmentally this proposal would increase carbon emissions, both as above and by doubling the length of a journey from Priory Road/Hornsey High Street to central Crouch End, whether northbound or southbound. You have also not mentioned that you will be looking at pollution data when considering the development of the final scheme. This is just as important as traffic data. I am positive the pollution levels have increased on Muswell Hill because TFL stopped cars and vans earlier this year from using the bus lane 24 hours a day. This causes a stopping and starting queue going up Muswell Hill. The temporary traffic ban will not have any real impact seeing as most of the cars coming out of Farrer Road either go straight ahead into Cranley Gardens or turn right to head up towards Muswell Hill. Furthermore turning left hand onto Park Road follows the natural flow of cars. Forcing people to drive their cars right and right again back onto Priory Road only adds time, further pollution and will clearly add to the traffic chaos. Changing the system will not improve pollution, but just move it else where, The centre of Crouch End is really quite small. Why try to squeeze in a 'public' (which presumably means 'pedestrianised') area at the end of Middle Lane which will have the effect of increasing traffic congestion and worsening, rather than improving, air quality. The level of traffic congestion and pollution has been nothing short of outrageous. It will have resulted in heightened risks from traffic accidents, pollution, and impeded travel by emergency services. This new plan will add time on both ends of our journey. Time spent emitting extra fumes unnecessarily. This is what you’ve done to my road. How is a fire engine going to get past this? Lots of people live on Park Road (and Tottenham Lane) and I don't see how increasing traffic along both these roads makes our lives more liveable. I have two kids, and many of my neighbours have children, and this will increase emissions and noise along our road. This inevitable increase in emissions will be injurious to the health of children, parents and carers walking to nursery and school totally impractical, benefiting only a few Crouch End residents (elite) while having a negative impact on most residents whomy families and fellow neighbours standard of living why ? The lives of those who live off Middle Lane and need to drive or have items delivered will not be improved by this scheme. You will be making a few happy homeowners very happy indeed as their already astronomically priced homes gain more value, due to the reduced traffic, while the rest of us will suffer. What or who is this benefitting ? it is incidentally ironic that the effect of the Scheme on much of Crouch End is to make it LESS LiVEABLE NOT MORE for a large number of its residents. I don't know where the idea to close Middle Lane came from, or what problem you are trying to solve, but you are dividing the neighbourhood in two by creating one group of residents who benefit from this scheme and another group who lose out. The buses W3 , W7 and 144 will all be affected as well. Busses will be delayed making people late for work It is not clear from your publicity what, if any, will be the effects on the W5 bus route, which uses Weston Park to get from this area to Crouch End and Green Lanes - or for that matter the W3 bus route, which I rely on to get to Wood Green and Ally Pally. I hope this experiment is not going to cut me off from my main shopping facilities - I am not sure how I will be able to get in food, let alone other things, if there are no buses. Secondly and more importantly for all local residents you have not explained what will happen with the W3 bus route which goes along Middle Lane and turns into Rokesly Avenue where it serves two Bus stops. If there are any changes to this you will need to communicate urgently with all local residents in the area. The W7 bus I was on had to wait for 3 changes of lights before it could move forward onto the Broadway from Crouch Hill and the traffic was virtually stationary in both directions on Park Road I understand several business-owners are concerned about the impact closing Middle Lane will have on the number of people able to access Crouch End Broadway shops. I would also be grateful if you could advise me as to whether a local retail impact assessment has been carried out, or will be carried out, taking into consideration the concerns of local businesses. shops will not get stock on time due to traffic jams We currently have a business at Middle Lane During the week and at the weekends we have deliveries coming in and also sometimes need to drive to work and utilise parking for the afternoon. Can you advise how this is going to affect us as a business. I would presume that we would be able to get an exemption and be able to allow our drivers access to the site. more congestion and gridlocks traffic will divert down Farrer Road and Park Avenue South to cut through to Park Road in order to avoid waiting at the lights to turn left into Park Road, creating a dangerous and unhealthy rat run out of these two side roads. horrendous traffic jams and chaos in general. We've lived locally for over 30 years and know that the road is very often used as a cut through. Traffic will inevitably be increased by the Middle Lane closure - no one is going to drive up the traffic lights at the end of Priory Road on their diversion when they can cut the corner by going up Farrer Road! Pls can you advise what will be done to manage displaced traffic? By blocking many residents within their roads, we will all be forced to use other routes, therefore causing traffic on other roads in the areas Whilst I am very much in support of measures which reduce air pollution in Haringey, I am also aware that there has been some concern from local residents, particularly those living near Hornsey High Street, Park Road and Tottenham Lane, that closure of Middle Lane will in fact increase congestion on these roads. A number of residents have advised me that Park Road is often already very busy, particularly during rush- hour. Park Road is already congested with buses unable to pass particularly on the section between Farrer Road and Park Avenue South. Forcing more traffic onto Park Road will make it harder for buses to pass and lead to longer tailbacks of traffic pumping out emissions. Traffic jams however do occur regularly in the side roads leading from Tottenham Lane to Middle Lane.