March 29, 2024
  • 9:06 pm FREE Cycling Activities and rides
  • 3:24 pm Wembley Central to Willesden Junction Cycleway: A Significant Opportunity for Better Walking and Cycling in Brent
  • 6:59 pm Wembley to Willesden Junction walking and cycling changes
  • 10:00 pm AGM 2023
  • 12:31 pm Climate Ambassadors
  • 8:28 pm Church End Growth Area Master Plan

We are deeply saddened to hear about the fatal collision between a lorry driver and a cyclist, that occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the junction of Furness Road and Harrow Road, in Harlesden. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the cyclist who died at the scene.

This precise junction between Harrow Road and Furness Road was twice consulted on in the past two and a half years, in July 2018 and in January 2019. Brent Council’s proposals were presented as measures to reduce road danger. This was indeed a location identified by the council as having a “high number of accidents” and “high levels of recorded personal injuries”. This latest collision will be added to the grim tally of 9 traffic collisions already recorded at the junction in the past five years. 3 involved a pedestrian, 2 involved a pedal cyclist and 2 involved a motorcyclist.

In both our responses, we warned the council the measures fell far short of a comprehensive package to reduce road danger for road users who are the most at risk. Both times, we pointed out:

  • 70% of serious injury or fatal collisions happen at or near junctions,
  • This precise area has been identified by Transport for London as one of the top potential connection routes in the Strategic Cycle Analysis
  • The proposed road layout would not eliminate left hooks which are a critical issue for people cycling and needed addressing.
  • Nothing in the proposals to limit the risks of being cut when turning right, especially since Furness Road is on a slight incline, people cycling will be a bit slower to start off at a green light, whilst motorists accelerate.
  • The Advanced Stop Line, even with improvements, would continue to offer next to no protection with regards to conflicts between cyclists and motor vehicles at the junction.

We made several recommendations ranging from:

  • Keeping enough of the central island to provide some physical separation on the junction and bypass it altogether.
  • A short, shared space section on the mostly unfrequented pavement on Harrow Road.
  • Introducing a phased traffic light to give cyclists a head start and limit mixing at the junction with moving motor traffic.

None of these suggestions were acted upon. We know we cannot fully design out collisions but there is always scope to limit the consequences. This starts with designing a forgiving infrastructure that would act as a buffer to protect pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists from people driving dangerously, too fast and without due care.  

We now urge Brent Council to work with us and competently address road danger at this location as soon as possible and in full compliance with the latest regulatory guidance.

Sylvia Gauthereau

Sylvia is the current Brent Cycling Campaign Coordinator. She is a Cricklewood resident and a cargobike mum of two.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Dave Holladay Posted on March 22, 2021 at 2:05 am

    DM me on this please – I pressed for the eventual ban on left turns at Vernon Place (Holborn) where 2 of the deaths, 5 years apart, were delivered by drivers of large vehicles turning left, from the right hand lane(s) THROUGH cyclists travelling with priority in the left lane.

    The coroners called for Section 28 reports & got pages of BS about cycle lanes &c, but no recognition of the fact that to make a 100° left turn into a road narrowed by pedestrian guardrailing, and a kerb radius of less than 4 metres required drivers to force their priority through road users in the nearside lane (only 2% of ALL traffic turned left – the left turn is now banned, by very poorly signed

    Reply
    1. Dave Holladay Posted on March 22, 2021 at 2:22 am

      Continuation – for this junction there should be a record of the investigations that Brent Council/TfL are, by law, required to carry out (Section 39.3.1 RTA1988) plus the actions that their investigations have indicated to be necessary to prevent future RTC’s – per Sections 39.3.2 and 39.3.3, and any road safety (sic) promotion per Section 39.2.1 which would be required.

      It becomes apparent here, that this process, only made public through an FoI request is basically lacking any independent scrutiny – essentially marking their own homework.

      Can I ask that someone does this FoI, and if I have more detail I may be able to do some more detailed analysis, as per this work on the appalling conditions on North Greenwich which had one victim trapped under a bus, and 8 weeks later, a second victim killed in an identical RTC (both middle aged women, both making the same journey from a school; to the local shops/flats)
      https://visionzerolondon.wordpress.com/2016/01/10/north-greenwich-fatal-bus-crash-why-was-10mph-bus-speed-limit-lifted/

      Reply
  2. Pingback: North End Road Junction in Wembley fails people walking and cycling – Brent Cycling Campaign
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