Pedestrians versus traffic in a desperate battle for space

Published: 10 September, 2010

• I WISH to draw attention to the chaotic situation at the southern end of York Way in King’s Cross.

Despite millions of pounds being spent on development at King’s Cross and its surroundings, little if no thought has been given to the people who have to use the area.

With St Pancras, The Guardian building and soon St Martin’s new college, the number of pedestrians has increased exponentially.

Yet the flow of traffic and people remains stuck in the era when the one-way system was introduced – some time in the 1970s – when the pattern of use was very different.

At any time you can see the fight for space and access between pedestrians and traffic, many taxis using it as an unofficial drop-off point, blocking and congesting everything else, while crowds of pedestrians dodge and weave their way through traffic, fed up with the wholly inadequate crossing provided for them.

They have to queue on minuscule traffic islands which can’t hold them all.

They are never given enough time to cross anyway – and they have to take into account that many cars make illegal right turns into Pentonville Road.

It’s all very well spending millions on shiny new buildings and shops, but the planners never take account of the people who use them and how they have to move around.

Buildings, money and cars are given priority over pedestrians, as we saw with the grossly overpriced refurbishment of Network Rail offices, at no benefit to the public, while the northern entrance to King’s Cross was closed, at a considerable disadvantage to the public, who now have to negotiate narrow, overcrowded pavements and cowboy drivers.

The planners might not care about the public, but why does Islington Council let them get away with their lip service to communities, their patronising PR and glossy brochures, while herding us all into poorly designed, inadequate and unsafe street flows?

It is high time the whole area, including the one-way system, was rethought and made fit for use in a redeveloped King’s Cross with hugely increased pedestrian flows.

There is plenty of potential to make the area a pleasant, accessible and safe one.

However, it appears the planners have better things to do – no doubt none of them actually lives here.

IAN MACPHERSON
Caledonian Road, N1