A1 Barnet Bypass – Proposed reduction of the speed limits Consultation Report

July 2014

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Contents 1 Introduction 22 The Consultation 33 Responses from members of the public 44 Responses from stakeholders 55 Conclusion 7 Appendix A – List of stakeholders consulted 8 Appendix B – Consultation material 10 Appendix C – Leaflet distribution area 12 Appendix D – Response to main issues raised 13

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1. Introduction

We recently invited the public and key stakeholders to comment on our proposals for changes to the speed limit on the A1 Barnet Bypass.

This report explains the background to our proposal; outlines the consultation undertaken and summarises the responses. The consultation was open for people to comment between Tuesday 18 February and Friday 28 March As part of the Mayor of London’s commitment to road safety we proposed a reduction of the speed limit to 50mph on the A1 between the junction of A1 Barnet Bypass & Rowley Lane and A1 Barnet Way & Courtland Avenue. We want to improve journey times for those using this section of road. To do this we are proposing to lower the speed limit on this stretch of the A1. This will help make journey times more predictable and contribute to a reduction in collisions on the approach to Stirling Corner. There is a proven relation between collision speed and the severity of a crash. Research has shown that a 1 mph reduction in average speed would reduce collision frequency by about:

4% on medium speed urban roads and lower speed rural main roads 3% on higher speed urban roads and rural single carriageway main roads.

The relation between speed and safety concerns the risk of a crash. The faster a car is driven so drivers have less time to identify and react to what is happening around them, and it takes longer for the vehicle to stop. It removes the driver's safety margin and potentially turns a near miss into crashes. By reducing the approach speed to the roundabout the risk and severity of collision is reduced.

Our intention in changing the speed limit is to reduce the potential for incidents. That contributes to improved and more reliable journey times. Effects on journey times are generally minor as, traffic flows depend primarily on intersection capacity, not travel speed between them.

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2 The consultation

The consultation has been designed to help inform and shape our final decision. We want to understand the communities’ opinions about our proposed change in speed limit along a section of the A1.

The potential outcomes of the consultation are:

We decide the consultation raises no issues that should prevent us from proceeding with the scheme as originally planned.

We modify the scheme in response to issues raised in consultation. We abandon the scheme as a result of issues raised in the consultation

2.1 Consultation objectives

The objectives of the consultation were: To give stakeholders and the public easy to understand information about the

proposals and allow them to respond To understand the level of support or opposition for the change To understand any issues that might affect the proposal of which we were not

previously aware To understand concerns and objections To allow respondents to make suggestions To help inform our decision making process

2.2 Who we consulted

The consultation intended to seek the views of people living close to the junction and road users that use A1 between the junction of A1 Barnet Bypass / Rowley Lane – Borehamwood and A1 Barnet Way – Courtland Avenue. We also informed known stakeholders of our consultation. A list of stakeholders contacted is shown in appendix A

2.3 Consultation material, distribution and publicity

The consultation was published online. We produced a leaflet explaining our proposals and distributed this to around local 7,800 households and businesses. It was also advertised in the local press and available at some local libraries and council reception areas. A copy of the leaflet is shown in appendix B.

2.4 General response

A total of 212 responses were received from members of the public and stakeholders. Of these, 118 were in full support of the scheme and 84 were against. Six answered not sure and four responses were returned not answered

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3 Responses from members of the public

Q. Do you support our proposal to reduce the speed limit on this section of the A1 Barnet Bypass?"

3.1 Additional comments Respondents were given the opportunity to provide further comments about our proposal. Of the 212 responses, 202 provided comments. The table below summarises the views and suggestions made. Appendix D outlines our response to the main points raised. .

Issue Number of times issue raised

Generally against proposal 84

Generally support proposal 118

Generally neutral or no comment 10

Comment summary Number of times issue raised

There is no need for this. The road was designed for 70mph 50A1 Barnet Bypass is only busy during peak times cars adjust to traffic 21

The main traffic/pedestrian problem is at Stirling Corner 6The road is a dual carriageway, capable of taking speed limit of 70mph 10

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Yes No Not sure Not Answered

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4 Responses from Stakeholders Darren Johnson AM (Green Party member for London Assembly) I am writing to formally respond to Transport for London’s consultation on the proposed reduction of the Barnet bypass speed limit from 70mph to 50mph between the junctions of Rowley Lane and the junction of Courtland Avenue on the A1. I fully support this proposed change to the speed limit on this busy stretch of road. I note that multiple fatalities and serious injuries have occurred here in recent years as a result of collisions involving motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, particularly on the approach to Stirling Corner. A reduction in the speed limit, ensuring a new limit is rigorously enforced and improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are all steps which TfL must take to overhaul this blight on London’s road system.

Metropolitan Police Traffic Management The Metropolitan Police fully support the proposal to lower the existing national speed limit to 50 mph along the TLRN A1 from Rowley lane to Courtland Avenue where the 50mph speed traffic order is already in place. This position is based on the following factors: All lanes on this section of the A1 are significantly below the standard 3.65 metres considered appropriate for a national speed limit dual carriageway. Along this entire section there is a kerb on the central reservation that presents a loss of control risk, should the offside wheels of any vehicle in lane 3 make contact with it. This risk, and the severity of damage and injury arising from a loss of control collision, clearly increases with speed. There is no hard shoulder, nor are there any lay-bys on this section of the A1. Any broken down vehicle would therefore be stopped in a live carriageway, with vehicles potentially - at present - approaching from behind at 70 mph. The absence of overhead gantry signs increases the risk to road users in such break down situations. There should be consistency of speed limits across the TLRN, and when we have roads like the A13, with 3.65 metre lanes, grade separated junctions, no offside kerbing etc. with a 50 mph limit, it is clearly inappropriate to a have a noticeably inferior road of this vintage with a national speed limit. The slip roads at Rowley Lane are too short and inappropriate for a national speed limit dual carriageway. 50 mph terminal signs on the southbound carriageway at Rowley Lane would provide drivers with an indication that they are driving into a different environment - with multiple junctions of an urban nature - from the mostly rural dual carriageway that they have been travelling on up to this point. A gateway treatment here would assist in re-enforcing this message.

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Councillor Hutton, London Borough of Barnet I understand from research and in practice that reducing speed reduces accidents and injuries. Councillor G. Johnson, London Borough of Barnet I agree with reducing the speed limit in this area. Councillor Pat Strack, Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council, Hertsmere Borough Council I think this is good as far as it goes but beyond Rowley Lane going north there will still be difficulty. I expect that the northern A1 becomes a different authority either Highways Agency or HCC but we need joined up thinking here. The section from A1 south Mimms interchange coming south also need speed control. London Cycling Campaign, Barnet Branch Crossing the route, by pedestrians and cyclists, is important, and facilities are poor enough to seriously further damage the reputation and good name of TfL. A major recreational walking route round London, the LOOP - London Outer Orbital Path - crosses, or should cross, the A1, in the middle of this section, between Moat Mount Open Space, and Scratchwood Open Space.. To cross here is so hazardous that walkers have to add a mile detour of walking alongside this unpleasant road to reach an underpass, with, in addition to the road's unpleasantness, all the unpleasantness that such underpasses always have . For cyclists, there is the unpleasant to hazardous crossing at Stirling Corner, for those cyclists needing to pass along the A411, Barnet Lane, (admittedly somewhat improved by the recent turning on or the traffic lights for more of the day.) Cyclists here tend to go straight, east or west, and motorists to turn, reproducing the hazards of TfL's notorious Bow Roundabout in the East End. There are fewer cyclists here than at Bow, so nobody has been killed - yet. Potters Bar and St. Albans transport user group Systematic reduction of speed limits is not welcome, as bus operators and others use this road to 'make up' lost time caused by delays. Reductions are OK on residential streets but not major trunk roads where they damage business,

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5 Conclusion

The consultation was held to help us better understand the views and opinions of those who live near to the road or who use this section of the A1. Where possible, comments and suggestions have been used to help inform our final scheme design.

We plan to go ahead with our proposals to change the speed limit on the A1 Barnet By-Pass between Rowley Lane and Courtland Road. From late summer 2014 the speed limit will be changed to 50mph within this section.

Traffic authorities are asked to routinely review the speed limits on all of their A and B roads, and implement any necessary changes. We’ve already introduced 50mph speed limit on other sections of the A1. To provide better consistency and help smooth traffic flows we’ve decided to go ahead with our proposals.

Our aim is to reduce the number of incidents along this stretch of the A1. Appendix D sets out our response to the main points raised .

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Appendix A – List of stakeholders consulted London TravelWatch

Elected Members

Darren Johnson AM Mike Penning MP

Gareth Bacon AM James Clappison MP

Jenny Jones AM Peter Lilley, MP

Murad Qureshi AM Oliver Heald MP

Nicky Gavron AM David Gauke, MP

Valerie Shawcross AM Anne Main MP

Richard Tracey AM Stephen McPartland, MP

Caroline Pidgeon AM Richard Harrington MP

Andrew Boff AM Grant Shapps, MP

Victoria Borwick AM

Tom Copley AM

Stephen Knight AM

Fiona Twycross AM

Andrew Dismore AM

Local authorities Police and health authorities

London Borough of Barnet Metropolitan Police

Hertfordshire Borough Council London Ambulance Service

London Fire Brigade Service

Highway Agency

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Other Stakeholders

Action on Hearing Loss Living Streets

Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID) London Councils

Age Concern London London Cycling Campaign

Age UK London Older Peoples Strategy Group

Age UK London Underground

Asian Peoples Disabilities Alliance MIND

British Deaf Association National Children's Bureau

BT National Grid

Campaign for Better Transport RADAR London Access Forum

CBI RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Royal Mail

Confederation of Passenger Transport Royal Parks

CTC - The national cycling charity School Travel Advisor - Barnet

Department for Transport (Roads) School Travel Advisor - Islington

Disability Alliance Sense

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee

Sixty Plus

EDF Energy Stroke Association

Greater London Forum for the Elderly Sutton Centre for Voluntary Sector

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association The British Dyslexia Association

Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People

Transport for All

Joint Mobility Unit

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Appendix B - Consultation material

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Appendix C – Leaflet disruption area

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Appendix D

Response to the main issues raised

This document summarises our response to the main issues raised. Set out below, are the main points put to us during the consultation and our response to these.

Our proposals As part of the Mayor of London’s commitment to road safety we proposed a reduction in the speed limit to 50mph on the A1 between the junction of A1 Barnet Bypass & Rowley Lane and A1 Barnet Way & Courtland Avenue. We want to improve journey times for those using this section of road. To do this we are proposing to lower the speed limit on this stretch of the A1. This will help make journey times more predictable and contribute to a reduction in collisions on the approach to Stirling Corner.

Main issues raised and TfL's response

Below is a summary of issues raised at consultation and our response. The road is a dual carriageway capable of taking traffic speeds of 70mph. This scheme promotes the points in DfT Circular 01/2006 – Setting Local Speed Limits -including the relationship between speed and the risk of collision and severity of injury, and of the actual speeds being driven on the network. Traffic authorities are asked to review the speed limits on all of their A and B roads, and implement any necessary changes.

Other sections of the A1 already have a speed limit of 50mph. This scheme provides more continuity along the road and will help reduce the number of incidents.

The main traffic / pedestrian problem is at Stirling Corner

We’ve reviewed the incident records for this section of the A1. The records show that the reported causes of incidents are;

Changing Lane 41 %, Speed Related incidents 16% Shunt incidents 43%

We are proposing to implement a lower speed limit to help reduce the number of incidents along this stretch of road.